Storm celebrate 20 years of netball
Gippsland Storm Elite Development Netball Club recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the founding of the club back in 1998 in conjunction with its annual presentations.
Former players and founding committee members were in attendance for the celebrations.
Club president Roger Palmer thanked the committee for their work, along with the coaches and teams for their efforts during the season.
The club achieved good results, with the open squad winning the grand final and four squads in total making the finals at Waverley Netball Centre.
Many teams have bottom aged players, indicating that the future is bright for Gippsland Storm.
Palmer announced that Storm will be holding training sessions in the Gippsland region this spring season 2018.
During the school holidays Storm ran two free netball clinics, one at the Nyora Netball club and the other at Cardinia Life Stadium in Pakenham, to give back to the community that has supported them for so long.
Palmer also touched on the club’s heavy push into social media apps for a more comprehensive communication platform.
During the evening Anna Klaric presented a new award. The physiotherapy scholarship for women was awarded to Kaylah Loulanting from Storm’s 15 and under one squad for her remarkable achievements during the autumn season.
The 20th anniversary celebrations continued during the evening, with the founder and former president of the club Mike Spain recalling the first team that Storm ever entered in State League netball in 1998, at the old Royal Park stadium in Parkville Melbourne.
It was a 17 and under squad made up from players from all over Gippsland, and many of the original players attended the evening to join in the celebrations.
Spain recalled the first Storm meeting ever held at Heather and Rod McLeish’s home in Drouin.
“There were only four people that attended the meeting, myself, Heather, Jenny English from Warragul and Brian Jogoe from Pakenham,” he said.
“We had no idea it would be such a roller coaster ride.
“Within only a few years we had a senior squad in State League netball championship division, two other senior squads and five junior squads.
“It seemed like only a few years later Renae Hallinan, one of our 17 and under juniors, was playing for the Australian Diamonds.
And Jess Thomas from Drouin was making every junior state squad and being named 21 and under all Australian netball captain.
“Over the years I’ve often attended regional Gippsland netball grand finals, only to see many of the netballers from both sides are either former or current Gippsland Storm netballers, a testament our development program.”
Spain said many great memory’s included winning the division one State League grand final in 2006, with Simon O’Shanassy as coach. O’Shanassy won five consecutive grand finals in charge of the 15 and under one division.
“Over the past 20 years, literally hundreds of netballers have gone through our development system, many of whom have gone on to play at the highest level in the VNL and state squads,” Spain said. “We look forward to the next 20 years.” The club now looks forward to the spring season at the Waverley Netball Centre and the annual tryouts in October.