By Amelia Barnes
Slater Reserve Netball Association began in 1964 as the first organised daytime competition in Victoria, and it’s still running 60 years later.
Jan Cross has been involved with the association based in Melbourne’s east since the beginning. Initially a player, she joined the committee 40 years ago as the umpire convenor, which kick-started her decorated international career in umpiring.
Slater Reserve Netball Association (SRNA) was previously known as Nunawading Married Women’s Netball Association. It's a title that sounds antiquated in 2024, but the association was named deliberately to encourage women to remain in the sport after getting married.
Cross explained, “Once you were married, you didn't play… So that's why we named it Married Women, so that anyone who was married and didn't play could come and join us.”
At the time, the median age of first marriages for women in Australia was just over 21 – an age where even now women are far more likely to drop out of team sport compared to men.
SRNA has offered free child minding for players since its inception, and games have always been held in the daytime and midweek to attract as many women as possible.
“We got a lot of players that way from mother’s clubs and local schools. Mothers who had children going to kinder would drop their children off and then come and play netball,” Cross said.
Despite what their former name may suggest, Cross said women from all walks of life have always been welcome at the association.
“We had a couple of nuns who played, and we had unmarried mothers who played. We had young girls who were having problems and not going to school who played, so we just named it Married Women to let everyone know whether you are married or not, you could play,” Cross said.
Several distinguished players have graced SRNA over the years. The most notable was Dorothy Close, who became Australian Diamond #28 when she debuted in 1960.
There was limited media coverage of netball at the time, so even if the players didn’t know the ex-Diamonds by face or name, Cross says they soon figured it out on court.
“When you saw them play, you knew they had played for Australia!”
SRNA became a successful breeding crowd for accomplished umpires, including Cross.
She initially took up umpiring at the association as a cheeky way to avoid daycare duties (“I didn't want to babysit. I had three kids of my own at that stage!”) but she soon developed a genuine love of officiating.
Cross learned from some of the sport’s greats who mentored or umpired at the association, including Valerie Morrison (Netball Victoria Life Member inducted in 1975); Dorothy Elmer (Netball Victoria Life Member inducted in 1985); Pat Canavan (Netball Victoria Life Member inducted in 1993); June Moore (Netball Victoria Life Member inducted in 1993); and Barbara Ritchie (Netball Victoria Life Member Inducted in 1999).
“We moved on into the State Netball Centre and went on with our umpiring from there with lots of different coaches, mainly Val and Dorothy… There was also Lorna McConchie (former Diamonds player, Netball Victoria Life Member inducted in 1951, and Netball Australia Hall of Fame member) who coached me at different times, and Eunice Gill (former Diamonds player and coach, Netball Victoria Life Member inducted in 1959, Netball Australia Hall of Fame member, and Sport Australia Hall of Fame member),” Cross said.
“We were the first and probably even now, the only association, other than Royal Park, that had four AA (All Australia) umpires.”
Umpiring was a volunteer role throughout Cross’ career, but it took her overseas on numerous occasions to Canada, Fiji, New Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago, England, and to the 1999 Netball World Cup in New Zealand.
“You just did it for the love of the sport. Netball just hooked us all,” she said.
Cross’ umpiring achievements were recognised by Netball Victoria in their ‘Team of the Century’ in the year 2000. She was also made a Life Member of Netball Victoria in 1996.
Cross remains the umpire convenor at SRNA to this day, organising officials for their social competitions on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
The association’s facilities have improved over time, and the competition now operates from an indoor court at Slater Reserve Stadium in Blackburn North.
There’s also still free child minding on site, ensuring netball is accessible to parents.
“There was a player that spoke to me just a few weeks ago that said if the creche wasn't free, she wouldn't be able to afford to play… It’s great they can have two or three kids in the creche and we just cover the cost.”
Cross credits the competition's long-term success to its many exceptional past and present players, child minders, administrators, umpires, and committee members.
She encourages women of all abilities to give netball at Slater a go as a way of staying active and meeting new people
“We're very friendly. A lot of us go out for lunch after the games… We've got lovely parks here, and we bring the kids out from the creche, and we all sit out in the sun and under trees,” Cross said.
“It's a really social sport here and we just want everyone to enjoy it.”
Cross will remain at the association for life, giving local players access to a welcoming and fun daytime netball competition.
“I've loved it. I’ve never ever had any intentions of ever walking away. I’ll stay with the association until they fold.”
Slater Reserve Netball Association runs indoor women’s competitions on Wednesday and Friday mornings during school terms, with free child minding available on site. For more information, visit facebook.com/Slater.Reserve.NA/
