Hockey Victoria’s 2021 Women and Girls Annual Breakfast

Published Fri 26 Mar 2021

Hockey Victoria are hosting our ninth annual Women and Girls Breakfast on Thursday 6^th of May to kickstart Women’s Round. The breakfast will provide an opportunity to hear from female leaders in sport. Both our guest speakers – Stacia Strain and Peta Searle (OAM) and our Master of Ceremonies– Carol Fox are true leaders who have overcome many obstacles to achieve their goals and lead the way for others. Come along and hear about these inspiring women and their journey of paving the way for others by being brave, taking risks and making the most of opportunities presented to them.

Stacia Strain

Stacia Strain is a former Hockeyroo, and current VIS head Women’s hockey coach who continues to push boundaries and ensure the future is bright for the next generation of aspiring female athletes and sporting leaders. Stacia’s coaching journey commenced after she retired from international Hockey in 2013. Since then, she has held multiple high-level coaching roles, at the Victorian Institute of Sport, Australian u/21 Jillaroos Assistant coach in 2019, and Australian u/23 Assistant coach in 2018 to name a few.

Stacia enjoys the technical and tactical side of the game, however what excites her most is the opportunity to connect with athletes at a human level. Creating a positive change in athletes both on and off the field is what she strives for.

Whilst coaching and Hockey is her passion, her greatest love is her family.

Peta Searle (OAM)

Peta Searle (OAM) has been leading the way ever since she played her first game of competitive footy as a nine-year-old. And it will be no different in Season 2021, when the Women’s trailblazer takes the reins again as the Senior Coach of St Kilda’s AFLW team.

After a 10-year playing career, Searle found enormous success as coach of Darebin Falcons, instigating a dramatic turnaround that would see the club win five premierships in six years. She went on to hold coaching positions at various clubs including the Western Jets, Port Melbourne and St Kevin’s before joining St Kilda as the AFL’s first ever female coach in 2014.

Since 2018, Searle has coached the VFLW Southern Saints, leading the red, white and black to a preliminary final berth in 2019. That same year, the women’s pioneer was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to football

Carol Fox

Carol was named as an Australian Financial Review 100 Woman of Influence and the Y Magazine 8 Women of Influence in 2020. For the past 30 years Carol has worked with thousands of people in her roles as an Executive Coach, Conference Speaker and Facilitator in the Personal & Professional Development Industry collaborating with all levels of Sport, Government, Not for Profit and Corporate Clients.

With a rich sporting background, Carol was an Ambassador for the ICCT20 World Cup 2020, Victoria University Women in Sport Research Ambassador, President/Chair of Women Sport Australia, Mentor and Facilitator of AFLW She Can Coach Project and Patron of the AFL premiership players Club.

She was also Victoria’s first professional female surf lifesaver, a state-level swimmer and water-polo player, coaching and even competing against men in ironman competitions. This has given Carol invaluable insight into the mentality required to be a leader that translates to general life and business.

Theme: “Lead the Way”

Date: Thursday 6^th May 2021

Venue: Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club; 489 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong, Vic 3144

Time: 7:30am-9:30am (networking opportunity 7:00am-7:30am)