More courts needed at club

By Kelly Yates
NETBALLERS are forced to warm up in the car park and cram onto one court on game days at Kalora Park in Narre Warren North due to what they say is a “lack of facilities.”
Narre Warren Football Netball Club is in desperate need for another court at the Fox Road complex to cater for its seven netball teams.
Netball co-ordinator Janette McGill said at last week’s game against Berwick, some of the under 13s netball players from the club had to warm up on a side street. “There are not enough courts. The facilities we have are totally inadequate,” she said.
“This is proving to be a safety issue for the players because the girls are training in a car park and warming up down side streets. It’s dangerous.”
Ms McGill said as a club, the netballers trained twice a week with up to 30 adult players having to train on one court.
She said it was frustrating that the club also had to turn away players. “We can’t field any more because we just don’t have the facilities to accommodate them,” she said.
Ms McGill, who lives in Narre Warren North, said the lack of facilities had been a problem since the club started in 2004.
“We are grateful to the City of Casey for improving our facilities by giving us change rooms, toilets and showers, and somewhere to call home,” she said. “But that was about two years ago.”
Netball is the highest participation sport for females in Australia, says Ms McGill. “We have netballers ranging from 10 years to adults. And they take their sport very seriously,” she said.
Casey councillor Shar Balmes raised the issue during a recent council meeting, saying she had been looking into the situation at Kalora Park since starting on council.
Cr Balmes has asked the council officers to investigate whether there was a need for an extra court at the complex and the logistics of where it could be placed.
“I’ve spent some time down there with council officers and representatives from the club and we’ve looked at possible positions where the court could go,” she said.
“I’m fairly confident this will happen. It will be a win win for everyone.”
The report will be presented to the council in September.