Decade of dominance for South netball
by Nathan Weatherhead
In the sporting world, the word ‘dynasty’ is thrown around more often than not when a team wins two, or even three titles in a row. So, finding a word to describe the Neerim South A Grade netball side that won six consecutive flags proves to be a tall order.
It all began in 1981, South had made the A Grade grand final but at halftime found themselves trailing by double digits. Then, coach Harry Wood made a bold move, one that many coaches may not have been brave enough to make.
When Harry and Marg Wood came to Neerim South, taking up coaching roles, the tide started to turn. Vicky Ballantyne, a life member at the Neerim South Football Netball Club said that what Harry brought to the team when he took over as coach was something they’d never seen before.
“Harry was a big key in our winning era, he was an innovator and he wasn’t afraid to speak openly and honestly, and I think that went a long way in us being successful. He would actually get on court with us and play, it made us play harder and prove to him we were the right person for each position,” she said.
That day in 1981, Harry showed exactly why his coaching and ability to gel a side would be a catalyst in the success that awaited them.
He signalled to 16-year-old Debbie Fusinato, who had earlier won the C Grade match, to take up the goal shooter position for the second half of the A Grade final, a move that was met with some angst among the fans watching on.
But, as the third quarter started the shift in momentum was obvious. The court began to open up and the Neerim players began to play with extra gusto enabling South to complete an epic comeback and claim the 1981 A Grade title. A star in Debbie Fusinato was born.
“Deb really turned that grand final around. Harry had to take someone who had been in goals for a long time off, which was a really bold move, but he could see something needed to change and he wasn’t afraid to make changes,” Vicky said.
The next season, Vicky would team up with Jenny Muir, Deb Fusinato and many others to create one of the best A Grade netball sides the league would ever see. The team that took the court in the following decade didn’t know it yet, but together, they would become one of the most feared and talented teams in the region.
From 1981, Neerim South appeared in 20 of the next 22 A Grade grand final, winning 12 premierships. The sides crowning moments came between 1987 and 1992, where they won six consecutive A Grade netball titles.
The team was only challenged in that stretch by Bunyip in the 1992 final, a game which saw torrential rain midway through the second quarter.
The match was halted for a few moments while the excess water was cleared, before Neerim took to the new conditions supremely well, going on to secure their sixth flag in a row, winning by six goals.
“When that team came together, we all had the same mindset, one that was desperate to win and would do anything to support each other,” Vicky said. “It was like wearing your favourite pair of shoes, the fit was just perfect, and we all loved playing with each other every time we went on court which I think led to our success.”
While the club’s trophy cabinet continued to grow, the noise of support against the side was also growing.
Often in the sports world, it’s the ones on top many want to see lose and it was no different for that six straight premiership winning side. Teams were beginning to tire of the same old narrative. Neerim making the final. Neerim winning the final.
As the team began to get a little older, they were openly told by other teams that it was time to move on, which Vicky said didn’t bother them one bit.
“We knew when we made grand finals, the only people supporting us would be those from our own club, which we used as some motivation,” she said. “Some players and teams had no qualms in telling us it was time to move on and let another team come in,” she laughed.
While teams continued to jeer at the Neerim side, respect and integrity was still at the forefront of the players’ minds despite the obvious animosity towards their winning ways.
“Respect played a huge part for us. Respect and integrity for ourselves and how we played the game, for each other, the club and the opposition as well. We played to win, but we played fair, the ball was our mission, not the opposition,” she said.
The pure talent that played on the court for Neerim South in that era was visible to many who watched the games, as the league continued to be dominated both in a team and individual environment by the club’s netballers for years on end.
More often than not, Jenny Muir and Vicky Ballantyne would headline the A Grade league best and fairest awards, with Jenny named league best and fairest an astonishing seven times between 1983 and 1992.
Vicky can’t exactly remember how many she took home in her career, (it was around 10) but she attributed her personal success on court to more than just herself.
“Winning the best and fairest awards were great as a personal achievement, but when you have a great player like Deb beside you, who unfortunately didn’t win one, I think it puts it into a clearer perspective that I actually won some of mine thanks to her work on the court,” she said.
So, what led to the success that galvanised the small township of Neerim South for all those years? Vicky said that while moments and players mattered, really, it was a combination of many factors that helped the side achieve such lofty heights.
“I liken it to a recipe, it was a combination of ingredients that all came together at the right time to create something special,” she said. “We all loved playing with each other, and I think the most important ingredient was, we had fun, that was the biggest key, we won when we were enjoying the game,” she added.
Later in her career, Vicky had the opportunity that many netballers dream of, being able to play alongside their daughter, or in Vicky’s case, her daughters.
“I dropped down to B Grade later in my career and was lucky enough to play netball with my two daughters, Claire and Penny, which is probably one of the best memories I have now,” she said.
Now, Vicky has taken a step back from netball, with both Claire and Penny finishing up their Saturday competitions at Neerim South. However, when she looks back on that era, she explained that one thing comes to mind.
“Lucky, I just feel really lucky when I look back on it,” she said. “If I’d joined the club three or four years later, who knows, I might not have been able to play in that team and have the friendships I do today.”