1985 – 2003
HISTORY.
YCW netball came into being when the football club joined the Loddon Valley Football League in 1985. Two netball courts replaced huge ancient peppercorns along the caravan park fence. Pat McGrath, Ken Fitt, Vin Drechsler, Malcom Styles and Peter Madge helped the committee meet the set requirement within two months.
Recruiting players saw Jacqui McGrath and Jenny Jarvis hard at work with Elaine and Marg McGrath as back ups to set up two competitive senior teams. Within two years, both senior teams played off for a premiership taking out the ‘A’ grade while being runner up in ‘B’ grade in 1986. A ‘C’ grade team with a mixture of youth and experience with players such as Karen Bright, Carmel Moore, the White girls and Mary O’Donohue was established.
The club has achieved two very strong performing periods. In the time 1986 to 1990, YCW experienced a very strong performance period. Its two senior teams won a total of six premierships coached and led strongly by Jenny Jarvis, Antoinette Geary, Anita Salmon and Debbie Wild. The Eagles were always up there during that time with players such as Jan Goad, Cate Summers, Antoinette and Marg Geary, Bernice Kelly, Anita Salmon, Dolores and Marea Driscoll, Kerrie Ackehurst, Penny Graham, Jan Rankin, Jan Miller, Leanne Hall, Denise Green, Marg Eastman, the Gray girls and Debbie Wild.
After remaining competitive during the early ’90s with players like Fiona McCartney, Kerry Biffin, Sue Jennings, Tracey Larkin, Joy Stokes, Kate Nihill and Nicole Storer, the club has enjoyed another successful period in the past several years. The ‘A’ grade won three premier titles on end in 1999 to 2001 in exciting finals against Mitiamo and Newbridge and four on end at ‘C’ grade level from 1998 to 2001. In 2000, the three sides were led by Janelle Hobbs who brought a wealth of knowledge to the club and coached all three senior sides to a premiership. During this period, Nikki Donnellon has a legendary record for her consistency in high level performance, especially in goals. Leanne Keating, Jen Morrison, Deanne Keetelaar, Georgie McGrath, Jess O’Donohue, Al O’Neil, Meagan Fisher, Jo Morrish, Jess Fitzpatrick and Kerrina Keogh have been very strong contributors over this period at various levels of netball. Al O’Neil was our first Under 15 coach, when it was introduced into the league and went on to do it for many years and has been instrumental in developing many girls to go onto senior netball.
The Loddon Valley Netball Association best and fairest awards has seen the YCW club achieve awards across all grades, with Nikki Donnellon a standout player in the ‘A’ grade.
Families such as White, Gray, Cowling, McGrath, Geary, Driscoll, O’Neil, Keogh, Hamilton, Keating, Rees and Nihill have appeared consistently in our teams over these years.
The YCW club uniform has changed since 1985 wearing navy skirts and shirts and navy bib with white lettering to 2002 senior teams lining up in navy lycra dresses with a white trim and white playing initials on a navy background.
YCW thanks the Loddon Valley Netball Association for accepting us into their league. We have thoroughly enjoyed the strength and standard of competition and our part in it.
