EAGLEHAWK has celebrated the 30th anniversary of its stunning 1992 A-grade netball premiership success.
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The Hawks, led by then-playing coach Wendy Ryan, defeated Golden Square by six goals in what was only the second BFNL grand final played.
Golden Square won the league's inaugural premiership in 1991, defeating Sandhurst 53-47.
The '92 flag win marked the start of an exciting period of success under Ryan for the Hawks, who finished runners-up the following year to Golden Square and again in 1995 to Sandhurst, before claiming premierships in 1996 1998 and 1999 - all against Sandhurst.
They were runners-up again in 2000 to Sandhurst.
The 1992 team, minus the absent Michelle Schepers and Kim Major (Evely), reunited for a function at Canterbury Park during last week's round of matches against Castlemaine.
A team coach Ryan described as 'full of great individual talent that worked hard to become a team' included Maree Angove, Glenda Thomas, Sharon Gibbs, Michelle Schepers, Kim Major, Kylie Ennis, Bronwyn Kelly and Brooke Henderson.
"It was an amazing team and I only discovered the other night that one of the girls was only 15 ... Bronwyn Kelly," Ryan said.
"She's Bronwyn Slater now.
"I used to pick her up for training all the time and she was kind of like a daughter to me. But she told me Saturday night she was only 15 - I'd never realised that.
"(It's) amazing to think she was playing in a grand final at that age.
"But it was lovely catching up with everyone - two of them travelled back.
"It was our team and just great to catch up with the foundation players."
An enduring memory and lingering source of amusement for all players was that of Maree Pearce marking any errant footballs kicked into the netball courts from the adjoining oval during play, always preceded by shouts of 'Maree's ball'.
"In another time, she would have played AFL footy," Ryan said.
"She would see the ball coming into the courts and she would yell out and we would all stand back - both teams."
Ryan, who arrived at Eaglehawk in 1992 after a long and distinguished association with the Golden City Netball Association, also coached the 1996, '98 and '99 premiership teams.
She said the other notable reunion absentee was the team's manager Betty Pollard, who had sadly passed away.
The former Hawks coach is already looking forward to a reunion of the 1996 premiership team.
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