Hockey1: Melbourne Cobras Announce Inaugural Head Coaches

Melbourne Cobras are excited to announce the appointment of David John as the Head Coach for the Women’s team and Mitch Hayde as the Head Coach for the Men’s team. Both highly credentialed coaches have committed to two-year terms, providing strong leadership and a stable foundation ahead of the club’s inaugural season.

David John’s experiences are a perfect fit for the Melbourne Cobras as his specialised cultural understanding with the Indian Community is a must for the nuance of the Cobras. As the former High-Performance Director for Hockey India, he oversaw the development of the national program and coached both the Men’s and Women’s teams across a six-year tenure. David offers a unique blend of scientific rigor with his Honours & Masters in Physical Education and 30 years’ experience in professional sport as an Exercise Physiologist, Biomechanist & Rehabilitation Consultant. Additionally, David has been High Performance Manager in the Hockey India League (HIL) & High-Performance Director for the State of Odisha.

Mitch Hayde provides the structural discipline needed to operate at H1 level and possesses the invaluable domestic experience. He played a key role as assistant coach in Hockey Club Melbourne’s back-to-back championship-winning campaigns, providing consistency and discipline across both seasons. Additionally, Mitch brings valuable international experience, having coached at national level with the New Zealand U21 Women, U18 Men and as assistant coach with the Men’s Black Sticks.

Together, their combined domestic and international expertise positions the Melbourne Cobras strongly for their debut campaign.

We welcome both David and Mitch to the Cobras and look forward to introducing the club to the hockey world.

Lachlan Anderson, Hockey Victoria General Manager of High Performance, commented, “Securing coaches of David and Mitch’s calibre is a significant step forward for the Melbourne Cobras. We’re confident their leadership will set the standard for what we’re building and position the Cobras for long-term success in Hockey One.”

Melbourne Cobras will commence player nominations and initial training sessions in the coming month.