Basketball (now known as Netball)
HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?
In the early 50’s having left school and into the workforce, we didn’t miss school but we did miss our sport. A few girls started to get together at the Nyah West State School basketball courts of a Sunday afternoon. Shooting goals and playing a game as best we could, as there was not enough to field two teams.
Friends from the Swan Hill Basketball Association were going to Ouyen to play in a lightning premiership. They suggested we get a team and go with them on the bus. Well why not? We scraped together a team. We bought dark pink shorts and blue tops. Thinking we looked pretty good, we were ready to take on all comers.
We cant remember but we think we won a couple of games, at any rate we were competitive and we sure had a lot of fun now we had the bug to keep playing.
We played in lightning premierships at Sea Lake, Berriwillock, Red Cliffs, Mildura. Nyah girls showed interest and got a team together. We would play each other in friendly – no holds bared games.
We heard of basketball being played at football matches in the Gippsland League so decided to give it a try. A letter was written to the Mid Murray Football Association asking permission to play at football matches. They weren’t against us but wanted nothing to do with it.
No to be deterred we then we then wrote to each football club in the League. “Bingo” each club with the exception of Swan Hill and Tyntynder expressed interest. So a meeting of all interested clubs was held in Swan Hill.
The Mid Murray Basketball Association was formed. Faye Simpson (Mrs F Dick) from Nyah was elected President, Margaret Erck (Finnamore) from Nyah West Secretary. Each club was to have uniforms in club colours and to provide an umpire. Courts to be at football grounds where possible or use of school courts would be allowed. Suitable ground was graded and courts marked out with goal posts erected. They were dirt courts which could be very slippery when wet.
We do recall playing at Quambatook after heavy rain. The court had about 1 inch of mud and several puddles, but it didn’t stop us playing. Spectators left the football to come and watch the basketball. Our Red and Black uniforms looked much better than Quambatooks Red and White. As thee were no change rooms a kind lady took us all home to her house to have showers. Some clubs soon progressed to grass courts which was a big improvement.
The venture was so popular that most clubs were soon fielding two teams. It wasn’t long before both Swan Hill and Tyntynder has teams also.
There have been a lot of changes since the 50’s when the league began, one being the name change from basketball to netball. Today the game is much faster as well. There was much more physical contact, lots of hips and blows. Originally the association was for working girls, now days all ages play right down to Netta for littlies.
There was great rivalry between the teams while we were playing, but lots of great friendships were made among the players.
Nyah West won the first premiership in 1953 (if memory is right). The team was very successful going on to win several more premierships. By this time though most of the original team had retired from playing, some went on to coach and umpire with daughters and grand daughters who played.
In 1978 Nyah & Nyah West Football Clubs amalgamated and became the Nyah Nyah West United as did the netball clubs.
We are sure that someone would have eventually started Basketball in our area, but we are pleased that from the humble beginnings of a few girls on the school courts at Nyah West came the start of the Mid Murray League – now the Central Murray League and that it has become the force it is today.
Iris Wilkinson and Marg Finnamore
