Went to see Koroit play footy on Sunday as the last event of the Irish Festival. They were Premiership Champions last year but have lost about twelve players and are now rebuilding. They were playing Terang and lost heavily. The set-up is similar to Senior Football at home except that the grounds also incorporate netball grounds and a basketball stadium. It is beside a croquet club and bowls club. The grandstand was on one side and the other three sides were embanked. Cars were parked on the embankments and these spots were much sought after by spectators. When goals were scored they all honked their horns. It wasn’t that it was raining or cold-it was 17 degrees. This is the tradition here at these matches.
The marriage is between Netball (ladies) and Footy (men). The clubs are called Football Netball Clubs. The teams in each division match exactly, not only between the Netball and Footy but also the u-eighteens and reserve sides. That was six matches between Terang and Koroit in total, some on at the same time, except the last match which was Senior Footy. The senior footy manager was even married to the senior netball manager! But that is not always the case! The day started at 10.00 a.m. and finished at 4.30 p.m. Entry was €7 which included a programme. The programme contained all the netball and footy teams from the whole division with the senior footy teams being in the centre. They are obviously all done centrally. About ten years ago the two sports decided to combine and it has made a big difference, especially to the country teams. It has dissipated the culture of drink and made match days great family occasions. Netball’s profile has risen also and it is now getting far more TV coverage. It is noticeable at school, all the lads have gone football mad since the footy season started and many of the girls practice netball at playtime. ‘Win-Win’ for both sports.
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