This Saturday afternoon at Graham Road, Aspley Hornets QWFA Senior Coach Jacob Simmons-Bliss, will coach his 150th game at club level. A journey which commenced in 2004 as a coaching helper in his Club’s Auskick program, Simmons-Bliss was given his first coaching role in his own right, in 2008 by then Collingwood Park JAFC President & Queensland football stalwart Rex Watts, as the Club’s Under 8’s coach.
In the ten years since, Simmons-Bliss has coached, junior, youth and senior sides in both AFL Brisbane Junior and AFL Queensland competitions. The 2014 QWAFL Coach of the Year recipient has never missed a finals series as a Senior Coach and has won both premierships and accolades along the way. In addition to a successful career at club level, Simmons-Bliss has served in numerous coaching roles at representative level with AFL Queensland academies, with SEQ at State Championship level, with Queensland at National Championship level and with the Western Bulldogs in the AFL Women’s Exhibition Series.
Joining the Aspley Hornets for the 2017 season, Simmons-Bliss and his coaching team have made an immediate impact, leading the Club’s QWFA Division 1 side, which is primarily made up of new players to the game, to 22 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses across 26 games, with the side well placed for a strong showing in the 2018 QWFA Division 1 finals series.
When asked to share his thoughts on his experience at the Hornets, Simmons-Bliss shared “the strong governance of the Club’s Board, the professionalism of our football department and the talented and dedicated team of coaches, football staff and players that I get to work with have ensured that my time here at the Hornets has been the most enjoyable and rewarding experience of my football journey and the environment has definitely allowed me to get the best out of myself as a coach”.