By Oliver Lees
Meg Grbac has become the first Woodend player to claim the RDFNL’s highest netball honour, the Ryan Medal.
Grbac tallied 16 votes at the virtual awards night held on Friday, finishing three points clear of Hawks teammate Hayley Rogers.
It was her first year at the club after leaving Seymour.
The defender said the win came as a shock.
“I almost wasn’t going to play at all this year, but it got close to the season and I had a friend at Woodend so I though I would give ti another go,” she said.
“It was a really great year. not only for A-grade, but for the whole club.”
Grbac was selected as the goal keeper in the league’s team of the year alongside her coach Carly Arkinstall.
It capped off a strong season from Woodend, who managed to find improvement despite lockdown restrictions interrupting play.
The Hawks tallied six wins, three losses and a draw to sit in fifth place as the season wrapped up after 10 games.
Woodend netball operations manager Kellie Duff described 2021 as “the best season we’d ever had as a club”.
“It was a history-making night for our club, with our first ever Ryan Medallist, runners-up, first ever coach of the year and player in the team of the year,” Duff said.
“We’ve been building for the last six years. We’ve got a really good strong junior program, and great local talent coming up through the grades.
“Our 19’s team this year is the strongest we’ve ever had, and I have no doubt they would have been strong contenders for the premiership. The improvements we’ve made on court have been nothing short of amazing. I think we could have really pushed well into finals.”
The fifth place finish is a strong turnaround from the Hawk’s 2019 season, where the A-grade team mustered just four wins from 16 matches and conceded the second most goals of any team in the league.
Duff credited Arkinstall’s arrival at the beginning of 2020 as crucial to helping the team stand up against the best teams in the league.
The Hawks were able to overcome both Wallan and Macedon who finished in third and fourth place respectively.
Coach Arkinstall said she was delighted with the team’s progress.
“I am so thrilled for Meg in receiving the Ryan Medal,” Arkinstall said.
“Meg was a standout in defence, with her athletic ability and physical pressure, she would shut down her opponents and take clean intercepts that were inspiring to watch.
“We also have a strong pipeline of young talented players coming through, and I have no doubt we’ll see them make a mark in our senior teams in years to come.
“It really was an honour and totally unexpected to receive the Coach of the Year award. For me, this award represents the continued investment and support in netball by our football club and our netball support team.
“At Woodend-Hesket we pride ourselves on having a great club culture where players can have fun, develop and be competitive. This was a particular focus for me in my coaching approach. For players to be at their best they need to feel valued and listened to.”
