Obst was an assistant coach of England at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where the English Roses claimed their first Commonwealth Games gold medal.
Tania Obst had travelled far and wide to earn her opportunity to coach the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the Suncorp Super Netball League.
It’s a story of perseverance, learning from every appointment, every coaching style, and every team culture.
And when the time finally came, she was ready.
She had wanted to be a head coach of a netball franchise and when Adelaide came knocking, coming home with the support of family and friends made the decision straightforward.
“I want to put together a team that is going to make South Australia proud, I like to play an exciting brand of netball,” Obst said at the time.
“I’m really looking forward to our South Australian-based athletes gelling with our internationals together to bring a brand of netball that makes members and supporters want to come and watch us play.”
Obst, who was the Assistant Coach of England at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where they claimed a historic first gold medal, as well as England’s futures coach, also possessed intimate knowledge of South Australian pathways from her appointments as Contax head coach and as SASI Head Coach.
In addition, she had been recruited as an assistant coach with the GIANTS Netball program, when she received a call to interview her for the Thunderbirds job.
In many ways, that exposure to netball outside of SA helped Tania to recruit star players to the Adelaide franchise, particularly from England and Jamaica, all assisting in turning the program around completely from 27 consecutive losses to winning the Suncorp grand final in 2023.
Apart from extensive high-performance experience, Obst also has an acute netball mind and a calm, stable outlook that allows her to withstand the pressures from within and without.
From her appointment, Obst’s influence was clear – three wins in her first season, then five wins for each of the next three years, then finally a 9-1 season that led the Thunderbirds to the treasured title.
Then on Saturday 3 August 2024 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, the Thunderbirds achieved the almost unthinkable, winning back-to-back titles beating the Melbourne Vixens 59-57.
Team premierships and franchise successes to one side, Obst rightfully was awarded the 2024 Suncorp Super Netball League Coach of the Year.
Tania Obst knows she hasn’t led this team alone. She had previously worked alongside Victorian Cathy Fellows in various Netball Australia pathways and had high regard for her game knowledge.
As Obst’s assistant, Fellows has helped develop arguably the world’s best defensive end, and in the 2026 Suncorp Super League grand final on Saturday July 4, the Thunderbirds’ defensive system proved almost impenetrable for the Melbourne Vixens, the team from SA winning 61-40.
And so, a dynasty of three Super League triumphs in four years was established, with Tania Obst and Cathy Fellows right at the centre.
