NSW Swifts Head Coach Briony Akle has been named Coach of the Year at the 2022 Australian Netball Awards.
A four-time Swifts Premiership champion - two as a player and two as Head Coach – in 2021 Akle led the Swifts to a second Suncorp Super Netball title in three seasons.
This is the second time Akle has taken out the Coach of the Year Award haven previously won after the Swifts' 2019 title success.
Despite facing the logistical challenges of five state relocations, multiple periods of COVID-19 isolation and home-schooling young children in the Super Netball hub, Akle and her coaching staff led the Swifts to the seventh Premiership in the club's 25-year history.
Akle, who won titles with the Swifts as a player in 2001 and 2004, re-joined the club as Head Coach in 2018 having worked her way through the Netball NSW coaching pathway.
In 2019 she ended the Swifts' 11-year title drought when they won their first Premiership of the Super Netball era before backing it up with another Finals Series appearance in 2020 and 2021's Grand Final success over local rivals the Giants.
Akle was honoured to win the Award for a second time.
"Australian netball is lucky to have some of the best coaches in the world and I am humbled to receive this recognition after such a crazy year on and off the court," she said.
"I would like to thank our playing group and my coaching team for everything they put into this year and the commitment shown despite all of the challenges that came their way.
"I also want to thank the support and club staff at both the Swifts and Netball NSW who provided huge support to ensure that we kept our title campaign on track.
"Finally, I want to make a special mention of my family who rode every wave with us and who, for the past two COVID-affect years, have been my rock. It takes a village to create success at an elite sports club and I'm very thankful for the support unit we've had."
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