Sharon Strzeleki, netty obsessy
BY KATE HUNTER
There’s a kiss of winter in the air.
Big doonas are replacing waffle blankets, there are stew recipes in the Sunday papers and if I worried about pedicures, I’d worry even less for a few months.
And it’s football season. Yeah yeah yeah.
But equally exciting, for more Australians, it’s netty time.
More people run onto netball courts than AFL fields every Saturday. Actually, netty players don’t run on – they poise like coiled springs, waiting for the umpire’s whistle. It’s more civilized and a whole heap more humble than bursting through a crepe paper banner three stories high. They do this even in under 12s AFL games – not all of them, but enough to make you think, seriously?
Most Australian women at some point have pulled on a netball bib. The good ones wore a ‘C’, the rest of us played ‘WD’ on and off, forever. The tall girls wore something featuring a ‘G’.
But the thing about netty is thousands keep doing it. AFL players in their 30s and 40s are remarkable, and practically crippled, but look around a netball park on a winter Saturday or a sports centre any night of the week and you’ll see girls of all ages – from 8 to 80 looking for an attacking break or a sneaky bounce pass.
My daughter is 9 and gearing up for her second season. Just quietly, I suspect she’ll be WD throughout her netball life, but she loves it. There’s no healthier addiction than the feeling that comes with a goal being scored after 6 unchallenged passes.
Somehow, I’ve become an umpire, which is not especially stressful at the littler levels, unless you come across a coach who was a state rep player in 1997 and is at pains to remind you of that fact. Also, I have to wear white shorts. But we do these things for love.
I try very hard not to blow the whistle too often. In Under 10s the game is really one 40 minute long infringement so umpiring is a case of choosing the worst offences and making an example of the offender. But doing it nicely. ‘Darling, you just took about nine steps so I have to give the ball to the other side, but I want to say that your shoulder passes rock.’ Umpires can’t do that at Commonwealth Games level. It’s one of the joys of junior sport.
There are many reasons to love netty. Here are mine:
1. Sharon Strzeleki, who proved that netty welcomes all.
2. Women organize netball. I’m sorry if this offends, but it makes a difference. My daughter’s games are the same time, same place, every single week. I’m a veteran of boys’ soccer, rugby and AFL and this never happened. I can picture the women at the Downey Park Netball Association AGM saying, ‘Oh for goodness sake, families need to plan. How hard can it be to make all Under 10 matches at 9am?’
3. One set of rules fits all. Even Under 10s are told, no jewelry, except a wedding band.
4. Netty is about respect and confidence. There’s a lady at Downey Park who’s 80 if she’s a day and she’s not giving up her pleated skirt for anybody. People keep playing netball for the joy of it, not for the beers afterwards (Although for sure someone will correct me on this). A netball end of season trip could go as feral as a rugby one, but it’s a better kept secret if it is.
5. Netball the only sport where players get a manicure (of sorts) before the game. Nail inspection please ladies.
6. At the time of writing no professional netball player has been up on sexual assault charges.
7. Labels can be positive things. Knowing who’s GK and who’s WA means there is little room for argument. We all know in which third we stand. If only life could be like that.
8. Other than buggered ankles, there are few serious injuries. Head protection is unnecessary in netball and this speaks volumes. Note, however visors must be soft. Nothing worse than a poke from a rigid peak.
9. Major league teams have lovely names – Diamonds, Firebirds, Kestrels. This makes a refreshing change from the angry animals of football – Bulldogs, Sharks, Bears, Eagles.
10. Fellas are welcome. Mixed netball is thriving. On the other hand, co-ed football is pretty much unheard of (except touch). And no, cheerleaders don’t count as players.
Are you rocking up for netball this year? Tell us about the sports you love.
Comments
139 Comments so far
I was forced to play netball in PE once in year 8. I scored the only goal of the match. I wanted to end my career on a high so I’ve never played again. I’m 33 now, and often mention that historic day at Sebas Secondary College where my sporting prowess bloomed and wilted in a single hour.
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Comment of the day. Love everything about this, you hilarious thing!
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My favourite netball team name is definitely Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. I get that the Bay of Plenty is a place, but it just sounds like they come from a magically Kiwi-fairy-princess-land
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Apart from a 10 year break after I finished high school, I’ve been playing netty since I was 7. I begged my mum to “ring the lady” after a pile if flyers was dropped off at our primary school and I’ve lived it ever since. Now I’m in my 30′s, and yes, I’m a bit of a cripple. But I think I’ll be the 80 year old lady hanging around in my pleated skirt in 50 years time. I’ll have to give up the Lycra bodysuit by then because it takes way too long to get off when going to the loo! Hooray for netty, I say
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Sounds like fun! Would love to take a daughter to netball in the future – or maybe even myself!
Yay for team sports communities in Australia, such an important part of life for good times and wellbeing
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I played my first game in my early 20s and I got my first and only sporting trophy for “most conscientious player” ie I turned up to training every week. We frequently had margins of 30+ (not in our favour) but it was heaps of fun.
I returned to netball this week actually, after having 3 kids, and I think it was pretty much one long infringement for us too, but we all had a ball. It’s just a pity we didn’t have THE ball more often.
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So timely for me! I’m on the sidelines after a ruptured ACL/knee reconstruction and it’s KILLING ME! I’ve played since I was 6, and 20 years later I love it more than any sport I’ve ever played. Aiming to get back to it early next year, until then I’ll shout from the sideline and evil eye (out of jealousy) the GA that’s replaced me
And HarryFiddlers comment below is so ridiculously accurate…there’s nothing scarier than the netball committee!
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You poor thing! ACL damage is the worst. I had a team mate collide into the side of my knee at full pace a few weeks ago and I thought my knee was gone for all money – luckily it was only an MCL tear, not an ACL though. Best wishes for a speedy recovery fellow GA
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Oooh, you’re so lucky! Haha I bet it doesn’t seem that way, but you should be so grateful that it’s not any worse. There’s nothing quite like being 26 years old and needing your Mum to help you get in the shower
Best wishes for a speedy recovery, shoot some goals on my behalf!
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OH KJ I feel you pain. I’m currently in the rehab process all over again after doing a complete ACL knee in my other knee (I did the first back in 200). It’s a long and frustrating process but you’ll get there.
I really want to go back to it, but two knee reco’s later my family have banned me from playing lol. Maybe in a couple of years I can go back when my knees are a little better. Good luck with the surgery
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This post couldn’t come at a better time for me. I took my 9 year old daughter to her first ever netball training session on Tuesday afternoon after looking for a sport that was fun and team orientated to help with her self esteem and shyness. After having a quick chat to the manager and explaining that she had never played before and was a little shy, I left her with the coach and her new team members with a big smile, a good luck kiss and a promise to be back to pick her up in an hour. I went for my run and came back just in time to see her happy face, BEAMING, surrounded by a squealing group of excited girls, all promising to see her at the game on saturday and making a fuss of her.
It turns out she is a natural at netball and better still, she absolutely LOVED it. We are all going to her first game this Saturday, at 12 (love the fact that this is a regular time, your right, Kate, it is incredibly hard to plan family life around ever changing football schedules) at none other than Downey Park. I can see many years of pink pleated skirts, soft peaked caps and scraped knees in front of me and I, for one, couldn’t be happier. Go the Pheonixes!!
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So so true:) i was a GD my entire Netball life and my talented daughter is a C lol. She is so much better than i ever was.
Oh and to “show them how its done” a few years ago we mums formed an indoir Netball team. Oh my lord. An ankle injury
and a turn cruciant ligament later and there gives that sporting career!!!
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Ok, so I somehow played only about 3 games my entire life…must be unaustralian lol….can someone explain the bib codes? I know a couple, but WD ? I’m lost :/
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That’ll be Wing Defence. I knew it well.
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Netball is not civilised. It is the cattiest sport out. And I resent the statement that c is for the good ones.
But other than that a great article. It’s time netball got more recognition. Next step is to have professional netballers be placed in the regard as the male dominated sports like league, cricket and AFL
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Yes, it is often catty. But, in a way, I think it can teach girls to learn how to deal with the cattyness that they’ll invariably encounter in almost every aspect of their lives later on. I remember being petrified of a few particular girls on opposing teams. But each time my team played them I forced myself to meet them with the determination to show them that I wasn’t scared enough to let them affect my game.
Of course center isn’t just for the ‘good ones’ but I think most players can agree that in the first years (young years) of playing, that is how positions were determined. I was on the tall side, but no good at shooting, so I was shunted into GD and GK (was not happy about it then, or at the center players). Seventeen years later I know that every position needs particular skills and I’m proud that I can anticipate the movements of a ball and the shooter behind me simultaneously–a skill that our center just doesn’t have.
It’s a wonderful game and I agree that it needs more recognition and a higher profile. But I don’t think it’s much of a spectator sport, and that’s the problem. Hell, I don’t even really enjoy watching it. I enjoy playing it.
Did anyone see the rule changes that were implemented in the Netball World Series? Point conversions, a different scoring system, and–I believe–centers could shoot ’3 pointers’ from outside the goal circle. It really made it the game much more exciting to watch.
http://www.worldnetballseries.com/rules
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Nah, Water Polo is far cattier. I’ve never had a netball uniform ripped by opposing players!
I’ve played netball since I was in about Year 3, so just shy of 30 years on and off. It gets painted as catty, but I think you’d see far worse tactics in footy/afl/rugby, it’s just not labelled that way.
I don’t deny there are mind games played and to be played, but it’s a sign of a weak team if they succumb. I don’t have to hurt people but I will surely draw attention if I can pull a penalty from something done on the sly. I’m a clean player though and I have always played with clean teams, and have no time for catty stuff on the court. There’s a difference between kind of legal stuff and catty rule breaking and I have no problem drawing attention to it. Loudly. In the nicest possible way, of course.
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I played in primary and high school and loved it. I love playing most sports, I just can’t watch them. I’m just going to have to get used to it once my daughter starts playing sports.
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You’re only being nice about netball because you FEAR the WRATH of the committee!
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Oh yes, the netball comittee. People should be scared of us. We are always looking for new blood, is that why mums turn the other way when they see me coming?? Honestly, comittees are always looking for volunteers, those fixtures and canteen food doesn’t just happen, WE NEED HELP. Please consider volunteering for the committee – this is YOUR daughter’s place of recreation and every little bit helps her!
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I’ve been playing netball for 20 years and state league for 12 of those! So when you say serious injuries aren’t common, I have to disagree a little – I’ve lost track of the amount injuries I’ve had: ankle ligament tears, complete rupture of the ankle, torn quad, torn MCL, two concussions, stress fractures. I’m only 28, but I quite possibly have the knees and ankles of a 50 year old
But clearly, I do love my netty and I couldn’t give it up. I’m currently playing state league and A grade and I love it. I’m a GA/GS as I’m a tall girl, although 5’10″ isn’t considered all that tall anymore at SL level!
Also Kate, on point number 2 – you’d be surprised by how many men are involved in netty these days, particularly at rep level. They might not be the ones doing the scheduling of games or running the canteen, but I there are a heap of male umpires and coaches in NSW state league! I actually wrote a paper about it back in my uni years along the line of we’ve seen the rise of the soccer mum, now here’s the rise of the netball dad. I would know, my dad is one of them.
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Thanks Savannaofaus, your knowledge of the game is more extensive and up to date than mine! I agree, all power to the Netty Dads. My husb has qualified as a Nippers Umpire – great for him, terrific for our girls x
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I agree – I think it’s wonderful when dads get involved!
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I love netball! I played throughout primary and high school, and then stopped for a while. Picked it up again at 25.
A few things to add to your list:
1. It’s an excuse to meet up with the same lovely group of girls (and guys) every week.
2. It shows you have changed since you were a kid – I grew up playing GK/GD, but as an adult I’m far too short. Since no one wants to play C anymore (too much fitness required), I decided to give it a crack and now regularly play C. C was for the cool girls at school, and I wasn’t a cool girl. It’s a nice reminder that adults are different to kids in a lot of ways.
3. You don’t have to be young and fit to win, but know your team. Our 30+ ladies team regularly plays fit young thangs and regularly thrashes them too. We’re not faster and we’re certainly not fitter, but we HAVE been playing together for ages and know each other’s capabilities and limits.
4. You learn you can compete against boys at sports… and win. No matter how many times they’re told, the guys always step/contact/pass over the third.
5. It’s all about how fun the game is, not whether you win or lose. My mixed team got flogged last night, but we walked off joking and smiling because it was just a fun game!
A big shout out to Goldie, Sydney’s doyenne of netball who has been running the Moore Park comp for as long as I can remember!
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I used to play in Goldie’s team YEARS ago when I lived in Sydney. Wow is she still organising it??? Amazing woman and complete netball tragic!
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Yep, she’s still going strong!
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Go Goldie! Moore park mixed netball is great. So much fun. I started down there in a ladies team and now play mixed in a couple of comps with people I met down there. An awesome way to spend your tues or thurs night (rather sitting on yr arse in front of the telly).
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Oh my goodness, I played WD when I was 14 – I thought I was really good, my perception now shattered
Fun read Kate – thanks.
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Hey, a good WD is key to a good defense!
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I always play WD & WA. I think they’re super important!! Go the wings.
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Yes, even just as a long suffering netball mum/non-player I’ve watched enough rep level netball now to get really annoyed when people diss WD. All positions are important in their own way… and the last thing Junior netballers need to hear is that WD is for dud players.
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As a coach of really young kids, WD is often the place you put someone who isn’t quite up to standard BUT if you have someone that is good at WD it really is a game changer. I had a player last year (13yo) who only wanted to play WD and wow what an amazing player she was. She turned the ball over so much which gave us lots of scoring opportunities. WD is a very hard position to play – if you can do it well, you are a huge asset to the team
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I was either GS or GK. Tall, but still not good enough to be allowed in that centre third.
I love this post because I love sport. My 10 yo daughter has made two school ‘A’ sport teams this year (she is very sporty, but it is also a small school) and is trying out today for a third (cross country). The excitement on her face on Friday mornings, when she knows she’s off with one other grade 4 mate and the big grade 5 and 6 girls to play interschool sports (and, happily, miss maths) is something to behold- she just LOVES being part of the team and is so proud to pull on her bib.
In answer to your question though, what we both REALLY love is swimming- probably because we were/are FAR better swimmers than netballers, and there’s no contact rule in swimming. She loves it because she loves to race, loves to train and go to competitions with boys (as you say, mixed sports are very rare) and because “I just love that feeling when I dive in and the water is all around me and it’s like I’m meant to be in there like a mermaid” (her words). I love it because it is a great sport for fitness with relatively low risk of injury, because parent participation involves clicking a stopwatch on and off and not having to understand stepping, and because apart from maybe one meet a year it is ALWAYS indoors and warm and there is a canteen serving hot chips
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Some of your best work Kate – and that’s saying something! Love it.
I only played one season of Netty because I couldn’t stand only being to operate in thirds. But this article sure takes me back!
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I dunno; Kestrels can get very passive aggressive if you cross them.
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That picture’s hysterical. Made my day.
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Have always loved netball and now play a mixed university social game. So much fun! There are some pretty brutal teams though, so we have to bring our game faces. People underestimate the brutality of netball sometimes!
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Hooray for netball! I played at school, you’ve brought back some fun memories. And I was not a sporty kid generally. WD kinda girl. I played again once when I was 26..geez those women were fit! I was huffing and puffing…
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I really hate netball. I played it for one season in year 6 and was surprisingly good thanks to years of playing basketball. But no, not the sport for me.
My high school had 54 netball teams. I’m pretty sure me and my sister were about the only kids in the school who didn’t play. But hey, we didn’t care in the slightest. To me, netball is just not a particularly well designed sport. Firstly, it’s horrible on your knees and ankles, but I guess any sport comes with it’s injuries. For me, it’s more about the positions. If you’re C, you end up running the whole game and get very tired, but if you’re GS or GK (like I always was), you have only your single quarter that you have to stand in and it’s not a great work out… You can’t help out on the rest of the court and I just feel like team work is not as encouraged by the rules as it is in other sports. Only 2 players can shoot, WHY? Let everyone shoot, it’s more fun that way
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that’s the great thing about it! It’s different, everyone has their own role to play, it makes it harder I think
and you really learn to work as a team, everyone has to work together to get it down the end – if everyone shot I reckon that takes down the concept of team if anything. I think I’m the opposite to you, I HATED basketball for all the opposite reasons you hate netball if that makes sense hahaha 
oh, also, if you’re playing a good and fast game of netball the GS and GK don’t do a lot of standing around!
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I disagree. If you’re a GK doing your job properly, you should be huffing. That or the other team isn’t so good (I can’t comment on being a GS).
Don’t you think that limiting players to thirds forces them to work more as a team? If everyone could shoot I’m sure you’d find many more cases of groups of two or three on a team hogging the ball. Having specific roles and areas forces teams to really work hard to ensure everyone can perform well–otherwise they’ll have a gap or weakness in the form of a couple of positions that clever opposing teams will exploit.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t hate it; if you don’t like it, you don’t like it. But many people find the positions a real feature of the game, not a limitation.
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Gold! Thanks for wonderful memories – only a ruptured ACL (yes they happen frequently in netball) and I’d still be playing. I am sure you look great in white shorts!
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I really do take offense to the statement that women organise it and it makes a difference. If someone said “men organise it. And it makes a difference” we’d we all over that shiz complaining.
Wheres the equality?
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But i must say, apart from that, thoroughly enjoyed the article. I never played netball, was always jealous of the girls who knew the rules in PE.
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Great post!
I played netball in primary school, up until the end of year 6 when during school holidays I torn a ligament in my knee. That ended my netball career! Then schooling got in the way, and I said to myself that once I finished uni and got a real job I’d go back to playing.
So, at 26 after finishing my PhD I went back to playing netball for a Monday night ladies social team. We’re the Psycho Kitties and I love them! I like playing indoors on a weeknight because it means you can play all year round and you don’t have to give up any of your weekend.
I play GD…and yep, it’s because I’m tall. When I played as a kid, I was one of the tallest so I was put in GK. Then I migrated to GD and that’s where I’ve played since. I can’t play any attack position. I hate passing the ball, would much rather just steal it from the opposition!
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Kate this is GOLD. The whole office is laughing and reading out our favourite quotes
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Kate, you just made my morning.
“In Under 10s the game is really one 40 minute long infringement so umpiring is a case of choosing the worst offences and making an example of the offender.”
I remember playing mixed netty in high school. I was terrible. It was half sport, half game of Statues. I always forgot to freeze.
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I miss playing netball. I played with a mixed team including my boyfriend, his best friend, his girlfriend (whom I introduced… aww) and a few girls from school. It was so much fun but we had to give up as everyone started moving too far away.
I went from C to GS (ridiculous as i’m 5’2 and can’t shoot) to WD. I love WD because there really is that notion that the shit player is WD but I always kicked the WA ass!!
Love your post!!
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I love netball and I LOVE THIS POST. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face and to my heart. Sooooo funny
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You’ve made me nostalgic for it Kate! I played for about 15 years I think. Last time I played though (about 8 years ago), I leapt out for the centre pass (playing WA and believing I was still 18) and immediately buggered my knee. Old, me.
I’m looking forward to my daughter playing in a year or two and would be willing to put money on me getting back into it too.
LOVE the point about timing. This week’s soccer game is about 40 mins from home at noon.
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Love this post, but gosh I hate netball! WD for me always.
I will encourage my daughter to give it a go though, because I can see the positives, and it is a good, social team sport.
Plus I’d rather watch her play netball than watch dance performances, with all the skimpy costumes and Rhianna music that seems to be acceptable for girls these days.
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So with you there. My daughter sis dance for four years. SHe loved it and great to learn things but the concerts always made me CRINGE. Now she has discovered Netball and loving it. Three differents teams and squads and now being paid to umpire in the mornings… all great stuff…. oh, and how did I end up coaching??!!
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THIS IS FANTASTIC. I LOVE THIS!
Been playing netball since I was 7, will probably be playing until I’m 77. I suck but I love it.
Kate you’ve hit it on the head!. Especially the positions (‘the good ones play C, the rest of us play WD on and off, the tall ones wear something with a G’ SO. true.) and the umpiring junior games…I had a GA cry once because I told her gently she couldn’t go into the other ring and defend hahaha.
I used to be GS/GA, that awkward tall girl in the U12s…until everyone else hit puberty and my early bloomer body got left behind haha. reppin the WD and WA now, woo!
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Hooray for netball season!!! And hooray for your article Kate!!
I’ve been donning my metaphorical pleated skirt for more than 20 years now and I hope to be doing it for another 20 – if my knees and ankles hold up!
A great netball team and club is a wonderful thing and having moved to a small country town two years ago I can safely say that without netball it would be a lonely old place indeed!
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Aah, netball. Or “broken-index-finger-ball” as I knew it! Ha! A perennial WD was my fate, as was the pain of a fracture. Didn’t stop me playing though! It also didn’t stop me encouraging my three daughters to be involved in this quintessentially quirky but most loved sport. They had a tiny bit more talent than their Mum, luckily. One wore the “C” and was invited to play for the State, but she had to decline since she was involved in a couple other sports at elite level ( a classic over-achiever), one wore the “GK” (tall, solidly built and immovable) and the other wore the “GA” (fast and tenacious). Our Satudrday mornings spent at the outdoor courts with me on the sidelines freezing my butt off and cheering them on remain some of my favorite memories of their childhoods.
Long may netball reign as our most loved team game! Thanks Kate.
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