SWFL 2023: Berend Kaaks ready to instill new club culture as South Bunbury look to return to women’s comp

After a tumultuous 2022 season that resulted in the withdrawal of the South Bunbury women’s team, incoming coach Berend Kaaks says he is ready to spearhead a new era for the team in 2023. Kaaks was recently announced to take the reigns of the South Bunbury women’s team for the 2023 South West Football League season, with the club keen to return to the competition. He joins the club after departing the Eaton Boomers’ Women’s coach post at the end of the 2022 season. South Bunbury’s highly successful women’s team, which won three consecutive premierships under the leadership of then-coach Max Jetta, was forced to withdraw at the halfway point of the 2022 season in the midst of the fallout of the club being fined $200 for racially vilifying Carey Park forward Hayden Yarran during a league match. Following the departure of Jetta, the majority of the team’s players also chose to leave the club, some of whom then made claims of several sexist incidents at the club, prompting the WA Football Commission to conduct an investigation and recommend all clubs to complete an audit to identify any inequality for women’s teams. Speaking to the South Western Times, Kaaks said there was a “really obvious attraction” in taking on the coaching role to help rebuild South Bunbury’s Women’s team and build a strong club culture. “I’ve certainly got a strong desire to coach women’s football and I think it’s fantastic for women’s football to have a South Bunbury side competing in 2023,” he said. “For me my main focus is on the way we move forward. “The South Bunbury Football Club is certainly committed to delivering every support to the women’s team and the coaching staff. “For a new season in 2023, I think it’s a really good opportunity for everyone concerned to create a brand new culture and bring this group together for a fresh start.” With pre-season training likely to kick off in the new year, Kaaks said the club was open to any ladies joining the team for the season ahead. “From a player aspect, we’re open to anyone joining us for the season ahead,” he said. “The ladies that moved away, they’ll make their own decisions about where they wish to play in 2023 and it’s clearly impractical to think we’re just going to bring the old team back. “The focus is on building a new team over the coming seasons and absolutely driving a new culture and bringing that group together is going to be an absolute key thing in the early days especially. “We’ve had quite a few ladies approach us who are interested in playing in 2023 and there’s been some really positive inquiries and we’re looking forward to that continuing. “Hopefully now that the news is out that there’s a coach in place, that starts to accelerate as we head towards pre-season.”