Star defender clocks up 400 games

Star defender Amy Cram has joined her sister Lisa McGregor in the 400 club at the West Gambier Netball Club, celebrating the significant milestone at the weekend.

A multiple Western Border Netball Association Team of the Year member and 2022 premiership player with a trophy cabinet filled with individual accolades, Cram has long been considered a premier defender across the competition.

She also represented the Western Border Netball Association in representative teams at 15 & Under, 17 & Under and A Grade level over many years.

And her resume is not just about her personal on court achievements – she is also a respected coach, quality umpire, hard working committee member – she has been the club secretary since 2021 – and a mentor to West Gambier’s membership base in the playing, umpiring and coaching spheres.

Amy has long been the general of the West Gambier A Grade defensive line and has mentored more than her fair share of defenders including Maddy Teakle, now coaching Penola’s A Grade, Molly Muhovics, Jade Ritter and currently Mikaela Horrigan.

Her game is the perfect blend of tight checking and hunting the interception and she is as effective and damaging at ground level as she is in the air.

Her work over the shot and rebounding is another reason for her high ranking and she is also a reliable option in transition as West turns defence into attack.

Her leadership at the defensive end of the court, where she marshals the Roos back four to deny the opposition time and space is invaluable and as cliched as it is, she is like a fine wine and seems to be getting better with age.

Amy began her netball career at West Gambier when she was just 10 years old in 1998 and played all her junior netball at West, deputing in senior netball as a 15-year-old in 2002.

Aside from a few seasons at Port MacDonnell, where she and sister Lisa enjoyed premiership success, Amy has been a Roo through and through.

On her return to Malseed Park in 2012, Amy took on the A Grade coaching role for four seasons and since then she has worked with the 15 & Under and 17 & under age groups and this season is giving the youngest Roos – the 11 & under squad – a great grounding by taking on that coaching role for the first time.

Amy has also headed up the club’s Net Set Go program with 24 players taking part this season.