When Alisha Chadwick played her first game of A-grade netball for Maryborough, Paul Keating was Prime Minister of Australia, petrol was 61 cents per litre and Mrs Doubtfire was the hit flick at the movies.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That was 1993 – the second year netball was part of the BFNL. On Saturday, Chadwick will line up for her 350th A-grade game for her beloved Magpies.
“The people at the club that I play with make it enjoyable… that’s why I keep playing,’’ 40-year-old Chadwick said.
“I wanted to slip into retirement this year, but the club was a bit short for players and I played again.”
For more than two decades Chadwick has been one of the premier defenders in the competition.
She won the highest individual award in Bendigo netball in 2010 – the Betty Thomspon Medal – and is a seven-time best and fairest winner at Maryborough.
Chadwick has gone head-to-head with some of the greats of Bendigo netball, but it’s two current day stars that have been her toughest opponents.
“(Golden Square’s) Gabe Richards is very hard to play against and (Kangaroo Flat’s) Ruby Barkmeyer is a great young player,’’ Chadwick said.
“For a 16-year-old, she’s going places that girl.”
Alisha’s return to the court this year means her and husband Glen have combined to play more than 600 games for Maryborough.
Chadwick’s milestone match is a vital one for Maryborough. The sixth-placed Magpies must beat Strathfieldsaye to keep their finals hopes alive.
In other BFNL matches, second plays third when Gisborne hosts Golden Square, while top team Sandhurst faces a danger game against Eaglehawk. Fifth-placed Kangaroo Flat should have a percentage-boosting win over Castlemaine and South Bendigo has the chance to grab its sixth win of the season at Kyneton.
