Netballers

By Jade Lawton
FEW netball clubs could boast that they have foundation members attending every game.
But Pakenham Netball Club, which turns 70 this year, has a staunch supporter in Norma Jackson, who took up the role of Wing Defence in the club’s first team, in 1939, when she was 15 years old.
Norma, now 85, can still be found on the sidelines of every Saturday match. She could be considered the club’s unofficial historian, having collected newspaper clippings about the club since its inception.
She has also seen just about every premiership or presentation with her own eyes.
Norma’s sister, Thelma Young, was also a foundation member and regularly attends games.
The idea to form the club came when Lorna Anderson (nee Jackson), of Pakenham, Bridie Cunningham (nee Mcgrath) of Nar Nar Goon and Vera Pumphrey of Garfield thought they should match the sporting prowess of the local men.
“They said the boys have football, why don’t we start a basketball competition,” she said.
“They had a meeting – possibly at Garfield – and then they got girls by word of mouth.”
“It was a little bit different then. The game was called basketball, and instead of taking turns in having a throw in the centre, the ball was thrown up like a ruck in football.”
Two teams of eight to 10 girls played on grass courts at PB Ronald Reserve from ’39 to ’41. The club was briefly disbanded during the war years and resumed play in 1944.
In 1967 the courts were moved down the end of PB Ronald Reserve and lights were installed.
Then, like now, many of the netball players ended up marrying the club’s footballers, and Norma married Norm, who played seniors for the Lions.
In 1960 she was working at the Pakenham Newsagency, then owned by Keith Bishop. Both Norma and Mr Bishop had daughters, and called a meeting to organise a junior competition.
Each church had a team, along with some schools.
“That ran for about five years before it became what the juniors are now,” she said.
In 1997 the club moved to Toomuc Valley Reserve. The club had a triple strike, winning premierships in ’61, ’62 and ’63, but recently endured a 29-year premiership drought, ending in 2004.
Norma hung up her netball skirt in 1946, but still attends every Saturday to support the club. She was made a life member in 2000, one of the club’s 14 ‘lifers.’
Over the years she has been team captain and president of the club. Her two daughters played for the team, one of them taking a stint as secretary, and her granddaughter, Michelle Webster, is the current captain of the A Grade side.
Norma hopes her granddaughter’s children will also play for the club – making four generations of Lions.
On 1 July, the netball club will celebrate 70 years with a cocktail night at the Toomuc Reserve function rooms. Players past and present are welcome to attend.
Contact Jackie Christie on 0408 395 388 for tickets.