What an achievement: Jacinta West (third from left) will make her 450th club appearance this weekend.
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Supplied
For almost 30 years there’s been one constant at Shepparton East’s netball courts.
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The club, nestled in the orchards off the Midland Hwy, has witnessed its fair share of change ― from club colours, to league changes, heck, even the courts themselves are new and improved.
Yet despite all those changes Jacinta West has been there for each step of the journey.
West landed at the Eagles after junior action at Waaia and Congupna and ― after opting to head east in 1994 ― she has called Shepparton East home since.
The Eagles’ C-grade co-coach will take to the court for her 450th club match in this weekend’s Kyabram District League round 14 encounter against Girgarre.
Renowned for her dead-eye shooting skills in the goaling circle, West is grateful to still lace up the runners and wear the GS bib after all these years.
“I don’t know if it does or if it will sink in,” West, 45, said of reaching the major milestone.
“I filled in for C-grade last year and then I got asked ‘could you come and play?’ and I thought, ‘why not?’ Get out there while you can still play.
“I didn’t think I’d be able to get there (450), just with missing a few years with the pandemic. That was a really disappointing time, for everyone really, just disappointing to not be able to be around the girls and your friends and playing.”
And that right there sums up West, not only as a person, but as a teammate too.
Great memories: Jacinta West (back, second from left ) has enjoyed plenty of success at Shepparton East and is pictured here following the 2012 C-grade triumph.
Photo by
Ray Sizer
The talented goal shooter has an impressive list of accolades ― six premierships, a half-dozen club best-and-fairests and two league medals ― yet her fondest memories are the lifelong friends she has met along the journey.
“It’s just a great club to be at really, there’s always good people coming through the doors,” West said.
“You meet some great people, Di (Spencer) is a great example of that, she was one of the first people I met and we’re still close friends to this day.
“I’m coaching with Megan Keady, who I went to school with and we share a close bond. It really is like a big family here. Some of my best memories are of just hanging out with the girls, the netball trips, the pre-season bus trips, just being together.”
West has eyes on another finals series with Shepparton East.
Her C-grade outfit sits fifth on the ladder and needs another win this weekend to solidify its finals spot.
But if it does find itself out of the mix there’s a silver lining that West has adopted.
“We need to stay in the top six, so this game is really important,” she said.
“But if we don’t win then that’s okay, I really just want the girls to be enjoying their netball and having fun.”
West won’t be the only Kyabram District League netballer celebrating a momentous milestone this weekend.
Tallygaroopna A-grade coach Fiona Down will take to the court in game 250 when the Redlegs take on Rushworth.
Down, who led the A-grade outfit to premiership glory last season, has been a mainstay and integral player in the A-grade line-up over the journey.
The club stalwart will join the likes of Kelli Halden (396) and current players Bec Brett (339) and Bree Giles (297) in reaching 250 A-grade games.
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