Ben Kavanagh Reserve Netball Courts Opened
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Mordialloc Football Club has long been seen by outsiders as a somewhat faded powerhouse: a sleeping giant far removed from the VFA days of years gone by. Those within the precinct of Ben Kavanagh Reserve, however, have long had big dreams. Dreams that have involved a transformation from the narrow masculinity of the football club format into a vibrant entity of which the whole local community can
be proud.
Today another vital step in this transformation process has taken place with the official opening of the two netball courts at the Bear Street end of the reserve. Tim Richardson MP and City of Kingston Councillor Tim Cochrane were present to unveil the competition standard courts that would be the envy of any club within the SFNL. Since the inaugural SFNL netball competition in 2012, Mordialloc has grown from three senior teams to the present six, in addition to eleven junior sides, to stand as one of the biggest netball clubs in the south. After its premiership success in 2018, Mordialloc stands alone as the only club outside the Dingley/Heatherton monopoly to
taste division one success.
The building of the netball courts over the recent summer gives Mordialloc a training and playing base that will allow it to appreciate in stature and standard, and also attract new players to the iconic red dress. “We now have fantastic facilities that we are so excited to have access to”, said Mordialloc netball president Traci Stafrace. “We would love in the future to extend the invitation to other clubs within the SFNL. This is a facility that we feel deserves to be shared”. The official opening of the netball courts was celebrated with a rousing 58-38 win by the division one netball side in a feisty clash against St Pauls McKinnon. After an even first term Mordialloc established what proved to be a match-winning break in the second, on the back of mid-court domination by Jerzie Vernall and a purple patch in the goal circle by club coach Emily Morris.
A frustrated St Pauls outfit fell further behind in the third quarter before the two sides went goal-for-goal in the final term. This game led into the division one clash between the two clubs on the adjacent football field, where Mordialloc took a five-goal lead to the first change and held that lead for the rest of the day. Mordialloc’s 13.8 (86) to 7.14 (56) victory is their second in a row, and keeps them in touch with the top five.
