Latest news with #JohnCurran
The Advertiser
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
From backpacker to Mariner marvel: Husband's rise to GF
Emily Husband's life in Australia started much like any other Brit in their mid-20s: landing at Sydney Airport after backpacking through Southeast Asia. But nine years on, the Huddersfield local is still here and leading the Central Coast Mariners to their first A-League Women grand final. A defender who played at a high level in England before heading to college soccer, Husband made an early switch from playing to coaching. Then, chasing a change of scenery, she went travelling with plans to finish in Sydney. "I was a backpacker," Husband told AAP. "I'd been in the US for eight years. I finished at university. I did four years as a head coach in a full-time capacity in America. "I got fed up being there, to be honest. "I went backpacking around Southeast Asia, and the end destination was Australia. "I got here April 1, 2016, met John Curran literally right off the plane and the rest is history." Curran is director of coaching at Sydney University SFC. Husband coached every age group from under-10s upwards there while fulfilling her working holiday visa duties on a farm in Rankin Springs. Curran later appointed her as first-grade team coach in 2020, and she thrived, while she was briefly assistant at Canberra United before the Mariners came calling. Last season, Husband was named coach of the year in her debut campaign and led the Mariners to a semi-final. Last week, Central Coast upset premiers Melbourne City to reach the decider against Melbourne Victory, whose coach Jeff Hopkins is chasing a record fifth ALW championship. Husband is the first female head coach in the ALW grand final since 2017, and one of just two current female mentors in the league. She hopes her rise shows what can happen if capable women receive the opportunities they deserve, and have people in their corner. "It's a sink or swim situation and you don't truly find out what someone's made of until they're put in those situations," Husband said. "I can certainly vouch for myself and say that I was the same. So it's just about people trusting female coaches, because there's so many positives about having a female coach in charge of a team. "The females that continuously do well and spend the time on the pitch, they're more than worthy of a shot. You just don't know where your next gem is going to be found. "If I go back to the moment when John Curran asked me to be the first-grade head coach at Sydney University, if it'd been up to me, I wouldn't be here right now." Husband believes emotional intelligence and adaptability is crucial in modern coaching. Star midfielder and Matildas call-up Isabel Gomez credits the "super-approachable" Husband with her rapid improvement. Defender Jessika Nash describes Husband as "the whole package" while crosscode athlete Sarah Rowe relishes her attention to detail. "There's just something really special about her," Rowe told AAP. "She is an extremely empathetic, understanding, very relatable person and doesn't take life too seriously and is very cool, calm and collected. "Then on the other hand, she's this really competitive person who expects really high standards of us and we all have so much respect for her. "She's one of those people that you never want to let down and you always want to do your best for her." And Husband hopes that can deliver a maiden triumph at AAMI Park on Sunday. "We're not just here because somebody put us here," Husband said. "We're here because we earned it, we worked hard for it, and we can beat any team on our day." Emily Husband's life in Australia started much like any other Brit in their mid-20s: landing at Sydney Airport after backpacking through Southeast Asia. But nine years on, the Huddersfield local is still here and leading the Central Coast Mariners to their first A-League Women grand final. A defender who played at a high level in England before heading to college soccer, Husband made an early switch from playing to coaching. Then, chasing a change of scenery, she went travelling with plans to finish in Sydney. "I was a backpacker," Husband told AAP. "I'd been in the US for eight years. I finished at university. I did four years as a head coach in a full-time capacity in America. "I got fed up being there, to be honest. "I went backpacking around Southeast Asia, and the end destination was Australia. "I got here April 1, 2016, met John Curran literally right off the plane and the rest is history." Curran is director of coaching at Sydney University SFC. Husband coached every age group from under-10s upwards there while fulfilling her working holiday visa duties on a farm in Rankin Springs. Curran later appointed her as first-grade team coach in 2020, and she thrived, while she was briefly assistant at Canberra United before the Mariners came calling. Last season, Husband was named coach of the year in her debut campaign and led the Mariners to a semi-final. Last week, Central Coast upset premiers Melbourne City to reach the decider against Melbourne Victory, whose coach Jeff Hopkins is chasing a record fifth ALW championship. Husband is the first female head coach in the ALW grand final since 2017, and one of just two current female mentors in the league. She hopes her rise shows what can happen if capable women receive the opportunities they deserve, and have people in their corner. "It's a sink or swim situation and you don't truly find out what someone's made of until they're put in those situations," Husband said. "I can certainly vouch for myself and say that I was the same. So it's just about people trusting female coaches, because there's so many positives about having a female coach in charge of a team. "The females that continuously do well and spend the time on the pitch, they're more than worthy of a shot. You just don't know where your next gem is going to be found. "If I go back to the moment when John Curran asked me to be the first-grade head coach at Sydney University, if it'd been up to me, I wouldn't be here right now." Husband believes emotional intelligence and adaptability is crucial in modern coaching. Star midfielder and Matildas call-up Isabel Gomez credits the "super-approachable" Husband with her rapid improvement. Defender Jessika Nash describes Husband as "the whole package" while crosscode athlete Sarah Rowe relishes her attention to detail. "There's just something really special about her," Rowe told AAP. "She is an extremely empathetic, understanding, very relatable person and doesn't take life too seriously and is very cool, calm and collected. "Then on the other hand, she's this really competitive person who expects really high standards of us and we all have so much respect for her. "She's one of those people that you never want to let down and you always want to do your best for her." And Husband hopes that can deliver a maiden triumph at AAMI Park on Sunday. "We're not just here because somebody put us here," Husband said. "We're here because we earned it, we worked hard for it, and we can beat any team on our day." Emily Husband's life in Australia started much like any other Brit in their mid-20s: landing at Sydney Airport after backpacking through Southeast Asia. But nine years on, the Huddersfield local is still here and leading the Central Coast Mariners to their first A-League Women grand final. A defender who played at a high level in England before heading to college soccer, Husband made an early switch from playing to coaching. Then, chasing a change of scenery, she went travelling with plans to finish in Sydney. "I was a backpacker," Husband told AAP. "I'd been in the US for eight years. I finished at university. I did four years as a head coach in a full-time capacity in America. "I got fed up being there, to be honest. "I went backpacking around Southeast Asia, and the end destination was Australia. "I got here April 1, 2016, met John Curran literally right off the plane and the rest is history." Curran is director of coaching at Sydney University SFC. Husband coached every age group from under-10s upwards there while fulfilling her working holiday visa duties on a farm in Rankin Springs. Curran later appointed her as first-grade team coach in 2020, and she thrived, while she was briefly assistant at Canberra United before the Mariners came calling. Last season, Husband was named coach of the year in her debut campaign and led the Mariners to a semi-final. Last week, Central Coast upset premiers Melbourne City to reach the decider against Melbourne Victory, whose coach Jeff Hopkins is chasing a record fifth ALW championship. Husband is the first female head coach in the ALW grand final since 2017, and one of just two current female mentors in the league. She hopes her rise shows what can happen if capable women receive the opportunities they deserve, and have people in their corner. "It's a sink or swim situation and you don't truly find out what someone's made of until they're put in those situations," Husband said. "I can certainly vouch for myself and say that I was the same. So it's just about people trusting female coaches, because there's so many positives about having a female coach in charge of a team. "The females that continuously do well and spend the time on the pitch, they're more than worthy of a shot. You just don't know where your next gem is going to be found. "If I go back to the moment when John Curran asked me to be the first-grade head coach at Sydney University, if it'd been up to me, I wouldn't be here right now." Husband believes emotional intelligence and adaptability is crucial in modern coaching. Star midfielder and Matildas call-up Isabel Gomez credits the "super-approachable" Husband with her rapid improvement. Defender Jessika Nash describes Husband as "the whole package" while crosscode athlete Sarah Rowe relishes her attention to detail. "There's just something really special about her," Rowe told AAP. "She is an extremely empathetic, understanding, very relatable person and doesn't take life too seriously and is very cool, calm and collected. "Then on the other hand, she's this really competitive person who expects really high standards of us and we all have so much respect for her. "She's one of those people that you never want to let down and you always want to do your best for her." And Husband hopes that can deliver a maiden triumph at AAMI Park on Sunday. "We're not just here because somebody put us here," Husband said. "We're here because we earned it, we worked hard for it, and we can beat any team on our day."
West Australian
17-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
From backpacker to Mariner marvel: Husband's rise to GF
Emily Husband's life in Australia started much like any other Brit in their mid-20s: landing at Sydney Airport after backpacking through Southeast Asia. But nine years on, the Huddersfield local is still here and leading the Central Coast Mariners to their first A-League Women grand final. A defender who played at a high level in England before heading to college soccer, Husband made an early switch from playing to coaching. Then, chasing a change of scenery, she went travelling with plans to finish in Sydney. "I was a backpacker," Husband told AAP. "I'd been in the US for eight years. I finished at university. I did four years as a head coach in a full-time capacity in America. "I got fed up being there, to be honest. "I went backpacking around Southeast Asia, and the end destination was Australia. "I got here April 1, 2016, met John Curran literally right off the plane and the rest is history." Curran is director of coaching at Sydney University SFC. Husband coached every age group from under-10s upwards there while fulfilling her working holiday visa duties on a farm in Rankin Springs. Curran later appointed her as first-grade team coach in 2020, and she thrived, while she was briefly assistant at Canberra United before the Mariners came calling. Last season, Husband was named coach of the year in her debut campaign and led the Mariners to a semi-final. Last week, Central Coast upset premiers Melbourne City to reach the decider against Melbourne Victory, whose coach Jeff Hopkins is chasing a record fifth ALW championship. Husband is the first female head coach in the ALW grand final since 2017, and one of just two current female mentors in the league. She hopes her rise shows what can happen if capable women receive the opportunities they deserve, and have people in their corner. "It's a sink or swim situation and you don't truly find out what someone's made of until they're put in those situations," Husband said. "I can certainly vouch for myself and say that I was the same. So it's just about people trusting female coaches, because there's so many positives about having a female coach in charge of a team. "The females that continuously do well and spend the time on the pitch, they're more than worthy of a shot. You just don't know where your next gem is going to be found. "If I go back to the moment when John Curran asked me to be the first-grade head coach at Sydney University, if it'd been up to me, I wouldn't be here right now." Husband believes emotional intelligence and adaptability is crucial in modern coaching. Star midfielder and Matildas call-up Isabel Gomez credits the "super-approachable" Husband with her rapid improvement. Defender Jessika Nash describes Husband as "the whole package" while crosscode athlete Sarah Rowe relishes her attention to detail. "There's just something really special about her," Rowe told AAP. "She is an extremely empathetic, understanding, very relatable person and doesn't take life too seriously and is very cool, calm and collected. "Then on the other hand, she's this really competitive person who expects really high standards of us and we all have so much respect for her. "She's one of those people that you never want to let down and you always want to do your best for her." And Husband hopes that can deliver a maiden triumph at AAMI Park on Sunday. "We're not just here because somebody put us here," Husband said. "We're here because we earned it, we worked hard for it, and we can beat any team on our day."
Perth Now
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
From backpacker to Mariner marvel: Husband's rise to GF
Emily Husband's life in Australia started much like any other Brit in their mid-20s: landing at Sydney Airport after backpacking through Southeast Asia. But nine years on, the Huddersfield local is still here and leading the Central Coast Mariners to their first A-League Women grand final. A defender who played at a high level in England before heading to college soccer, Husband made an early switch from playing to coaching. Then, chasing a change of scenery, she went travelling with plans to finish in Sydney. "I was a backpacker," Husband told AAP. "I'd been in the US for eight years. I finished at university. I did four years as a head coach in a full-time capacity in America. "I got fed up being there, to be honest. "I went backpacking around Southeast Asia, and the end destination was Australia. "I got here April 1, 2016, met John Curran literally right off the plane and the rest is history." Curran is director of coaching at Sydney University SFC. Husband coached every age group from under-10s upwards there while fulfilling her working holiday visa duties on a farm in Rankin Springs. Curran later appointed her as first-grade team coach in 2020, and she thrived, while she was briefly assistant at Canberra United before the Mariners came calling. Last season, Husband was named coach of the year in her debut campaign and led the Mariners to a semi-final. Last week, Central Coast upset premiers Melbourne City to reach the decider against Melbourne Victory, whose coach Jeff Hopkins is chasing a record fifth ALW championship. Husband is the first female head coach in the ALW grand final since 2017, and one of just two current female mentors in the league. She hopes her rise shows what can happen if capable women receive the opportunities they deserve, and have people in their corner. "It's a sink or swim situation and you don't truly find out what someone's made of until they're put in those situations," Husband said. "I can certainly vouch for myself and say that I was the same. So it's just about people trusting female coaches, because there's so many positives about having a female coach in charge of a team. "The females that continuously do well and spend the time on the pitch, they're more than worthy of a shot. You just don't know where your next gem is going to be found. "If I go back to the moment when John Curran asked me to be the first-grade head coach at Sydney University, if it'd been up to me, I wouldn't be here right now." Husband believes emotional intelligence and adaptability is crucial in modern coaching. Star midfielder and Matildas call-up Isabel Gomez credits the "super-approachable" Husband with her rapid improvement. Defender Jessika Nash describes Husband as "the whole package" while crosscode athlete Sarah Rowe relishes her attention to detail. "There's just something really special about her," Rowe told AAP. "She is an extremely empathetic, understanding, very relatable person and doesn't take life too seriously and is very cool, calm and collected. "Then on the other hand, she's this really competitive person who expects really high standards of us and we all have so much respect for her. "She's one of those people that you never want to let down and you always want to do your best for her." And Husband hopes that can deliver a maiden triumph at AAMI Park on Sunday. "We're not just here because somebody put us here," Husband said. "We're here because we earned it, we worked hard for it, and we can beat any team on our day."
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
John Curran relaunches LG bid as write-in, alleging signature sabotage
John Curran has re-entered the lieutenant governor contest as a write-in candidate. (Photo courtesy of John Curran). John Curran, the former Republican candidate for lieutenant governor who said internal sabotage cost him a spot on the primary ballot, announced Monday he is re-entering the race — this time as a GOP-aligned write-in. 'Today, I am announcing my WRITE-IN campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia as a Republican,' Curran said in a statement. 'My decision is not to split the ticket but to save it.' Curran's announcement reignites tensions in an already turbulent race following his exit in April, when he failed to qualify for the ballot despite claiming to have far surpassed the 10,000-signature requirement. 'Unfortunately, a person(s) associated with my campaign conspired to steal most of my signatures and then attempted to extort money for them,' Curran wrote in a Facebook post after the filing deadline passed. 'Disappointingly, the Virginia Department of Elections and the Republican Party of Virginia did nothing to correct this wrong.' Mark Peake, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, dismissed Curran's write-in bid as entirely unofficial, distancing the party from his campaign. 'He is not running under the GOP banner whatsoever,' Peake said. 'We have a GOP candidate, and that's John Reid.' Peake pointed out that Curran never qualified for the Republican primary, despite claiming to be a contender. 'He failed to get enough signatures to get on the ballot,' he said. 'He is 100% not a Republican candidate in this upcoming election.' And Andrea Gaines, a spokeswoman for the department, said in an email that since write-in candidates do not appear on the ballot, 'they do not have party affiliation.' Political observers say Curran's surprise reentry raises more questions than answers. 'It is difficult to know what to make of John Curran's announcement,' said David Richards, a political science professor at the University of Lynchburg. 'As a write-in candidate, it seems like the sore loser law might not apply, but it also might limit his campaigning. Regardless, the whole thing seems odd.' Curran said in his statement that his campaign is fueled by 'grassroots organizations, religious and family groups, and collegiate groups' and not designed to divide the party. But by positioning himself as an alternative to Reid, the GOP's official nominee, he risks deepening an already visible rift within the party. 'Is Curran running to offer an alternative to John Reid? While that might seem a likely scenario, it has the danger of splitting the party,' Richards noted. 'And the GOP has already been wrestling with Reid's candidacy.' Reid, a conservative commentator and longtime Richmond radio host, became the GOP's nominee by default after Pat Herrity, a longtime member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, dropped out for health reasons. Late last month, Virginia's GOP turmoil escalated when Reid accused Gov. Glenn Youngkin's Spirit of Virginia PAC of attempted extortion, claiming the group offered to make damaging attacks disappear if he dropped out. Reid said the threats came after Youngkin personally urged him to quit over concerns tied to a controversial social media account. Reid, the first openly gay statewide candidate in Virginia history, called the situation 'bigotry and ugliness,' warning that the pressure from party leaders has only intensified. Curran alluded to those dynamics Monday, emphasizing that his concern is not Reid's personal background, but the process that installed him as nominee. 'This issue is not about my opponent being gay; it is about Virginia deserving the ability to choose who represents them as the Republican candidate,' he said. When asked for comment about Curran's renewed bid, a campaign spokesman for Reid texted back, 'Who?' Curran is now betting that Virginia conservatives will rally around a write-in candidacy — a historically uphill battle. 'Write-in campaigns are notoriously difficult to pull off,' Richards said, pointing to the failed 2024 effort by Bob Good supporters to mount a last-ditch write-in bid after his congressional primary defeat. 'Only a few hundred wrote in Good's name. This time it is a candidate himself announcing the write-in campaign. Maybe he will gain some traction, but it will take a tremendous shift in the GOP vote to make a difference.' Curran's platform touches on a range of issues — from housing and disaster recovery in Southwest Virginia to opposing abortion and improving adoption services. 'Virginia faces real issues that require strong leadership,' he said, portraying himself as a principled outsider wronged by the system. 'It is time for common sense and strength, for someone who will fight for everyone.' Still, his decision could prove costly for Republicans in November. 'Every write-in for Curran will mean a vote taken away from Reid,' Richards said. 'That opens the lead for whoever wins the Democratic primary in June.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pat Herrity drops from Virginia Lt. Gov. race, making John Reid presumptive GOP nominee
Only one Republican candidate remains in Virginia's race for lieutenant governor after a contender dropped out Monday. Pat Herrity, a Republican member of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors, announced Monday evening he is withdrawing from the race. He cited his ongoing recovery from heart surgery as the reason. 'It is with a very heavy heart that today I am announcing the end of my 2025 race for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia,' he wrote on social media. 'Since my heart surgery on March 13th and the subsequent complications, I have been working hard to regain my strength and return to the campaign trail… Realizing that I can't give it my all for the ticket, my supporters and donors is already causing me great stress. I believe making this decision now is in the best interest of both my health and the ticket.' John Curran, a James City County businessman, announced he was dropping out of the race earlier this month. In a social media post, he alleged that he had gathered the required number of signatures to make the ballot, but that someone associated with his campaign had stolen 'most of (the) signature.' He said law enforcement was investigating but that there wouldn't be time for him to resolve the matter ahead of the June 17 primary. The deadline to gather the required 10,000 signatures to appear on the ballot was April 3. With Curran and Herrity out of the race, that means John Reid, a conservative radio host, is the last remaining Republican candidate for lieutenant governor. 'I am sure all Virginians join me in praying for Supervisor Pat Herrity and his continued recovery,' Reid said in a statement. 'With Pat's selfless decision today, our party now has an early opportunity to unify behind a historic, solidly conservative, reasonable and responsible GOP ticket led by Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares that will continue to build on Governor Youngkin's success. As I hope my travels across the state and work ethic have demonstrated, I take my new responsibility as the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor seriously.' Republicans will not have a primary for Virginia's gubernatorial or attorney general's race. Democrats will hold two statewide primaries, for lieutenant governor and attorney general. Kate Seltzer, (757)713-7881
