Scorchers cast the net
SMALL CLUB GROWS TO MASTERS GAMES PRESENCE
Members of the newest netball club in Cairns feel “young at heart” as they prepare for the Cairns Masters Games.
Scorchers Netball Club was founded in 2012 by Grace Browning after she wanted to step away from the big-club atmosphere.
Browning, who has played netball for 38 years, spoke to a group of friends and local businesses and established the Scorchers, ready for the 2013 season.
Browning is now the president of the club, which, she said, was just a group of women having the best fun.
“We don’t take it too seriously really, we all just go out there and enjoy each others company and time together playing a sport we love,” Browning said.
“Five of our members are playing in the Masters Games, which is a brilliant achievement for us.
“The 50-plus age group is just a number, we are young at heart and we keep each other young that is for sure.
“I just remember wanting to step away from a big club and there wasn’t a small club to join so I started one up and the rest is history.”
Among the Scorchers taking part in the Masters Games is Fiona Weiss, who is in her 50th season of netball and her 23rd in the Far North.
Weiss began playing the sport when she was seven years old and growing up in country South Australia, where she spent most of her life before moving to Cairns in 2000.
Weiss said she has been pretty lucky to have been able to play for so long.
“I haven’t had any major injuries, touch wood I can still keep that out of my game,” she said with a laugh.
“Growing up in Cleve, a small country town, my parents wanted us to play sport. I remember taking up netball in the winter and from then have played pretty much every year since.
“We did a few country championships, I played in the under-15 country championships alongside Jennifer Borlase who went on to become Australia’s Goal Shooter.”
Weiss played Div 1 netball from the age of 17 until she moved to Cairns at age 33.
“My parents moved up to Cairns a couple years before, so we just followed them up,” Weiss said.
“I played a bit of indoor when I moved up here and then I got approached to play for Aces in about 2008, before moving to the Leprechauns and then eventually moving to the Scorchers in 2017.”
Weiss was part of the Scorchers’ first premiershipwinning side back in 2017 and helped them go back-to-back in 2018.
The Scorchers began with one team in 2013, before jumping to four teams in 2017 until Covid reduced them to two teams by 2022.
Browning said it wasn’t just the Scorchers who were affected by Covid.
“The whole competition and numbers dropped because of what happened over 2020 and 2021,” Browning said.
“But looking at our club now, the two teams we have, we are a really close club and everyone really looks out for one another.
“It would be good to get another team as usually we have teams in Div 2, 3 and 4.
“But the club connection is what means the most to all of us at Scorchers and really that is the most important thing.”