Play on: volunteers save netball association

THE Castlemaine and District Netball Association has avoided going into recess after attracting a full complement of volunteer committee members at its rescheduled AGM last week.

Six newcomers stepped up to fill roles alongside a group of existing committee members at the meeting, only a week after the original AGM failed to reach a quorum.

Without a full committee, the long-running association would have been forced into recess and its popular summer competition cancelled.

A relieved CDNA junior development squad coach Vanessa Saunders was thrilled to report the summer season would go ahead, starting in the first week of February.

“There was no denying it, we were in big trouble,” she said.

“But seeing all the publicity around our predicament, some wonderful people were happy to put their hand up.

“We’re very grateful and rapt to be going on.

“On reflection, you wonder whether things were that bad, but it was – we were in dire straits.

“If we hadn’t got enough people there (at the AGM), there would have been no choice but to shut until such time as we could do something about it.”

With its immediate future assured, the CDNA will mark its 64th year in 2026.

In a further boost, a bolstered committee has ensured the future of the association’s junior development squads, which compete regularly at tournaments.

Saunders publicly thanked Nat Broad, Sarah Dee, Lisa Farrugia, Kerry Calcraft, Kerbi Kneebone and Wayne WiHare for becoming first time committee members.

“It was great to see their passion to keep the association going come through,” she said.

“We were just amazed to see it happen.

“They have kids playing and they are loving it, so they’ve made the call to step up and keep what we have here going.”

Good news for the CDNA comes a couple of weeks short of the end of the association’s spring season on 12 December.

Its two seasons are played outside of winter to avoid a clash with the country football-netball league season, which runs from April through September.

With plenty of help on the ground, the CDNA will aim to reinstate its under-17 competition in time for the summer season, to run alongside its under-11, 13 and 15s, open and boys competitions and NetSetGo program.

The boys competition was introduced for the first time in 2025.

For competition and other details, contact [email protected] or 0407 508 387 or visit Castlemaine District Netball Association on Facebook.