Sacrifices bring great reward for Hardess

CENTRAL Victorian netball umpire Jessie Hardess has been recognised for her selfless dedication to her craft and commitment to personal and community development.

Hardess was honoured as this year’s recipient of Netball Victoria’s Contribution to Umpiring award.

The award was presented at Netball Victoria’s inaugural awards ceremony in Melbourne earlier this month.

A natural A-grade netballer with Heathcote District club Lockington-Bamawm United, Hardess made the selfless decision to step back from playing at the top level to concentrate on umpiring in leagues across the region, including the Heathcote District, Bendigo and Goulburn Valley football netball leagues, and helping to improve pathways for aspiring umpires.

Hardess invested countless hours mentoring junior umpires, supporting them through weekly matches and training sessions, and helping many achieve their C-grade badges, making her club one of the highest achievers in the league for umpiring accreditation.

Herself a C-grade badge holder, Hardess has earned a reputation for making herself available to support clubs across the region, not just her own.

Netball Victoria president Carol Cathcart said Hardess embraced every development opportunity offered by Netball Victoria, including development workshops, umpiring academies, mentoring programs, and pathway competitions such as the Association Championships and State Titles.

“Her commitment to continuous learning is matched only by her generosity in sharing that knowledge,” she said.

“A role model for fair, safe, and confident netball, Jessie has not only elevated the standard of umpiring in her community but has also empowered the next generation of young leaders across the region.”

A typical Saturday this season for Hardess, who continued to coach and play in the Cats’ B-grade team, included mentoring under-13 and under-17 umpires in the morning, playing her own game, and then umpiring at A-grade level.

“I did a few Bendigo league games, a few GV (Goulburn Valley) games and plenty in the Heathcote league,” she said.

“I was able to get people from all over the region to help me give me some feedback.

“I do love my umpiring; it’s a different way of looking at the game and so much of it is about learning.

“You can learn as much as you want as a player, but as an umpire, so much of it is about vision and where you sit yourself on the court.

“I have been working really hard on improving my fitness to help that out,” added Hardess, who has in past years experienced knee problems.

“You can feel yourself getting better, and getting a look at different situations and different leagues helps your development.”

Obvious highlights for Hardess this season were officiating at Netball Victoria’s two marquee events – the State Titles in March and Association Championships in June.

She also umpired the North Central association preliminary final won by Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers in a one-goal thriller against Boort, and the HDFNL A-reserve grand final won by Huntly over Colbinabbin, also by one goal, as well as a Bendigo Strikers development team practice match early in the year.

Planning a return to A-grade netball in 2026, Hardess is not about to let go of her umpiring.

“I’ll still try and get out to do my senior umpiring on bye weeks and any Sunday names I can pick up,” she said.

“I’m not ready to let that go, but I think I will be able to play at that higher level for a bit longer before having to retire.

“You can umpire for a lot longer than you can play, so I’d like to give back what I can as a player before moving fully into umpiring.

“I’d love to do a few more Bendigo and GV games if I can next year. I just want to keep getting better.”