Former premiership-winning Lakes coach Ian Bourke's return to the helm of the club this season is not just about lifting the Seagulls out of the doldrums and back into title reckoning again in the Newcastle men's competition.
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Bourke is also passionate about the women's game and eventually turning Lakes into a female powerhouse as well.
Bourke is one of the driving forces behind Lakes establishing the club's first Under 17's female team this year and opening up a pathway for all the young girls in the district to develop their skills. And he has enticed highly-regarded Knights' Harvey Norman and Indigenous All Stars squad member Taz Luschwitz to the club to act as a mentor.
"We are trying to build something special out here," Bourke said.
"We are looking to create our first Under 17's female team as a direct pathway to senior footy for the younger girls out here and this is a really important year for us to get it right and actually incorporate a team."
Bourke believes Luschwitz will be a great role model and influence for the girls at Lakes.
"We actually offered Taz the inaugural coaching role for the Under 17's," he said.
"I had an association with the Indigenous Women's team last year and Taz was part of the extended squad. She is only 21 but is such a wonderful young girl, down to earth, a good communicator and it struck me that she will make a really good coach.
"She's in the Harvey Norman squad for the Knights and the Indigenous All Stars extended squad and we brought her out to a female development night out at Lakes for all our sub-juniors and she came as a guest coach and was fantastic.
"I just thought she's got great presence and we need to get her involved with the club. She couldn't commit to a head coaching role because she is studying for a uni degree but she has agreed to be like a mentor and turn up whenever she is available.
"I just think it's really important for our club and really good for the female space around our community.
"Everyone in the NRL is saying we need more female coaches but no-one wants to develop them. So I just think this is a really good platform for Taz to learn. And it's a good opportunity for us as a club to become a bit of a female pioneer and kick-start something meaningful out here.
"We've got some great female committee members as well and it's the way of the world at the moment."
Lischwitz, who played in the inaugural Knights' Tarsha Gale side in 2018, says her role will be about offering support and advice and pass on what she has learned during her own career.
"Bourkey's passionate about getting something going at Lakes with the girls and setting it up so that there is a pathway for them to stay and playing locally from the juniors right through," she said.
"I'll just be doing what I can to support him with that."
