Victoria is home to hundreds of local netball clubs steeped in decades of history. These clubs usually have strong ties to their community, and more often than not, boast a healthy rivalry with their closely located opposition.
For the Swifts Creek Football Netball Club, this rivalry is with fellow Omeo District club: the Omeo Benambra Football Netball Club. Both East Gippsland-based clubs were founded in the 1890s and are located about 30 kilometres apart via the Great Alpine Road in the predominantly timber and farming district.
“There is a bit of a cultural divide — we call it ‘the gap’. It’s a historical community rivalry,” said Lou-anne Mooney, netball coordinator at the Swifts Creek Football Netball Club and netball development coordinator for the Omeo District Football Netball League.
“‘The gap’ as we call it is literally the rise in elevation between the two towns. You’ve got Omeo that is located above the gap, and Swifts Creek is below the gap. There’s always been a bit of a rivalry between the two towns, and it’s not just in sport!”
While for the most part this rivalry only rears its head on game day, Mooney said the relationship does underpin the wider culture of the area, especially among older generations. “It’s something you have to take into consideration…It’s definitely a factor in decisions where people decide to play.”
This distance between clubs was especially felt during the peak of COVID-19 restrictions over 2020 and 2021. Travel between the towns was strictly limited, community sport and social club events were cancelled, and teenagers who normally attend the same high school were taught remotely.
“The high school is in Swifts Creek, so they all know each other off the court and hang out with each other, but when it comes to game day, there’s always a tension to beat Omeo, and vice versa I’d say,” Mooney said.
Following many weeks of separation, Swifts Creek saw an opportunity to bring both clubs together by co-hosting a mixed social netball competition over four weeks in summer 2022. Players from both Omeo and Swifts Creek were invited, with the venue alternating between the two clubs’ home grounds: Omeo Recreation Reserve and Swifts Creek Recreation Reserve.
“It was trying to break down the cultural divide in a fun social way that engages everybody. It’s not a competition about us versus them — we’re just here to have a run around, not on anyone’s particular team,” Mooney said.
Between 15 to 25 players attended each week, sometimes requiring a round robin competition to ensure everyone received game time.
“It was great to see people reconnect post lockdowns and have a bit of a social outlet that’s really just a bit of a laugh — and it doesn’t matter whether you’re skilled or not at netball — it’s just about having a go. I think it’s been really positive for the community,” Mooney said.
“The feedback is that they want to see that continue, so we’ll try to do it next summer and hopefully for a bit longer.”
The summer mixed competition is among many initiatives Swifts Creek, as a WorkSafe Country Netball League club, have introduced following the impacts of COVID-19 and devastating bushfires just prior.
Swifts Creek Football Netball Club is affiliated with WorkSafe Country Netball League (WCNL). WorkSafe strives to prevent workplace injuries, illness and fatalities and for more than 35 years has raised the standard of health and safety in Victorian workplaces.
