Tough Task for Coach
After weeks of speculation, rumour and bickering, the SCA sprang a surprise in Sydney by calling a press conference to confirm the appointment of new Coogee Mallets coach Andy Donaldson. The former scout leader was unveiled as Raylene Pardew's successor at the Sydney Croquet Association's (SCA) headquarters at Tempe.

SCA chairman Ernie Knobbe said: "Andy Donaldson has the right coaching qualities to steer the Mallets to victory in the Sydney Croquet Championships. "As an ex scout leader, he epitomised many of the qualities that will be required of his players in the next two years if they are to win the coveted Yabbi Cup."

The new coach has the toughest and most high-profile job in croquet, and will have to improve Coogee's recent patchy form to keep his position. The Mallets have won 11 games out of 19 under Pardew in the past three months, but lost three out of four times to close rivals Randwick.



"We have a responsibility to win every game in a Coogee cardigan," Donaldson said. "I have a particular team profile in mind where I will contest and attack through a single wicket and will use rover balls if I have to, and that's the bottom line. For some of our players croquet is not quite everything," he said, before adding the obligatory Coogee sentiment: "To me croquet is my life. "

Donaldson answered the question of whether famous Coogee "Roqueteur" Hamish Goulter would remain captain, by saying: "It depends whether or not he's back from Dubbo. He tells me the place is going off!"

There were 2 other applicants for the job, including former Mallet captain Wendy Shelford and Killara Koalas Yabbi Cup coach Raylene Deans. No assistant coaches have yet been named.



WTC- Woodley Times Correspondent