Coach Jess joins women’s Big V

Jess Rottura continues to make waves in the VAFA after she was appointed assistant coach of the first-ever women’s Big V side ahead of the July 9 clash against AFL Goldfields in North Ballarat.

Led by University Blues premiership coach John Kanis, Jess joins an all-star coaching panel which includes Western Bulldogs AFLW assistant and University Blacks senior coach, Cam Roberts, as well as Old Xaverians premiership coach, Ted Woodruff.

Jess first caught the attention of the wider VAFA community when she was appointed the first-ever female head coach alongside David Elam last year with Old Melburnians’ Under 19 side.

Her appointment at OMs was no surprise to those who have witnessed her in action. Talented, driven and with an expansive knowledge of the game, Jess possesses the qualities representative of successful coaches from decades past after spending seven years in her position as an assistant.

She commenced an English teaching career at the school in 2007 and says, while coaching was never an avenue she had seriously considered, there was always an interest as it augmented her Masters of Education research on the information processing of gifted adolescents.

“I always saw it as more of an extension of my teaching,” Jess said.

“I looked at what a natural football brain was and wondered if I could test for it. Somehow, it developed into skills and observations I could apply to different game-sense situations and use to help out with modifying drills.”

To find out more about Jess, visit the hyperlink above.

The Big V squad was announced on Monday night, with 61 women included from 30 clubs.