Three-time premiership winning coach Liz Kennedy calls time on mentoring Bathurst Giants women

Having been at the helm of the Giants women since they joined the AFL Central West competition in 2018, Kennedy became one of the most successful coaches in the league.

But with husband Mark, who had coached the senior men's side, having already decided to step down after season 2022, Liz Kennedy also felt it was time to put the whiteboard away.

"It was just time I think. Now we're an established team, it's time for someone else to put a little bit of new blood in and go from there," she said.

"We'll still be involved obviously, we may not have to take those trips to Dubbo on Saturday though, there'll be a bit more family time, but we still want to help and I'd be happy to help my successor.

"They are such a unique group of girls, I'm happy to help the new coach work out what makes them tick and what makes them a unique footy team."

Guiding a group of players she refers to as 'My girls', took Kennedy on a football experience she never could have predicted.

In their maiden season in 2018 the Giants made it all the way to the decider, beating then heavyweights the Bathurst Lady Bushrangers in the preliminary final to get there.

Though the Dubbo Demons ultimately won the premiership and the Giants finished with an 11 win, seven loss record, Kennedy knew she was part of something special.

"The surprising thing for me was how quick we were successful - I mean first year in the competition and we're playing in a grand final," she said.

"Beating the Bushrangers in that preliminary final to make the grand final, that was amazing.

"Every single game was a highlight, from the first time we won and I suppose coming so close that first year even though we did lose that grand final.

"Winning our first grand final was pretty special, but then again, so was our second, it's hard to do it back-to-back, and just continuing on the success was just unbelievable."

As Kennedy points out, the Giants built on their debut season.

On May 5, 2019, the Giants notched up 100 points in a game for the first time when bettering Cowra 15-13-103 to 1-17.

Under Kennedy's guidance the Bathurst side cracked 100 points in a game on eight more occasions.

They were undefeated premiers in 2019, defended that title in 2020 and in 2021 hadn't lost a game on the way to qualifying for a grand final COVID-19 denied them the opportunity to play.

This year, what turned out to be Kennedy's last as coach, the Giants were again crowned premiers with a 13 and two record.

"I'm just so super proud about what the senior Giants women have achieved, we came from nothing, we literally came from nothing. Now we've won three grand finals, were a runner-up, and we could've done it in 2021 but thanks to COVID we didn't get the chance," she said.

"It's a lot of hard work trying to gets teams on the paddock, especially for away games, and that was for both Mark and I, all those phone calls and text messages.

"I'm proud of the club, proud of the team, proud of myself for stepping outside of my comfort zone as well.

"It is certainly different from sitting on the sidelines watching your kids play to getting out there and watching a whole team play. Let's be honest, I had great people around me who helped me and made me look good, but for me there's certainly a lot more to coaching that just knowing the game, I'm testament to that."

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Along the way Kennedy was assisted by the likes of her husband Mark and the vastly experienced Mick Sloan, while the core group of around six players who were there for the whole journey helped her learn too.

Jus as she was passionate about her players, they in turn returned that love and respect. That was one of the keys to the Giants' success, it was what they called the 'positive vibes club'.

"You learn a lot about yourself, you learn a lot about people and especially women and the age of women we were involved with, most of them were young 20-year-olds," she said.

"It was also finding that balance of young girls, coming into a women's team as well. For me it was getting those core group of girls together as well to show those young girls how to behave as well.

"I just feel so privileged to be involved with that team and the way they embraced me."

Kennedy will remain in the team's group chat and she hopes that her tradition of hosting game day breakfasts on Saturday morning is something the new coach will want to continue.

But whatever happens, both Liz and Mark Kennedy will always be passionate Giants.

"You're a mother, you're a mentor, you're a friend, the problems Mark and I have solved over the last five years. There's knocks at the door at 10, 11 at night, at 2 o'clock in the morning the phone calls. That means something as well and I hope they will always think they can ring us," she said.

"My whole experience was just incredible, I'm going to miss them, but I'll still be involved. We've been Giants from the start and we'll continue that on."

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