By Tara Murray
Rupertswood’s under-19 netball team continues to make history, notching up its 100th straight win in the Riddell District Netball League.
Since the introduction of the under-19 competition, the Sharks have won every match they’ve played, including five premierships.
On Saturday, the Sharks defeated Romsey 46-15 to make it win 100.
Rupertswood coach Di McCormack, who has been the head coach of the netball program since the start, said she could have never have imagined the success the side would have.
“It’s the monkey off the back now,” she said of win 100. “It’s been haunting us all year.
“They were all pretty excited and they’ve all been waiting for it.”
McCormack said the pleasing thing about the under-19 side, was the number of players that had stepped up into their other grades.
Across the six years, 51 individual players have played in the under-19 team, with basically a brand new team each year.
McCormack said they try and teach the same things throughout all the grades.
On Saturday, four of the A-grade team, Georgia Hellyer, Hannah Keane, Niamh Vahland and Holly Keating, had all started in the under-19 side.
“Georgia Hellyer played 67 of those [100] games and she’s gone from being in under-19s and working her way up,” McCormack said.
“Niamh Vahland captained the [under-19]team for two years, as well as playing 50 games.
“In every grade we’ve got girls who started in our 19s. If we took them out of our sides, we wouldn’t have much left on.
“The reason we’ve been so dominant, is we’ve got girls who have good basic skills, they understand structures and they play for each other.”
As well as the premierships, some of the players have been recognised personally.
Rebecca Purcell-Mailarta won last year’s RDNL under-19 best and fairest, while Georgia Hellyer, Chloe Coffin and Emily Ktona have had top three finishes in the award.
Thirteen players have also gone on to play in the Victorian Netball League.
McCormack said the challengers would continue to come at them, with Woodend-Hesket and Macedon, the biggest ones.
She said the group wanted to keep the winning streak going.
“We’ve got some players who are 14 and they’re holding their own.
“I would say the oldest would be 17, if we’re lucky.
“For those girls like Reese Sutton, Holly Barrett and Abbey Lambert to come up through under-17s, where they are still playing, to get on and play in the under-19s is great.
“As a club we are very proud of all of their achievements and wait for the next milestone they can achieve, which hopefully will be to win the 2019 grand final which will make it six in row.”
Meanwhile, Rupertswood defeated Romsey, 53-36, in the A-grade to remain undefeated.
MORE RDNL NEWS
www.starweekly.com.au/sports/rupertswood-continues-on/
