By David Nagel
While most of the focus has been on the Seagulls from Tooradin this year – there are a flock of Magpies from Dalyston that are soaring higher than the rest of the competition in 2021.
It should be no surprise to anyone that the Dalyston Netball Club is undefeated and on top of the ladder after seven rounds, with the Magpies having an extraordinary run of success over the last decade.
This is a team that plays finals for fun, as head-coach Jarney Thomas explained.
Thomas started her netball in the Magpies under-13s and has been playing A-grade for the club since the age of 16. The interleague rep and former Gippsland Storm star said it’s a privilege to be part of the club.
“I’ve grown up playing alongside some really great players, winning five premierships and losing four over the past 10 years, so it’s a great club to be a part of,” Thomas said.
“I think we’ve been so successful in recent years because we are really great friends, on and off the court, and I think when you’re having fun that’s when you play your best netball.
“And we have always been really competitive and thrive on a challenge.”
For many years – in the Alberton league – the biggest challenge came in the form of Korumburra-Bena, with the Magpies and Giants making grand final day their own, with mixed results.
The Giants won premierships over the Magpies in 2014 and ’15, with the Magpies bouncing back with a 2016 triumph over the Giants – before the two teams switched to the West Gippsland league in 2017.
Dalyston would defeat the Giants again, 34-26, before defeating Philip Island in a heart-stopper, 27-26, in 2018 to make it three premierships on the trot.
Then a new threat appeared, with Tooradin-Dalmore bursting on to the scene in its first season in West Gippsland and handing the Magpies a 47-37 defeat in the 2019 decider.
The Magpies star goaler said the loss to the Seagulls, along with a year off for Covid, had made her and her team more focussed than ever to enjoy their netball and attempt to regain their crown.
“I think the grand final loss in 2019 has definitely made us more determined, and after having a year off I think we are all just enjoying being back out there and playing good competitive netball,” Thomas said.
“There are a lot of strong teams this year which is great for the competition.”
Thomas said she can’t complain with a perfect start to the season.
“I’m really happy with how the girls are coming along this season,” she said.
“We haven’t been able to have a full side in a lot of the weeks, due to Uni placements and VNL and VFLW clashing, but we have done really well to adapt.
“It is only early days and we never get ahead of ourselves so we will keep doing the work and having fun and hopefully have some success.”
The Magpies are a close-knit team, with Jarney and her sister Britt first cousins with the McRae sisters, Alana, Grace and Hannah.
“We have grown up playing together with our cousins and have always had mum (Carolyn Thomas) and Jenny (the McRae girls mum) on the sidelines coaching or as president, which I think is where we all got our drive and competitiveness from at such a young age,” Thomas said.
“And we have always had a great relationship with the footballers too, we are very connected as one which I think is why we are so close and have a lot of fun socially.”
