The Aspley Hornets Australian Football & Sporting Club is pleased to announce that Jacob Simmons-Bliss has been appointed as the Club’s inaugural QWAFL Senior Coach. The 2014 QWAFL Senior Coach of the Year winner and current Aspley Hornets QWFA Division 1 Premiership winning Senior Coach boasts an extensive track record of strong leadership, football program & stakeholder management, elite player & culture development outcomes and excellent on & off field success. Simmons-Bliss has wide-ranging experience as a Senior Coach at QWAFL level leading both the Zillmere Eagles and Yeronga South-Brisbane football clubs to QWAFL Grand Finals, achieving QWAFL Premiership success with the Devils. Additionally, Simmons-Bliss has widespread coaching experience within AFL Queensland Talent Programs at regional, state & national levels with both the Queensland Women’s and U18 Youth Girls teams, combined with his involvement in the AFL Women’s Exhibition Series as an Assistant Coach with the Western Bulldogs.
Arriving at the Hornets in November 2016, Simmons-Bliss brought with him a wealth of experience and learnings which has significantly contributed to the strong growth, development and success of the Hornet’s Senior Women’s Football Program and the wider Football Department. When asked about what his journey with the Hornets has meant to him up until this point, Simmons-Bliss spoke highly of the strong culture and professional environment that the Club fosters: “There is no doubt that the Club’s positive development culture and professional learning environment has drawn the best out of me as both a person and as a coach and the same can definitely be said for the playing group and the rest of our football staff and volunteers. The Club, combined with all stakeholders are committed to achieving our female football strategic objective which is focused on delivering a positive and professional learning environment which aims to develop elite level pathways for all Aspley Hornets women’s & youth girl’s players whilst still fostering pathways for community women’s footballers as well. I am extremely proud and excited about what we’ve created over the past few years culminating in winning the 2018 QWFA Division 1 Premiership and successfully bidding for a QWAFL license, but I am prouder and more excited about what we’re a creating from this point forward. It’s an absolute honour to serve as a leader within our great Club and I am humbled to be able to lead the Hornets into the QWAFL”.
Women’s Football Involvement:
AFL Senior Level 2 Coaching Accredited
AFL National Talent Identification Accredited
QWAFL Coach of the Year Recipient
QWAFL Premiership Coach
QWFA Division 1 Premiership Coach
Aspley Hornets AFC QWFA Division 1 Senior Coach
Yeronga South-Brisbane AFC QWAFL Senior Coach
Zillmere Eagles AFC QWAFL Senior Coach
AFL Women’s Exhibition Series Western Bulldogs AFC Assistant Coach
AFL Queensland Women’s Assistant Coach
AFL Queensland U18 Youth Girl’s Assistant Coach
AFL Queensland Women’s & Youth Girls Talent Academy Assistant Coach
SEQ Women’s Senior Coach
The Club will announce our complete QWAFL Coaching Staff in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for further Aspley Hornets QWAFL Female Football Program announcements!