Essendon Royals confirm Vince Battiato as Senior Women’s Coach

Essendon Royals’ senior women team will be led by experienced coach Vince Battiato in 2022.

The Royals can confirm the appointment of Battiato – who has enjoyed championship success in Women’s State League 1 as recently as 2017 – as the club’s new senior women’s head coach, following the departure of Mineiro and the transition of Mick Giacomi to the Men’s Reserves job.

Battiato arrives as a well-respected coach within the game in Victoria, with a particularly strong association with the women’s game.

The Royals and Battiato have met plenty of times in recent years as opponents, but the 2017 State League 1 winning coach said he was pleased to be aligned with Essendon in 2021 and beyond.

“I’ve been involved in women’s football for quite some time now and have enjoyed some relative success, including winning this league once before with Melbourne University,” he said.

“I know a lot of the Royals players and I’ve coached and coached against some of them as well. I’ve had a bit of time off coaching.

“It was meant to be one year but COVID turned that into a bit longer and I was waiting for the right chance to come along and from speaking to [Royals Head of Football] Vaughan Coveny and this just felt like the right club that I could make the most difference at, so I’m here and I’m committed and ready to do a job.”

Battiato said knowing many of the players involved at the club and the conversations he had with various people at the Royals made him excited for the potential of women’s football at the club.

“I know the club has a good culture and a good background. It’s a family club and legitimately wants to invest in the women’s game. As someone very committed to the women’s game, looking at all that, it was a no-brainer.”

The new Royals women’s coach said fans could expect an organised team with a set plan and strategy whilst ensuring the environment for players was fun and enjoyable.

“I’m meticulous, but it’s still about enjoyment,” he said.

“The players love this game, but this isn’t their livelihoods, so it’s about understanding them as people before you understand them as players. By understanding them as people, you can get the best out of them as players as well.”

Having enjoyed success at this level before, Battiato said he understands that rising to the top of State League 1 has its own particular challenges.

“One of the unique challenges in this league compared to the lower leagues is the management of seniors and reserves,” he said.

“You’ve got a situation where you need to understand that no group of 15 or 18 players is going to win or challenge for anything. You need a squad.

“You need a squad of 35 players, and everyone is on the same page. You need all of those players in the reserves to be pushing the first team and if you can achieve that, you have a chance.

“For me, if the State League 1 seniors win the league, then all 35 players win the league.

“Everyone in the squad has a contribution to make.”

Whilst Battiato hinted there will be a number of exciting senior women’s team announcements in the coming weeks, the new Royals coach said he was working towards a two-year plan with the ultimate goal of winning the competition.

“My discussions with the club have centred around a very definitive two-year plan. With the foundation we already have plus a few extra players that I can draw and some time to gel, I expect us to be very competitive this [2022] season, with the aim of winning State League 1 in 2023.

“Everything is set backwards from that goal so that have something to measure by as we go and keep us on target.”

Battiato said that one of the club’s big assets in achieving that success and beyond is its growing base of junior girl footballers coming through the club.

“Having that junior pool is fantastic, not just to see what players might be able to come through to the senior squad, but also in ensuring that there’s a pathway for those girls to continue their progression within the club,” he said.

“It’s my intention to have our senior women’s team much more heavily involved in the club, so I’d like to get some of our senior women coaching those teams – even if it’s in pairs and they share the duties.

“To have them involved would be great for the juniors and an eye-opener for the seniors and ensure they’re reinvested back into the club.

“The club, as far as I can see, puts a lot of support into the women’s program and I want to ensure our senior women give back to the club.

“I’ve known of the club and coached against the club for a number of years, and it feels like a positive place. I genuinely believe I can help make a difference here and I can’t wait to get started because there’s a wonderful foundation to work with.”