Head coaches and key staff

Tim began as Head Coach of Athletics and Cross-Country in 2009. Under his guidance:

• The Girls’ First Cross-Country team secured eleven consecutive APS Premierships from 2012 to 2019, and the Girls’ First Athletics team won back-to-back APS Premierships in 2023 and 2024.
• The Boys’ First Cross-Country team have won nine consecutive APS Premierships from 2016 to 2025, while the Boys’ First Athletics team claimed the 2022 and 2023 APS Premierships.

Other achievements include:

• Athletics Australia National Distance Coordinator, 2006 to 2012
• Australian Team Coach at the IAAF World Cross-Country Championships for four years.
• Australian Team Distance Coach at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Osaka (2007), Berlin (2009) and the Beijing Olympics (2008)
• Representing Australia at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Düsseldorf (1977) and Madrid (1981)
• Former junior Australian 1500 metre record holder and national junior 1500 metre champion.

Natalie Porter is the Head Coach of Basketball. Her achievements include:

• Director of Coaching (Junior Girls Program) - Frankston Blues
• First Girls Basketball Coach, Wesley College & Carey Grammar
• Maitland Mustangs Senior Women's Coach
• Basketball Victoria SCC Head Coach
• Australian Olympian - Athens 2004
• Olympic Silver Medallist
• WNBL Life Member
• Basketball Victoria Hall of Fame

Paul Montgomery is the Head Coach of Cricket. Paul (OW 1982) commenced in the role in 2021 overseeing the Cricket Program providing coaching and coach development to the players and coaches across the year levels.

Background:

• Two-time 1^st XI Premiership and Club Championship Coach at Ringwood CC in Victorian Premier Cricket
• Coached at State Level in Male U15 & U17 teams and with the Senior Women’s team including the Melbourne Stars WBBL
• Coached at a National Level with the Australian ID team
• 20+ years employed at Cricket Victoria including eight years as Coach Development Manage

Brent Thiele is the Head Coach of Football and First XVIII Coach and Senior VCE Physical Education teacher at Wesley College. Brent is a passionate and experienced coach who prides himself on developing and caring for his students.

Achievements:

• Strength, Conditioning and Development Coach for the Oakleigh Chargers in the TAC Cup
• AFL Victoria coach since 2009
• Under 17 AFL State Futures Head Coach
• High-Performance Level 3 accredited AFL coach.

Clare Whittam began as Head Coach of Gymnastics in 2004 and has also coached diving and softball. Clare played softball and baseball at state and national levels from 1996 to 2010, but her coaching passion is for gymnastics, which she strongly believes provides a great grounding for all sports.

Jesse Workman - Head Of Hockey

• Current Hockey Club Melbourne Senior Assistant Coach - Premier domestic league in the country
• Current Victorian U21 Head Coach.
• Former Pakistan Men’s Assistant Coach
• Former Central Mavericks Coach - NZ National league.
• Two time Hockey Victoria Premier League Winning Coach.
• Former Head Coach of the Men's and Women’s Victorian Futures Squads
• Former High Performance coordinator for Hockey Victoria

Penny Mudge is the Head Coach of Netball.  Penny commenced in the role in 2019 overseeing the Netball Program providing coaching and coach development to the players and coaches across the year levels.

Background:

• 2005 Assistant to Wesley 1^st Team Coach
• 2003-2015 Coached Wesley Netball
• 2008-2011 Co-coached College Junior A School Girls Team
• 20 years employed at Wesley; Head of Physical Education & Health faculty 2004-2012, Head of Year 2013- current

Matt Ryan is a dual Olympian and Olympic silver medallist from the Beijing Olympics, with over 20 years of experience within the rowing community. We are incredibly well placed to keep growing the success of the Wesley rowing program with Matt as our leader.

As Head Coach Matt will be responsible for the daily oversight of the entire program working with all stakeholders both internally and externally to ensure its effective operation. In particular he will work in a management capacity with all of our coaches - mentoring and guiding them to ensure that both the training program and technical direction is clearly understood and applied consistently through its implementation. Matt will be responsible for programming, technical modelling and implementation, including assisting with the delivery of our PD program to coaches.

Matt’s experience in the sport allows the Wesley Program to access the latest training information and techniques and provides an invaluable resource to access and have available to our Program.

Samuel, an AFC/FA "A" Diploma Coach, has been with us for 4 years. With over 10 years of youth coaching experience in various roles at Melbourne Victory, Football Victoria, and Chicago Fire SC in the US, he specialises in the development phase of football. Samuel also holds a bachelor's degree with honours in Sport Management.

Other achievements include:

• Coaching NPLW with South Melbourne for 3 Years
• Championship winning SL2 with South Melbourne FCW
• APS Premiership Wesley College Soccer Girls 2022

Janine Bates became Head Coach of Swimming in 2019 and has been at Wesley College since 1997 as a Physical and Health Education and Mathematics teacher. Janine led the Girls APS Swimming Team to nine Premierships from 1992 to 1995, 1997 and 2012 to 2015. Her success in the APS Competition was rewarded by her selection as Girls APS Representative Swimming Team Coach in 2018.

Achievements:

• competed in swimming at state and national levels and was a Victorian state age record holder in 1987
• represented Victoria and the Australian Country Water Polo Team.

Lauren Breadmore joined Wesley as Head Coach of Tennis in 2018. Lauren is also the CEO of XSOAR Perform, a Melbourne-based peak performance company. XSOAR partners with Wesley to deliver extra-curricular tennis programs including a High-Performance Tennis Program. In 2019 Lauren led the Wesley Girls Firsts Tennis team to the premiership.

Achievements:

• 20-year career as a professional tennis player, athlete mentor, high-performance coach and a Board Member of the Australian Davis Cup Tennis Foundation
• competed on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and International Tennis Federation professional tennis circuits for 10 years in more than 50 countries
• played in five Grand Slams at the Australian Open and reached career-high rankings of number one in Victoria, four in Australia and 221 in the WTA.

Mick has coached for 24 years in schools, academies and at state and national levels.

Achievements:

• High Performance & Pathways Manager at Volleyball Victoria 2021-2023
• Played for the University Blues franchise in the Australian Volleyball League for many years, winning the gold medal in 2010
• Represented Victoria at numerous Australian Junior Championships, obtaining 3 silver and 1 gold medal
• Holds an International Level 2 coaching accreditation

Sean joined Wesley as Head Coach of Water Polo in 2019.  At Wesley, Sean aims to develop and deliver a water polo strategy that encourages progression from engagement and participation through to highly competitive and enjoyable gameplay.

Achievements:

• represented the state in an U12 Victorian team and several U14, U16 and U18 Club Nationals tournaments, and for the Victorian U20s State Team at age 16
• selected as co-captain for the APS Representative team in 2016
• currently plays for Richmond Tigers in the State League 1 competition
• coached and managed teams ranging from metro-U14s through to U18 Club Nationals and now focuses primarily on delivering Richmond’s Junior Academy program.