Tiff Bartram is not even a week into being Kyabram’s A-grade coach.
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She only finalised her appointment with the club on Sunday.
Yet, she already feels positive steps are being made to revamp the netball program — one in desperate need of it after a tough season.
The stats were alarming.
Just eight wins across the Bombers’ five Goulburn Valley League sides.
And only the under-15 and 17 teams actually recorded them.
Meanwhile, a whopping 40 players rotated through A-grade.
Many not ready for the level, playing up to make the numbers work in a program which lacked bodies.
The result was a winless campaign — the closest Ky got to any opponent being a huge 38 goals.
So if you’re Bartram, how do you turn it around?
Where do you start?
“Get more goals on the scoreboard,” she said.
“I don't think they scored over 30 in any game.”
They did not.
And a recruitment drive is under way to address the issue.
Bartram’s not wasting any time or any connections.
“In the last 24 hours, I’ve messaged any players I've admired along my coaching journey, and there's still a few more to go,” she said.
“It's great to just talk to all the girls around the area, the netball scene is so strong and the passion surrounding it is incredible.
“I’ve had lots of really good conversations over the last few days and, hopefully, we can get a couple of signings over the line.”
The coach, like any, prefers to keep the deals on the down low.
But she did say Bombers supporters could expect announcements over the next few days.
As for what the players are in for, Bartram’s all about bringing the joy back onto the court.
It’s one of many reasons why Ky’s netball operations manager Jackie Stockdale was so aggressive in her pursuit.
“She was pretty persistent,” Bartram said.
Are we talking late night phone calls?
Sending gifts?
A blank cheque?
“No, she wasn't that bad,” Bartram said with a slight chuckle.
“But she was pretty keen to meet and we went and had a coffee, really got along and aligned in how we think about netball and what we want for Kyabram.
“It just seems like the right fit for me.”
Bartram comes from coaching Tongala’s B-grade side to a Murray Netball League premiership.
Which also brought up a relevant question.
Given the Blues’ success in 2026 — Tongala won four flags — particularly compared to Ky’s struggles this year, why did she move?
“I just wanted to be back in an A-grade role,” Bartram said.
“That opportunity wasn't really there at Tongala, so when this one came up I just thought it was a great way to get into the GVL and back into A-grade coaching.”
She says back because Bartram was previously the A-grade coach at Macorna from 2020-24.
The stint is incredibly relevant here.
When Bartram took over, the Loddon Valley League club was bottom of the ladder.
Three years later, it reached the grand final.
There’s plenty of work to do yet to replicate such a rebuild at Ky and the GVL landscape is different.
But a track record exists.