Leprechauns Netball Club and the Cairns Netball community mourn the sad passing of Jill Fowler

Cairns Netball and the Fowler family remember former Leprechauns Netball Club president Jill Fowler as someone who ‘loved how sport brought people together.’

Cairns Netball and the Fowler family remember former Leprechauns Netball Club president Jill Fowler as someone who ‘loved how sport brought people together.’

Arguably the biggest name in Cairns Netball, Fowler – the founder of the Leprechauns Netball Club – died this week. aged 75.

With more than 50 years under her belt in major positions across the competition and the Leprechauns, Fowler will be remembered for her amazing support of the game.

Former Leprechauns president Jill Fowler with her five granddaughters. Abby, Jessica, Courtney, Amy and Elyssa at Cairns Netball. Picture: Supplied

Cairns Netball and the Fowler family remember former Leprechauns Netball Club president Jill Fowler as someone who ‘loved how sport brought people together.’

The Fowler family often made the joke their beloved mother, Jill Fowler had two families, her family and the netball family.

Arguably the biggest name in Cairns Netball, Fowler – the founder of the Leprechauns Netball Club – died this week. aged 75.

With more than 50 years under her belt in major positions across the competition and the Leprechauns, Fowler will be remembered for her amazing support of the game.

Jill’s husband, Bob Fowler shared a message to his family on Thursday morning explaining the type of person his wife was.

Their son, Jason, said Jill just loved how sport brought people together.

“To mum, everyone was part of the family, sure Leprechauns were biggest passion but she just loved kids, netball and enjoying sport,” Jason Fowler said.

“We are all sporty because he (Bob) and mum just encouraged us to get out and be part of stuff.

“The biggest thing about mum was that she thought about someone else, long before she thought about herself and she never wanted anything in return, she just gave everything unselfishly.

“Everything that has a Fowler’s name on it, is because mum wanted us to help out.

“Dad will say that sometimes he gets the credit but it was mum who was the one who was telling us what to do.”

Jason said his mum was an incredible lady who just knew everyone and everyone knew her.

“We often joked as a family that she had two families, one was us and the other was her netball family but to her everyone was family,” Jason said.

Cairns netball life members and founding members of cairns netball came together to have a lunch and see their courts. Heather McLaren, Jill Fowler, Fran Kilfoy, Esme Pitt, Carol Duncan,Kym Mcphee-Smith and Drina Keller. PICTURE: JUSTIN BRIERTY

“The other thing I will say about mum and it wasn’t just her but the committee of the Leprechauns, they would say she was the absolute driver of.

“The best decision they ever made, they weren’t originally but she turned them pink.

“Looking back, because pink wasn’t the greatest marketing colour back then, it has got to be the greatest thing she ever did.

“Because every little kid, every little girl wants to play for the pink team.

“Mum would never turn anyone away but she was very conscious that Leprechauns wasn’t Cairns Netball and she had to encourage players to other clubs because otherwise their wouldn’t be a competition if everyone just wanted to play for Leps.

“She didn’t offended anyone, to her, every kid deserved to have an opportunity, kids needed to be coached and so she coached coaches and spend time teaching other people.”

Leprechauns president Kym McPhee-Smith said she would be missed.

“She always had a smile on her face, she was always helping out, she was an incredible lady,” McPhee-Smith said.

“She was a coach, she has been on the Cairns Netball executive committee for decades. She was the Leprechauns club president for over 30 years.

“In her later stages I got to see her play but as a coach she was fantastic. She was a friend to so many, a mentor to so many, she was really calm and (had a) really great form of communication and her delivery was very gentle.

“She was able to get the best out of players when she coached them, also was able to inspire and motivate people around her so they could be the best version of themselves.

“She was a driving force of Leprechauns and Cairns Netball.”

But for McPhee-Smith, Fowler was more than just Cairns Netball.

“For me, I had the privilege of being coached by Jill for nearly 20 years,” she said. “And then mentored by her and taking over from her as club president nine years ago.

“She is just a friend to anybody, anyone who met her.

“There would not be one person who could ever say that their relationship or experience with Jill, wasn’t positive.

“She was just remarkable.”

Fowler founded the Leprechauns in 1979 and in 1980 the Leps joined the newly formed Cairns Netball Association which Fowler had co-founded.

The Leprechauns are only one of the two remaining foundation clubs.

Across her years of dedication, Fowler coached the Leprechauns as well as being a rep coach.

After dedicating most of her life to the game, Cairns Netball named court 8 “Jill Fowler Court” and the Leprechauns named the Junior Club Person award after her.

“She was my coach, mentor, club person, friend and honestly she was just someone who would always help you out,” McPhee-Smith said.

“There would not be a person in the region that Jill wouldn’t know.

“And all round the best … volunteer you would ever meet – she was Cairns Netball.”

One of Fowler’s biggest passions was developing the juniors coming through, not just for the Leprechauns but throughout Cairns.

“Junior development is the legacy she will leave for Leps Netball,” McPhee-Smith.

“Every game she was there, she was a mentor for me when I started coaching from 2005 till now.

“She has been a mentor to so many coaches at the Leprechauns Netball Club.

“She would be there on a Monday, a Tuesday, a Wednesday night.

“She was on the Cairns Netball grading and fixtures committee, still to this year.”

Despite stepping down as Leprechauns president nine years ago, Fowler remained on the committee, volunteering in different areas across the board.

She died peacefully earlier this week, surrounded by her loving family.

Originally published as Leprechauns Netball Club and the Cairns Netball community mourn the sad passing of Jill Fowler