SWAN Hill have wasted no time in ensuring they play finals next season, with the club announcing Milly Op’t Hoog as its A Grade netball coach for 2026.
After playing off in last year’s grand final, the Swans embarked on a rebuilding year under Casey Frame, who took over the coaching reins late in the pre-season from Madeleine Nalder, Kelsey McCoy and Mollie Quin.
With a new coaching structure and following several pre-season departures, Swan Hill ended their 2025 campaign seventh on the Central Murray A Grade ladder.
It was the first time since 2002 the Swans did not feature in the finals, with the club set to head in a new direction under Op’t Hoog, who is no stranger to coaching, having led Murray Football Netball League club Finley in 2023 and 2024.
Having spent this season playing at the Cats, the time was right for the 28-year-old to return to the Central Murray, with Op’t Hoog telling The Guardian it was a “relief” to be announced as Swan Hill’s next A Grade coach.
“It’s a little bit surreal to be honest, because for me I have been wanting to fulfill a role like in this in the Central Murray for a while now,” Op’t Hoog said this week.
“Having coached at Finley for two years, that was my way of getting a bit of experience so that I could come back into the Central Murray and put my hand up.
“It’s a combination of being a relief and exciting and a bit daunting all at the same time.”
Despite spending the bulk of her time in the Central Murray with rivals Tyntynder, Op’t Hoog is also no stranger to the Swans, having trained all season with the club despite playing for Finley’s A Grade side.
Op’t Hoog also played two matches for the Swans against NNW United and the Mallee Eagles and is planning on being a playing coach next season.
In terms of her coaching style, Op’t Hoog will call on her experiences gained from her two seasons in charge of Finley as well as her knowledge as an exercise physiologist.
“My first year at Finley was more about getting a feel for it and figuring out what my coaching style is and I feel that experience will be very beneficial for me now at Swan Hill,” Op’t Hoog said.
“My second year, I coached alongside my sister-in-law Chelsea (McDonald), and she taught me so much about coaching and she was really good for my netball development and my coaching ability.
“With my exercise physiology background, I know the benefits of exercise and I know how to get results in terms of our fitness and how to prevent injuries, so it will be about trying to implement all my knowledge and experience.
“Casey (Frame) and Emily (Patterson) invested a lot of time and development into the younger players this season, which has made my job easier for next year because I won’t have to teach those younger girls from scratch.
“There’s a lot of development and time and effort that has happened not just this year, but over the last few years at Swan Hill.
“I’m all about being enthusiastic and encouraging people. I’m not going to be one of those coaches that yells and screams, that’s just not in my personality.”
In terms of what can be achieved next season, Op’t Hoog was loathe to put a ceiling on what the proud club can achieve, with a return to the finals the first of many goals for the Swans.
“I’d love to see us play finals, but not just in A Grade but all senior and juniors grades,” Op’t Hoog said.
“I think that’s a real possibility and with a club like Swan Hill and the culture that they have, that’s what we should be aiming at.
“I would love to see a stronger result than this year, which was a rebuilding year and I plan to keep giving the younger girls opportunities to develop.”
