Written by Amelia Barnes
The 2023 NetSetGO Centre of the Year Award is presented by Woolworths
Following an almost 200% increase in participants, Essendon Netball Club has been awarded Woolworths NetSetGO Centre of the Year in Netball Victoria's 2023 Community Awards.
Essendon Netball Club has a long history of providing beginner netball programs, evolving seamlessly into the Woolworths NetSetGO era.
Jessica Johnston, Essendon Netball Club vice president and NetSetGO Centre coordinator, became personally involved with the NetSetGO program in 2021 when her daughter Ivy began playing.
Johnston officially assumed the NetSetGO Centre coordinator role the following year, working to grow the program from 25 participants in spring 2021 to 74 in spring 2023.
The surge in Woolworths NetSetGO participation at Essendon reflects the success of its strategic growth initiatives including sibling participation, 'bring a friend' nights, social media promotion, and positive word of mouth.
The boost in numbers has allowed the club’s offering to expand. Previously, Net and Set tiers operated for limited periods within the season, but now, with extra courts secured, all three tiers – Net, Set, and GO – run concurrently.
The move ensures consistency to benefit participants, while allowing planning and volunteer management to be streamlined.
"It allows for flexibility for some children who may not fit in the suggested age bracket to participate in the appropriate skill level tier. This allows kids to feel safe and to grow,” said Essendon Netball Club president Glenn Round.
Many children progress between the Net, Set, and GO levels, and the club sees a high conversion rate to traditional Under 11s netball.
Ensuring inclusivity, Essendon Netball Club supports children with additional needs. By maintaining a coach-to-participant ratio of 1:10, the club creates an environment where every child feels catered to and included.
“We never turn a child away if they enquire to join midway through the season. We make necessary accommodations for neurodivergent children and adjust the coach to player ratio if the group has higher needs,” said Round.
Cultural and seasonal activities are often integrated into NetSetGO sessions, and social events are held to foster a fun and vibrant club culture.
“We want our players to have a positive association with netball and to see it as a social activity just as much as a physical activity,” explained Johnston.
“Our players still talk about how fun the winter presentation night disco was, and the parents had such a laugh when playing a game against the kids.
“We want our club to be known for ‘strengthening communities’, and having accessible, free or low-cost events that the whole family can attend means more people are likely to come along, which makes for a great vibe.”
Most significantly, Essendon Netball Club’s NetSetGO participants were lucky enough to be involved in the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) grand final when one of their players was selected as a Woolworths NetSetGO Little Leader.
This opportunity saw Essendon Netball Club’s entire NetSetGO cohort invited to sing the national anthem alongside the players and present medals to the premiership-winning Adelaide Thunderbirds team.
Johnston described the experience as a dream come true for the participants and their families.
“The atmosphere in John Cain Arena with such a close game and two interstate teams was electric,” Johnston said.
“Our lucky participants will be forever grateful for the opportunity and will now always have a soft spot for the Adelaide Thunderbirds – even though most were Vixens supporters!
“For some of our lucky kids it was their first time at an SSN game, let alone a final. It really was a core memory for our players and something they will look back on in years to come and realise what a once in a lifetime experience it was.”
Essendon Netball Club's NetSetGO program is driven by passionate volunteers such Johnston alongside the committee, parent volunteers, Foundation-accredited junior coaches, and the support of Netball Victoria’s Junior Netball Manager Megan Avery.
“We had six of our talented Under 15s players become Foundation coaches this season and they have been such amazing role models to our NetSetGO players,” Johnston said.
“Special mention to the parent volunteers who are NetSetGO coaches, team managers, assist with scoring, bringing oranges, putting up the netball rings, packing up equipment and all the jobs that are required to keep things functioning.
“I’d like to thank Megan from Netball Victoria for being an incredible support throughout the year… As a volunteer, knowing that we have support from Netball Victoria makes us feel much more comfortable to take on new challenges!”
Looking ahead, Essendon has been actively advocating for a dedicated Set competition at their local association in addition to the GO competition that runs on Saturdays at Riverside Sports and Recreation Precinct from March to August and September to December.
Winning the Woolworths NetSetGO Centre of the Year award signifies Essendon Netball Club's impactful contributions to the netball community to date.
“It’s been the most rewarding part of my adult working life,” said Johnston of her involvement in NetSetGO at Essendon Netball Club.
“Winning this award has made our club feel that we are making a difference in the netball community. It’s really pleasing to see our devotion to NetSetGO be recognised.
“We hope that by sharing some of our ideas and our passion, more clubs will dedicate time to the NetSetGO pathway.”
Interested in starting or joining a Woolworths NetSetGO Centre? Find out more
