Club coach nets 300th match

Committed: Prior to her 300th game with Lake Wendouree Football Netball Club, Courtney McLean also won the B Grade best and fairest medal in 2007 and 2017. Photo: TIM BOTTAMS

A VETERAN of the Lake Wendouree Football Netball Club reached a milestone game during the club’s match against Sunbury earlier this month.

After 20 non-consecutive years with the Lakers, A Grade coach and B Grade player Courtney McLean notched her 300th game with the club.

She said reaching the honour is due to her dedication to the team.

“It feels like it took a bit longer given I’ve gone through two kids and COVID. I’ve also had a few years away from the club between living in Melbourne and coaching in Maryborough,” she said.

“I’ve always loved the footy netball field because it’s so social and you spend the whole day out. My brothers played footy here and my dad played for YCW which turned into Lakers.”

Before joining the Lakers at 15 years old, McLean played with the Brown Hill Netball Club, having gotten into the sport through netta netball in grade 2.

McLean started coaching for the Lakers in 2015, and said she owes her love of netball to her mother Sally who was inducted into the Ballarat Football Netball League Hall of Fame in 2014.

Sally’s name is borne across her daughter’s home court, called the Sally McLean Pavilion, and the club’s senior best and fairest medal is also named after her.

Having taken a liking to coaching as her mother did, McLean said it was an emotional experience to reach the milestone game on her namesake court.

“When I was presented with the 300 games I was staring right at her sign so it was emotional in a good way,” she said.

“Mum had had two knee reconstructions so she had to focus on coaching which she was really successful at with lots of premiership wins but never won them as a player.

“Her impact is massive. She coached me at Brown Hill, Ballarat High and at Lakers. I wouldn’t have played if it wasn’t for her.

“It’s a shame she never got to see me coach because I think I’ve found an even bigger passion for netballing through it.”

McLean said her two highlights with the Lakers include all four netball teams winning the 2010 grand final and winning against Sunbury in 2017.