When Tasmania Jewels coach Claudia Brassard watched Zoe Mesman in action up close, it sowed the first seeds she may have found herself a great assistant.
Mesman, who has coached NBL1's Northern Force the past two years, was putting her players through her paces and Brassard was immediately impressed.
The born and bred Tasmanian's ingrained knowledge of the state's pathways and structures will be a valuable asset for Brassard as she leads the Jewels into a maiden WNBL season.
"She almost had a double interview because watched her (coach) in Launceston, I wanted to watch Keely (Froling, Jewels and Force player) and watch the training session as well," Brassard said.
"I saw how she completed her training but most importantly how she brings a group together, she gets them motivated and gets the best out of them. I really liked that.
"It's always hard to put an NBL1 team in the south division. The Melbourne teams obviously have a plethora of players to choose from, and the results she's been able to get with the Force speaks to her coaching credentials.
"We're really comfortable with her basketball knowledge, and experience and what she brings. What's also exciting for me is (employing) another young, female coach, and to be able to show the pathway that exists for female coaches.
"It's something that's always a challenge and I'm really happy to have her on board.
"She's across all the Tassie kids, she's been coaching in the state program. She knows how the systems and frameworks work here so that will be a good advantage for me."
Jack Fleming, who was a part of the inaugural JackJumpers set up before joining Melbourne United last season, will be the Royals' lead assistant.
Matt Clarke (advanced scout and strategy) and Hobart's Shakira Bones (development coach) round out the coaching group.
Mesman stood out in an applicant list which Brassard described as "significant".
A former Launceston Tornadoes player, the Queechy High School teacher decided she's ready to put all her eggs into the coaching basket.
"I've always toyed with whether I wanted to move more into coaching or continue my teaching background," she said.
"Andie (Smith), Nikki (Parker) and Keely that had been announced (as Jewels signing) and I've coached all three of those players.
"I think having that insight of the players already was a benefit for me, but also for a program having players I've already built relationships and trust with."
Mesman only signed a one year deal with the Force for this season, but hopes to still coach them next year and juggle the Jewels role.
"I'm really excited, I can't wait to learn," she said.
"Being in that high performance centre alongside the JackJumpers, l know we're all going to feed information to each other and help each other. The professional development will be huge.
"Coaching at NBL1 level, especially in a regional area, there's not too many people you can bounce ideas off or who have coached at that level.
"Claudia has amazing basketball knowledge and brings programs together. What she needs is people who can help with analytical data, to watch games to scout and training sessions, and how do you get that one per cent edge.
"I feel like I've been doing a really good job of that over the past couple of seasons and it's such an interest of mine. I'm going to learn so much more of the finer details of the x's and o's from Claudia and other coaches."
As a former player who has also coached in the junior state programs, Mesman has seen firsthand how vital it is for Tasmania to have its own WNBL team.
"I love the values the Jewels are putting out, 'you can be what you can see' and how many times have we said that in Tasmanian basketball?," she said.
"We have all these athletes who have leave to be able to play, and that depletes the Northern Force and local basketball.
"But now we've got young girls who can see the pathway and can see the person they can be, and that's pathways for coaches as well.
"For me it was like 'Can I?'. I would always have had to move away and as females, we start to have families or shape that next part of life.
"Now physios, dietitians, nutritionists can get jobs in a sporting environment, who haven't had the opportunity because we haven't had these elite sporting clubs
"Now we're starting to get them, it's going to keep our kids in our state."
The WNBL draw will be unveiled soon, and this masthead understands Launceston will be allocated about five Jewels home games.