This year, 26 district sporting legends are being inducted to the hall of fame, honour roll and junior honour roll categories in the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame. The News is featuring stories on each of the inductees in the lead-up to the induction ceremony on August 6. Today News reporter Aydin Payne speaks to Val Sutherland, who is being inducted to the honour roll.
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In 1951, Robert Menzies was Prime Minister of Australia, King George VI was still the head of state, the Melbourne Olympics were yet to be held and a shy teenager fell head over heels for netball.
A lot has changed in those seven decades.
And, while netball may look different now in 2021, that teenager, Val Sutherland, is yet to lose her love for the game.
During that time, she has filled every role under the sun at Shepparton Netball Association (SNA), coached country week winning teams, been a rebellious rule breaker and nurtured some of the sport's biggest names.
Sutherland has umpired enough games that would make a calculator malfunction, was awarded the Australian Sports Medal and even risked financial ruin for the SNA.
“I really enjoy it and that's why I'm still there, because I just enjoy the game and the friendships, because what better way can you make friends than sport is what I often say,” Sutherland, 83, said.
“I've been going to retire for the past 10 years, but I keep going there because I enjoy it and you have lots of friends there.
“It's getting more and more difficult these days to find volunteers.
“Everybody used to just love being involved, but nobody has the time anymore.”
The dedicated volunteer's ties to the fast-paced and skillful game stretch an extraordinary lifetime.
And it all began in a rather peculiar and memorable fashion.
“My first game of netball came when it was still called basketball and I was 13. I played in my sister's team which was Ardmona,” Sutherland said.
“But you weren't allowed to play until you were 14, so I actually played my first game of netball illegally.
“And I've been involved ever since.”
Amazingly, her journey in the netball scene continues to this day.
When you take one glance at Sutherland's long list of credentials, it's easy to understand why her name is synonymous with the association.
The grandmother has been a player, coach, umpire, administrator, president, vice-president, treasurer and selector of country week and Country Victorian teams.
“I think I've held every role except secretary,” Sutherland said.
It is a true lifetime of devotion.
No wonder Sutherland holds a life membership with the association.
One story that perfectly sums up Sutherland's unwavering support for the grassroots competition is when the association moved its court base to McEwen Reserve.
Sutherland and a band of fellow volunteers put their hard earned on the line to help out.
“The SNA had to pay dollar for dollar before it became an incorporate body,” Sutherland said.
“When we moved to the new courts, several of us, I think about five in total, were asked to be guarantors.
“We thought after ‘how brave were we’ if it all went defunct and we were going to have to pay for all of that money.”
The association, which has a history spanning back to 1934 and was once named the Shepparton Women's Basketball Association, has been the birthing ground for many elite players and officials.
Before football and netball leagues reigned supreme, the SNA was "quite a strong competition" and the place for youngsters to get their first taste of court time — just like Sutherland did.
And chances are, Sutherland was there to help show them the ropes.
“To see some of the players you coached in the past go on and do great things is a highlight,” she said.
“I coached Kate (Palmer) who went on to be CEO of Netball Australia and Australian Sports Commission.
“Wendy (Baxter) and Kate both went on to represent the Northern Territory as well.
“Julie Richardson is now a team manager for the Diamonds and Rachael Piastri and Lyn Campbell were both talented players.
“I try to keep in contact with them all and I'm still very interested to see where they end up and what they are doing.”
Her coaching days consisted of stints with Shepparton High, Dans, Supremes, Ardmona, Mooroopna, Shepparton North and Gowrie St.
Three A-grade premierships came during her time as a mentor, while Sutherland was the mastermind behind Shepparton's first senior country week premiership in 1972.
In 1987, Sutherland was appointed a level one coach by the All Australia Netball Association.
But her work with whistle in hand as an umpire is what stands out most for Sutherland.
After following one of her sisters into the umpiring gig, Sutherland rose through the umpiring grades with distinction.
Sutherland gained her C and B grade umpire badges while still intercepting and passing the ball as a player.
She then earned a state A grade badge in 1965, becoming only the second local umpire at the time to do so.
The ability to grade and test umpires came next and Sutherland was soon ticking off the grading checklist.
Even now, the umpiring extraordinaire still helps out with mentoring the next crop of umpires.
“One of my sisters became an umpire, so I watched her and then I thought ‘Gee, I can umpire better than her’," Sutherland said with a laugh.
“I was only an average player and so I went down to Melbourne with her to get an umpiring badge and that's when I thought ‘yes I could do this'.
“I just took it on from there. I enjoyed umpiring with other people and I umpired for nothing, if I had of got paid back in those days I reckon I would be a multi-millionaire by now.
“Now I've sort of semi-retired and I mentor young umpires.
“I still enjoy it. You just get a lot of pleasure out of seeing them improve.”
Sutherland's outstanding service to netball in the Goulburn Valley was recognised in 2000.
She was one of a few to be awarded the prestigious Australian Sports Medal, for her commitment and contribution to bettering netball in the region.
Although it came as a shock, Sutherland still cherishes the certificate, medal and letter signed by then Prime Minister John Howard.
To this day she is still unsure of who nominated her for the medal.
And now, her remarkable contribution to the sport has reached another stellar highlight.
Sutherland will be inducted to the Greater Shepparton honour roll next month for her incredible career.
“I can't believe it, but as I said, I'm not really into these individual honours because you do things as a group,” she said.
“These types of awards I think, should be for a group of people not an individual.
“But it is very exciting, I'm very proud and honoured.”
Sports Editor