We are proud to announce Brendan McDonald and Samantha Hamilton as the Doncaster men’s and women’s club coaches for the 2024-25 season.
Having joined the Dragons as a tee-baller in 1994, McDonald takes the reins in the same year he was selected to Doncaster’s Team of the Half-Century at the club’s 50th-anniversary celebration in February.
A two-time club champion and former head coach of the Doncaster winter program, McDonald spent two years at Cochise College in Arizona from 2005-07 before transferring to Southern Arkansas University where he earned First-Team All-Conference honours in his senior year.
During his five seasons at the helm of the club’s winter program from 2015-19, the Dragons won the B-Grade premiership and were promoted to A-Grade for the first time in club history.
“The club has made huge strides in recent years, both on and off the field,” McDonald said. “The men’s program is in a great position to take the next step, and I’m thrilled the club has given me the opportunity to help us do that.”
The club welcomes back Hamilton, the current Team Australia Emeralds Assistant Coach and Victorian High Performance Program Manager, for a 15th year leading the program in its 25th-anniversary season.
An inaugural member of the Doncaster women’s program in 2000, Hamilton was first appointed head coach in 2006. Under her leadership and tutelage, the program rose to become Australia’s largest women’s program and has secured more than a dozen premierships across all divisions, highlighted by four Division 1 flags. The program has produced more than three dozen Australian and state-level representatives.
Hamilton’s legacy at the club was honoured in 2010 when the Women’s Club Champion Trophy was renamed the “Samantha Hamilton Award”. She was recognised with life membership in 2020 and was named head coach of both the 2000-09 and 2010-19 Teams of the Decade announced earlier this year..
“There is always a great feeling of anticipation ahead of any season, but there is something in the air ahead of this summer that has me really excited,” Hamilton said. “It will be our first full season with our new clubrooms, our field has just been redone, the women will celebrate 25 years and we welcome Brendan as coach. The club is in a great position and I look forward to working with Brendan to help take the Dragons to the next level.”
President Duffy Dowling, and the Doncaster Board, are thrilled with the appointment of McDonald and Hamilton.
“To see two long-term Doncaster people lead both programs into the next phase of the club’s future is very exciting,” Dowling said. “Our desire with these appointments is to see our men’s and women’s programs flourish together and provide the foundation for a growth and development for the club. Our junior players will also benefit significantly from Sam and Brendan’s input and direction.”
Hamilton and McDonald will confirm their coaching staffs over the coming months, with the first pitch of the 2024-25 VSBL summer season set for early October.
For more information about playing baseball with the Dragons this summer, visit doncasterbaseball.com
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