GILL Davey says she’s “feeling her way” as the new North Central Netball regional liaison officer, but expect her to get the hang of it pretty quickly.
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Few people have more experience of local netball than Davey.
She played in the Golden City and Heathcote associations, before embarking on a 20-year umpiring career.
“I’m better known around netball circles for my umpiring, because I was an independent umpire and I umpired a lot in the Loddon Valley, Bendigo Football Netball League and a little bit out in the Heathcote league,” Davey said.
“The past five years I’ve spent in junior cricket administration at White Hills Cricket Club.”
Umpire co-ordinator Meagan Keating has long thought Davey’s netball talents weren’t being put to enough use.
That’s why Keating encouraged her to apply for the recently vacated RLO position, previously held by Nadine Holland.
“Meagan’s always in the background telling me I’ve got this immense netball brain that’s going to waste, she’s seen what I’ve been doing in terms of cricket administration and thought this was a way for me to get back into netball,” Davey said.
The Epsom Primary School teacher is full of ideas to improve the pathways for netball players, umpires and coaches in the region.
“It’s up to me to take the role wherever I like,” she said.
“I’ve got ideas to perhaps have a sleepover style camp during the school holidays aimed at some of the younger girls before they hit that 16-year-old mark, to try and combine my schoolteacher role and try to look for some grant funding for those ideas.”
As the North Central’s RLO, Davey links netball associations and leagues in the area with Netball Victoria.
“My role involves organising meetings from a region perspective where all clubs and associations have representatives and organising region teams,” she said.
“Obviously we’ve just had inter-league, the next step up is representing the region, so that’s state titles in October.
“It’s all about the pathways, because if players want to get identified and go onto Regional State League they need to be playing in the regional teams.”
Applications for the open, 17s and 15-and-under regional netball teams close on Friday.
The first training session is Monday, June 10.
To be eligible players or umpires must participate in one of the following associations: Golden City, Bendigo-Strathdale, Bendigo FNL, Heathcote, Loddon Valley, Maryborough, Castlemaine, Rochester, Echuca, Woodend, Kyneton or Deniliquin.
For more details, contact your league secretary or Gill Davey on 0488 010 369.
