Patrick was appointed as the first Senior Coach to the Box Hill Hawks after they took on the VFL Women's licence from the Knox Falcons. Patrick is not new to the team at Box Hill he was a development coach in 2011 and senior assistant coach to Damin Carroll in 2012-2014, moving from Box Hill to Frankston to be the head coach for the VFL team for the last 2 season. He has been quoted as say that he is excited about the challenges ahead, as Box Hill enters the AFL Women's comp for the first time in 2017.

We talk to Patrick about the team, how it is coming along, the pathway's that they are looking to establish, the first round clash on the 6th May that sees the two new teams to VFL Women's comp go head to head down in Geelong and more.

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/football/vfl/womens

Twitter: @BoxHillHawks @Paddy_04

We spoke to Clare about the panel that she was involved in last week as the WOW event:

A Marathon, Not a Sprint

Women's sport is finally starting to get the attention it deserves but recent achievements don't mean the race is run. Building on the hard work of many, the challenge is to keep momentum and ensure that women's sport continues to grow in a way that is aspirational, supportive, respectful and safe for women. Which included a range of inspiring speakers Susan Alberti AC, Carol Fox, Dr Clare Hanlon and Lewis Martin who have each been intimately involved in the advancing women's sport as advocates, supporters, administrators, athletes and broadcasters.

Bio:

Associate Professor Clare Hanlon

PhD (VicUni), MAppSc (UniBallarat), BEd (UniBallarat), DipEd (ACU)

Sport Management Discipline Leader, College of Sport & Exercise Science

Clare is an Associate Professor in Sport Management. She has over 25 years' experience in sport and specialises as an industry advisor, researcher and teacher in facilitating greater participation in sport and physical activity. In 2016, Clare received the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Programs that Enhance Learning.

She has a particular focus on collaboration strategies to encourage women in leadership and participation in sport. In 2016 the Victorian State Government Minister for Sport recognised Clare as a role model in sport (external link).

In a leadership capacity Clare is the Sport Management Discipline Leader and has been Acting Head (2012), and Associate Head (2011-2012) in the College of Sport & Exercise Science, Victoria University. Clare facilitates strategic workshops for state and national sport organisations, leads or is a team member for applied research and research consultancy projects and has collaborated with numerous organisations.

Twitter: @hanlonclare

Website: www.vu.edu.au/contact-us/clare-hanlon

We Spoke to Hans about the announcement this week of a five-year Strategic Partnership Agreement with Melbourne Victory Football Club

The partnership will offer talented junior players a development pathway as part of an elite sporting environment that is underpinned by evidence based sport science and performance support.

The partnership will kick off immediately with VU's Dr Fabio Serpiello appointed Head of Academy Performance and Sport Science joining Melbourne Victory's recently appointed Academy Director, Paulo Cardoso to head up the sport science and performance program.

"It exposes our students to real life opportunities working with the biggest football club in Australia" said Professor Westerbeek.

Professor Westerbeek said the partnership cements Victoria University's position as Australia's leading Sports University.

It builds on the University's diverse range of local and international collaborations with leading sports organisations including the Western Bulldog's AFL, AFLW and VFL teams, Melbourne Vixens Netball Club, Tennis Australia, Swimming Australia and the Real Madrid Foundation.

We speak to Renee about the opening round of the series in Adelaide, what happen in the second practice session, and she gives some insight into what it takes to get a car on the track.

Renee is a female V8 Supercar driver competing in the 2017 Super 2 Dunlop Series. Renee will has contest the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 alongside Swiss open wheel ace, Simona De Silvestro over the last 2 years, as the first all-female driver pairing to contest the historic race since 1998.

A former equestrian horse rider, Renee has progressed through the ranks of Australia's most competitive karting series where she was a genuine front runner driving against Australia's very best. In fact, after a long hard season of racing Renee missed out on representing Australia at the 2011 Rotax World Karting finals by just one place. Unsurprisingly, Renee's racing hero is NASCAR and IndyCar star Danica Patrick.

Subaru do Motorsport team driver Molly Taylor became the first female and youngest winner of the Australian Rally Championship 2016 - making a mark in history!

Growing up in a motorsport family, an interest in rallying was inevitable, with Molly's mother Coral a four-time Australian Rally Champion co-driver. However it wasn't until a later age, working at her father Mark's rally school in the holidays that Molly tried driving a rally car herself.

Molly won one of the most prestigious awards in Australian motorsport, the Peter Brock Medal, named in honour of the late touring car legend.

She won the F16 class in the Australian Rally Championship, backing the victory up with a title defence in 2007. With that, Molly moved overseas at a young age to follow her dream with very little money - a gutsy move at such a young age. From there, Molly's career sky rocketed.

She won three of the six events she contested in the 2009 Suzuki Swift Sport Cup, becoming the British ladies rally champion in the process.

This immediate success was rewarded with a place on the Australian Motor Sport Foundation's International Rising Star program.

In 2013 Molly competed in a 7 round European Rally Championship. Her results also elevated her to World Rally Rankings Number 1 International Female Rally Driver.

In 2014 Molly took on four rounds of the Junior World Rally Championship. She also became the first female to achieve a podium position in the Junior WRC's history.

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/molly_rally

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MollyRally/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/MollyRally

Website - http://mollytaylor.com.au/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/MollyTaylorMotorspt

We spoke to Dandenong Jayco Rangers sharpshooting guard Natalie Novosel, she returned to the Ranges this season after being a part of the WNBL Championship team Townsville Fire. This weekend see's the Ranges play Perth Lynx in the first of the Semifinal rounds. They are at home with the match set to tip off at 6.30pm 25th Feb at the Dandenong Stadium. We spoke about her career to date from her origins in the US at Norte Dame, to being back at the Ranges for this season.

Web: http://wnbl.com.au/dandenong/home/

Twitter: @JaycoRangers @NatalieNovosel

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jaycorangers

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jaycorangers/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC048eB3tUIExgpM-xno48DA

We talk to Ellie-Jean about the wildcard into the Australian Open of Surfing, where she would like to surf, who inspires her and more..

Both Ellie-Jean and her sister Holly-Daze received wildcards to this year's Australian Open of Surfing' in Sydney and will compete next week as they continue their bid to qualify for the elite CT surfing tour.

The Coffey sisters, along with their three siblings. are 'Instafamous' superstars, with more than 1 million followers on the back of their scantily-clad selfies and seemingly jetsetter lifestyle which sees them travel to some of the most beautiful places in the world.

The Coffey sisters haven't lived a conventional life - their family packed up everything and began travelling around Australia more than a decade ago when mother Kym suffered a broken neck and their father Jason had an epiphany. Jason sold the family home to fund their travels and home-schooled all of the Coffey siblings along the way.

'The Kardashians of the surf world', Ellie-Jean Coffey (22) and Holly Daze Coffey (17) are two Aussie blonde bombshell pro surfers taking the social media world by storm, with a combined Instagram following of more than 1 million people. Their shredding skills got them on the radar, but the two sisters have taken their profile to the next level with their seemingly nomadic existence, savvy social media guile and provocative online photos.

Now, as the Coffey sisters prepare to compete in next week's Australian Open of Surfing in Sydney, the two are determined as ever to juggle their CT qualifying ambitions with a growing public profile and potential US realty TV series in the works.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZbNZu1u4JDLbcLL8j1Zw3w

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliejeancoffey/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elliejean.coffey

Twitter: @elliecoffey1994 & @CoffeysGirls

Jess Bahn began playing softball for her local primary school at the age of 11. After winning the state titles, her friend encouraged her to join the local softball club, Glen Eira. In addition to playing every Saturday for Glen Eira, Jess was selected for numerous State development teams before being selected in her first state team Under 16s in 2008. Jess competed in 2 Under 16 national titles and 3 Under 19 national titles, were she captained Victoria in her final year. At the end of 2011, Jess travelled with the Junior Australian team to the World Championships in Cape Town, South Africa. The team narrowly lost to Chinese Taipei to finish fourth.

Jess was also selected into the Open Women's softball Squad "The Titans" at age 16 and travelled with the team to gain experience at the Open Women's level. At 23, Jess is now a resident member of the Titan's team. In 2014 Jess earned MVP for the Victorian team and was selected as a non-travelling reserve for the Australian Team. Whilst she didn't get the call to participate in the World Championships she gained valuable insighst into what it took to succeed at the International level. Jess has just returned from the Down Under Series in Sydney were she was a member of the athlete identification pathway. The team played the Aussie Spirit, Japan and New Zealand national teams. Jess hopes to gain selection into the Aussie Spirit Squad and work towards her goal of selection in the team for upcoming Worlds in 2018. Outside of softball Jess has just begun graduate studies in Medicine and lives in Geelong, Victoria.

We spoke about her career in softball, and the possibilities that lay ahead with softball now back in the Olympics for the 2020 games in Tokyo, what it would mean to her if she made the spirit squad that is heading to Japan in April this year.

Twitter: @SoftballVic

Web: http://vic.softball.org.au

Bree started playing T-ball in 1996 at the age of 4 when her mum bribed me with a "Teletubby" teddy to fill in as the team were short of players. She has played every year since that time and is a member of Dandenong Softball Association. Bree started representing her Association at state championships at the age of 10 and every year since. Bree was selected in the State Secondary School Victorian Team in 2009 & 2010. She was drafted by Tasmania to play in their Under 19 state team in 2009. The following year (2010), was selected in the Under 19 Victorian State Team and has represented Victoria at 6 more Nationals since her first Victorian selection.

This year Bree was selected in the "All Tournament Team" at the conclusion of the Open Women's National Championships held in Sydney. She was also named in the All Stars Team which saw her eligible for the Down Under Series which unfortunately she was unable to attend.

We spoke about her career in softball, and the possibilities that lay ahead with softball now back in the Olympics for the 2020 games in Tokyo.

Twitter: @SoftballVic

Web: http://vic.softball.org.au

Ashleigh Gardner has become the second ever indigenous cricketer to debut for Australia women since the pioneering figure of Faith Thomas (nee Coulthard), when she made her debut in 1958 in a test match in 21st February against England.

Ashleigh displays with the bat for the Sydney Sixers - over the WBBL 02 was fantastic she scored 414 runs in 16 matches with three fifties, also achieved the most sixes with 13 over the series. Her performance during the WBBL, have earned her a spot in the squad for the T20 and ODI's against New Zealand.

We spoke about the opportunity that she has and what it would mean to her to make her debut on the MCG.

Twitter: @SouthernStars

http://www.cricket.com.au/series/southern-stars-v-nz-t20-series-2017