The Geelong & District Football League - Netball Section completed its ninth season in 2010, with all twelve league clubs again well represented. All clubs fielded teams in A, B, C and D grade, eleven 17 & under, eleven 15 & ten 13 & under teams. Recruiting and training started early with clubs starting this process in November of the same season working on their fitness and endurance ready for the coming season. The league will continue to encourage and support the clubs in this endeavour.
Once again the club Coordinators did a fantastic job, attending monthly meetings to organise the season, paper work for match day results, press reports, player and team registrations, VNA memberships and of course all the other jobs that have to be completed behind the scenes.
The finals were held at St Albans Reserve with brand new facilities for the netball which was very comfortable for umpires, clubs and officials particularly on the wet and cold days. The days began with 13 & under at 8.45a.m and went right through to A Grade starting at 2.45. The standard, sportsmanship and professionalism shown by our clubs and their spectators were to be commended. It was a very proud time for the GDFL to show their brilliant standards of netball right through from the juniors 13&U section to the Seniors A Grade Section.
Premiers for 2010 are as follows:
A Grade - Winchelsea
B Grade - Bell Post Hill
C Grade - Werribee Centrals
D Grade - East Geelong
17 & Under - Werribee Centrals – Champions (undefeated)
15 & Under - Inverleigh
13 & Under - Bannockburn
2010 Award Winners - Seniors
A GRADE
Kimberley Martin Bell Post Hill 743 goals
B GRADE
Jackie Hrkac Bell Post Hill 492 goals
C GRADE
Julie Cotter North Geelong 504 goals
D GRADE
Stacy Twaddle Bell Post Hill 393 goals
“Rookie of the Year” - Melissa Bragg East Geelong
A Grade
Best & Fairest Nicole WHYTE Inverleigh
Runner Up Rebecca MAHER East Geelong
B Grade
Best & Fairest Bronwyn WALKER Winchelsea
Runner Up Katy JEWELL Winchelsea
C Grade
Best & Fairest Kelly Parker North Geelong
Runner Up Leigh STEWART Werribee Centrals
Jane DAVIS Winchelsea
D Grade
Best & Fairest Alie GILES Bannockburn
Runner Up Elly EARL Bell Post Hill
Juniors
17 & Under
B&F Brooke Young North Geelong 31 votes
R/U Maria Masei Werribee Centrals 28 votes
Highest Goals Scorer Brooke Young North Geelong 323 goals
15 & Under
B&F Chloe Reardon Anakie 32 votes
R/U Sarah- Jane Woods Winchelsea 25 votes
Highest Goals Scorer Elly Vials Inverleigh 325 goals
13 & Under
JOINT BEST AND FAIREST WINNERS
B&F Emily Worpel Bannockburn 25 votes
B&F Courtney Smith Belmont Lions 25 votes
R/U Taylah Gaskin East Geelong 21 votes
Highest Goals Scorer Taylah Gaskin East Geelong 258 goals
TEAM OF THE YEAR
Coach of the Year - Mandy Lymer - Inverleigh
GK - Amy Wirth - Winchelsea
GD - Hayley Sildatke - Werribee Centrals
WD - Renee Pilkington - Winchelsea
C - Danielle Stewart - Werribee Centrals
WA - Nicole Whyte - Inverleigh
GA - Julia Knott - Winchelsea
GS - Kim Martin - Bell Post Hill
R - Sarah Bromley - Corio Sports Club - Defence
R - Mickayla Ward - Werribee Centrals - Goals
R - Melissa Bragg - East Geelong - Goals
R - Rebecca Maher - East Geelong - Centre Court
R - Sonia Harris - Corio Sports Club - Centre Court/Defence
Congratulations to all the recipients of the awards.
Highest Goal Scorers
INTERLEAGUE
This year our league participated in an interleague competition with Heathcote League. We entered 15&U, 17&U coached by Debbie Arklay and a Senior side coached by Kristy Krywala. We defeated Heathcote in both the 17&U and 15&U but unfortunately were beaten in the Seniors but well and truly held our own up until 3 quarter time. Thanks to all involved especially the coaches and players who made a huge commitment over and above their already busy schedules of training and playing. We will be competing each year now in the interleague so we encourage all to be involved in the future and would like all clubs to be a part of this.
Junior Development Program
The Geelong and District Football Netball League's junior development program is continuing to have a positive impact on member clubs and beyond. The GDFL Raiders team again played weekly at the State Netball Hockey Centre outside courts in Parkville, in the under 17 competitions. The team trained weekly at Geelong West courts and the improvement and dedication of the players was a credit to them all. Debbie Arklay once again was the coach this year doing a magnificent job not to mention the commitment from her to undertake this role. Sharon Boardman and Jeanette Watt continued in their roles as team managers and assisted Debbie in co-ordinating the junior program. Thanks to all the parents for their commitment to driving their children each week to the games in Melbourne and to training each week.
The junior development has been outstanding and the improvement in our juniors is now showing through our Rookie of the Year nominations and the amount of juniors playing senior netball in our competition. They have been able to participate in a competition in Melbourne which has no doubt been a significant opportunity to improve their netball skills along with playing with other players from our clubs within the league.
Best & Fairest - Alyssa Boardman Coaches Award - Abbey Watt
Media
This year we continued with our netball show on Saturday Mornings on Channel 31 with our presenters Anthony Burton, Felicity, Fiona and Kristy bringing us the weekly news from around the GDFL Netball and organising regular guest from the clubs to keep us up to date. Mandi Sculz continued her role as our reporter to the Advertiser, collecting all the information from each game and submitting the weekly articles. Well done and thank you for the time you have put in to making this a better league.
Thank you to all the umpires this season both panel and club. Holly Carew undertook the role of Junior Development Coordinator of the club umpires this season and did a wonderful job being able to award another six club umpires their badge which is the qualification needed in netball umpiring. Congratulations to all those umpires and we look forward to seeing you all out there each week umpiring for your club.
Thank you to all our sponsors this season and we welcomed a new one being Contours. These partnerships allow us to develop and create great opportunities for our players, especially our juniors, such as allowing them to participate in Interleague and junior tournaments and providing them with regular and specialist coaching and training programs. We really appreciate the support of the sponsors and look forward to the continuing relationships well into the future.
Thank you to Neville, Geoff McLure and the League executive for all their support, understanding and encouragement for my first year in the role. I have enjoyed the position immensely and stand proud to be the leader of such a magnificent group of people who are involved in this league and we are certainly “up and coming” so stand aside the GDFL is shining through and becoming bigger and better than ever.
I would like to wish all our clubs all the best for the seasons ahead, keep up the good work and continue to make this a great netball league.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me in my role this season, without you it would not have been the successful season that it was.
Take care, have a great break and restful time over the off-season and come back to a fruitful and successful GDFL 2011 season.
Madge Anderton - Netball Manager/Umpires Coordinator
