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PLAYING 300 games of netball for one club is a significant milestone in its own right.
But when about a dozen-season’s worth of games have required a minimum 320km round trip each Saturday just to take the court, it’s truly extraordinary.
That is what Calivil United midcourter Erin Boyd has done each weekend of nearly every LVFNL season since 2001.
Only three seasons off for the birth of her and husband Ian’s three children - Alistair, Hamish and Thomas – has prevented her from reaching the magical 300 mark sooner than this weekend’s clash against Pyramid Hill at Calivil.
For Boyd, who started playing with the Demons in minis in 1989 and has played 26 seasons in total, distance is no tyranny.
Allowing for finals, by the time the 2018 season is run and won, Boyd will have clocked up more than 5000 kilometres travelling to and from games at venues across the Loddon Valley league from her home in Melbourne.
Still, the mother-of-three and tireless club volunteer can’t imagine any better way of spending her weekends.
“It’s family, my sisters, friend, coaches, the girls – it (Calivil) is just where you go on Saturdays,” Boyd said of her eagerness to return each season.
“It’s the community, and everyone who works for the club that keeps me coming back.
“I work in Melbourne and have the three kids, so this is my time-out. I have a supportive husband, who takes them for the day, and I get to catch up with everyone.”
Boyd’s career at Calivil United has included four seasons in the minis (1989-92), two in juniors (1993-94) and 21 in the senior ranks (1995-2018).
Her only what could be termed ‘extended’ break from Calivil came when she spent two years in London, where she continued playing netball at Hyde Park.
There’s been plenty of success along the way too, including a pair of junior premierships in 1993 and ’94 under club legend Coral Maxted and two in B-grade in 2010 and ‘15.
A remarkable ’94 season was capped by Boyd’s league and club best and fairest awards.
She also won club best and fairest awards in B-grade in 1995 and A-grade in 1997, and twice been runner-up in A-grade in 1998 and 1999.
It’s family, my sisters, friend, coaches, the girls – it (Calivil) is just where you go on Saturdays.
- Erin Boyd
It was the B-grade premiership, which got away in 2016, that provided Boyd with one of her more bittersweet moments in netball.
It was the first time all three Freemantle sisters – Boyd, Nicky Lawry and Lauren Rogers – had played a full season together in the same team.
Unfortunately they were denied a sentimental victory, with Bridgewater prevailing in a nail-biter by two goals.
“That was probably the last game my (late) mum watched, so that’s always going to be special,” she said.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t win it – it would have been a good way to wind up the netball.”
Two seasons on, Boyd finds herself back in A-grade and an integral part of a Demons line-up travelling nicely in third spot on the ladder.
She continues to demonstrate excellent form, with Demons co-coach Karen Pascoe describing Boyd’s game against Maiden Gully YCW last weekend as her best for the season.
The 39-year-old was unsure if she would play on beyond this season, but insisted she was enjoying the involvement as much as ever.
“Karen and Teigan (Redwood) are really great coaches – I probably wasn’t going to come back, I had my third baby and that was going to be it,” Boyd said.
“I found out who was coaching and who was coming back – Christie Rogers and Loz Miller are obviously great players, to play with them is a real honour.
“We are all coming back from having babies or injuries, so it’s taken us a while to get back into it.
“We’ve had two losses against Bridgewater and Mitiamo, which weren’t big (margin) losses, so there second half of the year should be better.
“I don’t think any of us can say we are playing out our best, so we’ll get there.
“We have something like 16 kids between us on the team, so the future at Calivil is pretty safe.”
A spokesperson for the club described Boyd as the ultimate club-person.
“She has taken on volunteer roles such as umpiring, organising fund raisers such as Bunnings barbecues, cake stalls, trivia nights and much more,” she said.
“She is one of many people involved with our club that volunteer their time to get in and get the job done on a weekly basis.”