MEET THE TEAM
Dr Sean Murray-Smith – Co-Founder & Director, The Coach’s Assistant
Sean brings over two decades of experience in strength and conditioning, athlete development and sport science to The Coach’s Assistant. Since 2004, he has supported athletes from grassroots participation through to professional, international and Olympic competition, through private coaching and consulting roles with the Illawarra Academy of Sport and NSW Institute of Sport.
His coaching experience spans basketball, hockey, netball, swimming, athletics and aerial skiing. Sean combines scientific principles with practical coaching to deliver personalised training that reflects each athlete’s goals, stage of development and sporting demands.
Sean takes an athlete-first approach, building strong relationships and a supportive environment where athletes can develop confidence, resilience and consistent training habits. He is passionate about long-term development, helping athletes build strong foundations and progress towards higher levels of performance.
Sean holds a PhD focused on injury surveillance in adolescent community rugby, through research commissioned by World Rugby. His work examines injury incidence, player maturation and physical profiling, contributing valuable insights into safer participation and athlete development. This research strengthens his commitment to informed coaching that supports both performance and long-term wellbeing.
Shaun McCreedy – Founder & Director, The Coach’s Assistant
Shaun brings over a decade of experience across elite and community sport to The Coach’s Assistant. He is passionate about helping athletes develop the skills, physical foundations and confidence to reach their potential on and off the field.
Shaun served as Assistant Coach for the NSW Waratahs Super W team from 2022 to 2024 and worked with the team again in 2026, contributing to championship titles in 2024 and 2026. His NSW Rugby Union experience includes athlete pathways, coach education and three years as NSW Country Men’s Head Coach.
As Illawarra’s Senior Director of Coaching from 2015 to 2019, Shaun helped guide the senior representative program to Caldwell Cup titles in 2015, 2016 and 2018.
Shaun takes a holistic approach, combining technical coaching with structure, accountability and support. He creates inclusive environments where athletes build resilience and consistent training habits.
Shaun holds an Australian Rugby Union and World Rugby Level 4 High Performance Coaching Certificate and ASCA Level 1 Strength and Conditioning accreditation. He is currently undertaking a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science to further strengthen his coaching knowledge.
Dr Evan Poata-Smith – Co-Founder & Director, The Coach’s Assistant
Evan brings academic expertise and practical coaching experience to The Coach’s Assistant. With over two decades of teaching and research across universities in Australia, New Zealand and the United States, he combines analytical insight with a holistic approach to athlete development.
Evan is passionate about supporting young athletes as they move from junior to senior sport and into high-performance environments. He helps athletes take ownership of their development, building the confidence, accountability and resilience to progress both on and off the field.
From 2018 to 2020, Evan served as Head Coach of the Illawarra Colts under-19 representative rugby team. He also contributed as a specialist scrum coach for Illawarra’s senior representative program. His experience includes coaching junior and senior club rugby in Auckland and Wollongong, supporting players at different stages of their sporting journey.
Evan’s coaching balances structure and support, encouraging athletes to understand their goals and commit to their growth.
Evan holds an Australian Rugby Union and World Rugby Level 2 Coaching Certificate and is completing his ASCA Level 1 Strength and Conditioning accreditation to develop his expertise.
Bronte Plaege – Trainer, The Coach’s Assistant
Bronte is a trainer and coach at The Coach’s Assistant, bringing a lifelong passion for netball and experience coaching teams and playing representative sport. She understands the technical skills, physical demands and discipline athletes need to develop and perform with confidence.
Currently studying a Bachelor of Exercise Science and Rehabilitation at the University of Wollongong, Bronte is building her knowledge of how exercise supports athletic performance and development. She combines her studies with practical sporting experience to support athletes at different stages of their journey.
Bronte takes a relational approach to coaching, building genuine connections and recognising each athlete’s individual needs. She particularly enjoys working with adolescents, helping them develop their skills and establish healthy habits around exercise, discipline and consistency.
Her sessions focus on creating a fun, supportive environment where athletes can work hard, challenge themselves and enjoy their training. Drawing on her sporting experience, she values the confidence and resilience that training can build beyond physical performance.
Bronte brings energy, encouragement and care to every session, helping athletes celebrate progress and continually improve towards their personal goals.
Grady Harland – Trainer, The Coach’s Assistant
Grady brings experience supporting athletes from local youth sport through to elite and international competition. He specialises in speed and power development, helping athletes build the physical foundations to perform with confidence.
Grady served as Head of Speed and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the NSW Waratahs Super W team and Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Women’s 7s program, supporting international players and emerging Youth Olympic talent.
His experience includes a Waratahs Super Rugby internship and work with Dragons Pathways, elite youth swimming and Illawarra Rugby. He has supported national and international athletes across athletics, bobsled, swimming and basketball.
Grady takes an athlete-centred, practical approach, building relationships and a supportive environment for consistent progress. His sporting background includes semi-professional basketball, the National Bobsled Team and athletics.
Grady holds a Bachelor of Exercise Science with Distinction and Dean’s Merit and ASCA Level 1 accreditation. He is completing a Master’s in Strength and Conditioning at Edith Cowan University and continues his professional development through workshops with Olympic sprint coaches, strengthening the knowledge and skills he brings to athletes.