Brad George - Ipswich Force
With his team sitting on a six-game winning streak and locking up some impressive wins over their opponents in the past four rounds, Ipswich Force’s Brad George is the Coach of the Month for the QBL Women’s competition in June. The 2013 championship runners-up are staking their claim on this year’s title, having dropped just two matches to date this season – defeated by reigning champions Mackay and sustaining a narrow loss at the hands of Rockhampton, both defeats occurring in Round 2. Ipswich have taken advantage of a run of games on their home court to boost their season and now find themselves in a strong position as they look towards the back end of the season.

Round 5 saw the team secure a close win over a defiant Gold Coast Rollers side, with the Force’s early strong lead challenged by a late surge from the Rollers - Ipswich holding their nerve to walk away with a five-point victory. Chelsie Schweers hit 27 points while Brandi Brown shot 26 and took 19 rebounds in the win. Their Round 6 clash saw them bounce back from a first-quarter deficit against Suncoast Clippers to put on a run of baskets, seeing them coast to a comfortable 22-point victory, with Schweers and Brown leading the way on points but also gaining great support from the likes of Lauren O’Sullivan and Sarah Davis. In Round 7 the team handed the Toowoomba Mountaineers their fourth straight loss by a comprehensive 25 points. A number of Force players had standout performances in the absence of key playmaker Chelsie Schweers, with home-grown talent Meg Essex hitting 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Sarah Davis shot 20 points. Ipswich again found success in Round 8 over South West Metro, racking up a considerable margin in the second and third quarters to ease into a 110-67 win against a side who had enjoyed a strong start to the season in their own right. 

Now in his fourth year at the helm of the Force, George’s leadership has guided the team in a meteoric rise to be regarded as one of the powerhouse outfits in the league, with this month’s performances bolstering their reputation. This is the high school teacher’s third Coach of the Month award, picking up the accolade in 2013 and in his debut season as head coach of the Force in 2011. An injection of imported talent this season with the inclusion of Brandi Brown and former Toowoomba Mountaineer Chelsie Schweers has strengthened an already capable and experienced core group of local expertise, seeing the Force again emerging as championship contenders. There’s little doubt George will be pushing his team for continued strong performances for the rest of the season a bid for that elusive QBL premiership title.