League strikes Carol Bingham Medal

THE Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football Netball League has rebadged its B-Grade netball fairest and best award the Carol Bingham Medal.

One of the first two netball-specific inductees to the Bendigo FNL Hall of Fame, Carol Bingham built an incredible coaching record at Kangaroo Flat and inter-league level.

In a 598-game coaching career with the Kangaroos, Bingham had a winning record of 72 per cent.

An 11-year stint with the Dower Park-based club included coaching 33 teams before she retired after the A-Grade premiership victory in 2009.

She began coaching the A-Grade and B-grade teams and later added C-grade and 17-and-under.

Bendigo FNL general manager Cameron Tomlins said Carol Bingham had left an incredible mark on the netball competition.

“At times, Carol coached as many as three grades on the same day,” Tomlins said.

A premiership-winning haul of nine included the A-Grade victories in 2001, ’03,’04 and ’09.

She also coached the Roos top-level team as runner-up on two occasions.

Across her time at A-Reserve, B-Grade and under-age level, Bingham marked another five premierships across 10 grand final appearances.

“Carol also spent time developing and mentoring many other coaches at the club which ensured Kangaroo Flat would be left in good hands on her retirement,” Tomlins said.

“Carol also contributed to the successful BFNL representative program and coached the BFNL open netball team six times.”

Bingham also played a key role for the BFNL netball committee.

She was league registrar, a representative team selector, and assisted in the running of the BFNL netball tournament.

The Kangaroo Flat FNC awarded Carol Bingham life membership in 2009 and the club’s A-Grade netball best and fairest award is named the Bingham Medal.

“Carol passed away in September of 2021, but her BFNL legacy will be forever remembered,” Tomlins said.

“Carol made such a significant contribution to our league and will be remembered and honoured by future winners of the BFNL B-grade netball medal as well as being in the BFNL Hall of Fame.”