Netball
6 April, 2026
WFNL 2026 preview: Premiership coach looking to repeat
The coach of last season's premiership-winning A grade Wimmera Football Netball League side, Horsham Saints, says she's confident her side won't lose its focus and intensity this year.
A coach of incredible experience and knowledge, Vernetta Taylor is thankful she was entrusted with the coaching role for the side last season and said through their adaptation and hard work they were able to claim success.
But Taylor's netball story began a fair while ago – so long ago that she said she couldn't remember the sport not being a part of her life.
"I started down at the Horsham City Netball Association competition at Central Park, probably when I was in about Grade 5, and it's been a part of my life ever since, initially as a player and then as an umpire and now as a coach," the life member of the Saints said.
"I did start coaching from young.
"Even when I was a player, my coaching passion has definitely developed over the last 10 years when my girls became involved in netball.
"That reignited my coaching passion and wanting them to get the joy out of netball that I have had as a child into an adult.
"For the last 10 years I have really focused on the development of my coaching skills; I've given a lot of effort and time to it."
This has included Taylor completing the first three levels of accreditation for coaching, coaching for Netball Victoria's talent academy and attending as many coaching clinics and courses as possible.
"I'm always trying to increase my coaching knowledge and I am privileged to be coaching not only the Horsham Saints A grade again this season but also the Horsham Saints under 15s and the Wimmera League under 13 representative team this year," Taylor said.
Taylor became involved with the Saints some time ago when she and her husband made the move back to Horsham from NSW.
Her husband, she said, wanted to play footy and he had originally played with Horsham Saints (St Michael's) as a junior.
"He wanted to go and play his last couple of years here, not having many years (of playing) left in him," Taylor said.
Initially Taylor played netball before moving into coaching the C grade side.
And from there, she went on to be the director of netball before deciding to focus on the coaching role.
This led her to lead the side last year and the team claimed the 2025 premiership.
"Last season was wonderful for the club with all of the netball teams being extremely successful," Taylor said.
"For A grade, they had a challenging loss the year before in the grand final so I feel like for a lot of the players they were extremely committed and determined to right, in their mind, their wrong.
"That was absolutely a motivator but for me I wasn't involved in that year, so coming in as a coach, new, I was just trying to build a really strong team culture.
"I wanted to change the style of netball we were playing.
"We have athletes who are fantastic at the club and in the team, and through accreditation coaching courses I do I knew that we could be playing at a higher standard than what we were."
Taylor added that she was grateful the side put their faith in her to change the things they were doing.
She added that, as a result of their hard work, determination and changing a few things up, the Horsham Saints A grade side were able to find an edge and get the premiership win.
But how are they going to not only hold on to but also evolve that edge this season?
Taylor said it was a good question.
"It's hard when you are competing at a high level already to maintain that commitment and momentum and keep improving," she said.
"I think that's the key, so it is about that commitment players will make to each other: the commitment they will stay dedicated and keep up the hard work and be accountable to each other.
"If we can do that, we will continue to improve.
"They work hard, they put in the effort and the time, and they will get the results.
"I don't think they are going to take their foot off the pedal.
"I believe we are only going to continue to get stronger."
Assisting the side in what Taylor says she hopes will be another brilliant season is the fact they are expected to retain their full premiership side.
"While we haven't announced our A grade team yet, I can confirm all players from the premiership team are returning to Horsham Saints this season," she said.
"I don't think there will be too many changes that will surprise anyone."