2022 was quite a year for our Club as we celebrated our 75th anniversary. Given the era of 1947 and the challenges those pioneer women would have faced it is a great achievement that they forged the stepping stones for our Club. They could not have imagined the number of players, teams, coaches, umpires and just everyday women and men that have built on that legacy. They could not have imagined our courts, our clubrooms, shed and the various styles of uniform. On September 17 th we celebrated our Club, remembering those pioneers and recognising the Life Members that have poured so much of their lives into maintaining that legacy. Combined with our annual end of season dinner it was wonderful to see our Life Members mingling with our current members and hearing some of their memories. A photo board, display of old uniforms and a reunion of the first, 1981, A grade premiers after we entered the Mid Hills competition were highlights of the night. A snapshot of our History was run in the Courier and Weekend Herald newspapers. These articles along with historical posts on Facebook and Instagram drew interest from the wider community.
We pay tribute to Life Member Jennifer Bailey who sadly passed away last year. Jenni was fondly remembered during our celebrations.
Before that we managed a full season of netball, the first since 2019 however the impact of COVID was still present and possibly greater than 2020 & 2021. In the previous years the whole Association was put on hold at the same time as directed by the Government at the time. In 2022 COVID was still in the wider community and members of the Association were advised that if they had COVID or were a close contact they should not attend the Mid Hills Complex (or Echunga training). This of course saw sudden withdrawals from teams and it cannot be overstated the credit to all members of Echunga which includes past players which saw everyone pitch in and help each other out just to field a team. Thank you to you all for your commitment to our Club.
The new section of the fence is now installed. Along with the welcome inclusion of some top value pole protectors won in a competition through Kayo Sports this lifted the feel of the area. Thank you to everyone who gave their time for that task. Our new inclusive uniform of shorts and top was a first for Mid Hills. While other Clubs “offered” this option no other Club ran with it. The players that chose this uniform were comfortable and there were often sideline comments from spectators about how good they looked and how hard it was to tell that they were actually different to the dresses. Both styles look the same in action.
Thank you also to the continued support of our sponsors, life members and patrons. Your contributions to our club in the many ways this happens are appreciated and respected.
2022 also saw the Association reinstate individual awards.
Congratulations to:
- Caleb Dunning – 11&U Div 2 B&F
- Alice Marshall – 13&U Div 3 B&F
- Ruby Trabilsie – 13&U Div 3 R/Up B&F
- Ruby Kettlestring – 15&U Div 2 R/Up B&F (Joint)
- Paige Clarke – 15&U Div 2 R/Up B&F (Joint)
- Rebecca Hull – Junior Whistle Award & C Grade Umpiring Badge
- Georgia Wheatley – A Grade Rising Star R/Up
- our players chosen to represent Mid Hills in 2023
Congratulations to our 15 Div 2’s who flew the flag into the preliminary final round. Our teams fought hard all year and the smiles on faces are reward for Coaches.
Carmen Harkness stepped back into the role of Coach for our Net Set Go programme. The kids loved their sessions and while playing netball is a year or so away for most of them there is a lot to look forward to. We revamped our beginner programme with a trial of the Echunga Netball Club Future Stars Academy. To be held over a period before and after Christmas the timing of the completion of the programme will see members be able to move straight into playing netball the year they turn 7. The Club developed a new singlet for these members and time will tell how this trial goes.
Our fundraising efforts weren’t as COVID impacted in 2022. We took part in Bunnings BBQ, Footy teas, wine drives and raffles. 2022 also saw the first Field Day hosted by Stirling Rotary held at Echunga Rec Grounds. We took part providing cake and coffee to attendees. We also prepared and hosted a morning tea for the MG Car Club with wonderful feedback for our efforts. Most importantly however was the return of our soup and sizzle nights which always see the courts buzzing. At the end of the season we completely repaid the loan to the Rec Ground which assisted us with the court rebuild. Repaying $11,000 over less than 3 years in COVID times as well as finishing off the fence is a wonderful achievement.
The PlayHQ system came into being, in some ways user friendly in other ways definitely not. Jaye Smith takes each challenge on keeping the Club relevant and our procedures up to date. The information packs that come out early in the year are full of everything anyone needs to know – thanks Jaye. PlayHQ has not been particularly friendly to our Treasurer James Roberts. I’m sure there were many extra hours this year sorting out each payment that appears in our account. Our communication with our members continues to be such an important part of our Club. Jo Hayhurst keeps us all on our toes with emails and text messages when there are issues of importance. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages as well. Nat Steward, Chloe Schaefer & Amelia Trabilsie were new faces on our committee the latter taking on the role of Secretary for the first time.
Our Committee met monthly or when necessary. The members of the Committee deserve more than just your thanks. Without them our Club would not exist. Discussions are always open and frank, we are always looking to move our Club forward with the times but also take a great pride in the history that our Club has. All of our Committee, Coaches, Umpires, Managers and helpers are volunteers – they have busy lives yet they find the time to lay the platform for our players to enjoy the game and succeed. A smile, a thank you, a “can I do anything?” or “what can I do?” will have more impact than you can imagine.
We look forward to the 2023 season and to our Club continuing our tradition.
Carolyn Downing
President
9 February 2023
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