Mansfield Football Netball Club has expressed its delight at announcing Tegan Hopkins as the new Head Coach and A-Grade Netball Coach for the 2026 season.

Hopkins takes the reins from Lucie Mitchell who has spent the past two seasons laying the groundwork for Mansfield's netballing Eagles to thrive.

Tegan will bring a wealth of experience to the Eagles' nest having been involved with the Victorian Netball League in the roles of Championship Head Coach and Director of Coaching.

She has also previously held coaching roles with Victorian Fury and Super Netball Reserves programs where she earned a reputation as a coach with outstanding high-performance expertise and an ability to get the best out of both established and emerging players.

Grace Evans, MFNC's Director of Netball paid tribute to the work of the club's outgoing coach while expressing her excitement at having been able to recruit such a talented coach.

"Lucie stepped into the coaching role when we needed her and we are really thankful for the work she has put into the club," she said.

"While she is stepping down as Head Coach, she won't be stepping away from the club.

"When we started looking for Lucie's successor, we started researching candidates.

"We looked at several coaches but Tegan quickly became our preference.

"Her passion for developing young players and building pathways makes her a perfect fit for our club’s long-term vision.

"We were delighted she agreed to take on the role, it's an exciting appointment.

"We can’t wait to welcome Tegan and her family to The Nest and watch her inspire our athletes on and off the court."

Tegan has expressed her delight at being given the chance to step into a senior coaching role at a club and in a region with a reputation for sporting excellence.

"Several people I know from Melbourne have reached out to me to tell me just how great Mansfield Football Netball Club is," she said.

"It has a really strong reputation down in Melbourne and I'm really excited to get started.

"Preseason is going to be really important.

"The A Grade enjoyed some really big wins towards the end of the season so they will be feeling confident and we want to build on that momentum.

"It's nice that the club trust me with the task of further developing netball in Mansfield.

"There is a great structure in place with some really beautiful people involved.

"Now we need to focus on training skills and athleticism, technical and tactical development, nurturing youth talent and providing pathways and opportunities.

"I'll bring my philosophy but I want to fit in with the existing culture at the club because the groundwork has been laid, the foundation is there.

"We need to work hard through the preseason, grow as a team and get out there on the court and win some games of netball."