HAD Emma Tomlins been born 10 years later, there's every chance she might not be celebrating a netball milestone for South Bendigo this weekend.

Instead of controlling the midcourt for the Bloods' B-grade team against Maryborough, she might well have been patrolling the midfield  for some women's football team.

That's no disrespect, more a reflection on how she was introduced to life at South Bendigo.

Tomlins' father is the late Graeme Wright, who played 138 games for the club, including stints as captain-coach in 1983 and '86.

"I was pretty much born there," she said.

"I played junior footy first (after under 14s) and then when I couldn't play footy any more, the netball coach Raylene Baker asked me to play netball so I did.

"I like them both equally.

"I still watch the seniors each week and I'm coaching the youth girls football team at South, so I'm getting a bit of both anyways."

On Saturday, Tomlins will play her 200th netball game for the club.

It will be the last before finals.

Her B-grade side looks destined to play Eaglehawk in the following week's elimination final.

It's a game that looms as crucial to their longer-term hopes.

The Bloods are yet to beat the Hawks this season, but do have wins against the competition's top three teams, Kangaroo Flat, Golden Square and Strathfieldsaye.

"Beat Eaglehawk and we could all the way," Tomlins suggested.

The 30-year-old combines on-court duties at South with her off-court role as netball secretary and coach of the girls youth football team.

She has previously served on the club's committee and social committee, coached the Bloods B-grade and B-reserve teams, while her brother plays in the club's senior football team.

The midcourter considers South Bendigo as family and has no plans to be gone in the foreseeable future.

"We'll wait until I do a hip or something and then I'll leave,":she joked.

"They've inducted me as a life member so I guess I'm stuck there. That shocked me.

"But we've had a great bunch of girls at South, we haven't had any drama.

"Every year is fun, (and) the girls just want to help out the club."

Tomlins has watched the immense growth in women's football over the past five-to-10 years with plenty of interest.

She concedes had the options for female footballers on offer these days been available to her back when she was kicking goals for South and not setting them up on the netball court, she may have been persuaded to continue with Australian rules.

"That's why I decided to coach this year, to give the girls the opportunity I never had," Tomlins said.

"But I'm just lucky I've enjoyed netball."