South Warrnambool named Victoria’s best country football netball club with seven flags
With plenty of premierships on the line across country football and netball last year, what club had the most success?
South Warrnambool has been crowned the best country football-netball club of 2023 following an analysis of results from all leagues in Victoria and southern NSW.
The Weekly Times has crunched the numbers on premierships won by clubs at every level with South Warrnambool being a standout in not just the Hampden league, but the entire state.
The Roosters won senior football and A grade netball premierships as did the two clubs that finished joint runner-up, Echuca and Osborne.
But the southwest club’s depth of talent shone on the netball court with four flags in junior grades sending it to the top of the pile.
South Warrnambool ended a freakish run of flags from Koroit by beating North Warrnambool in the grand final by 35 points with a dominant first quarter display.
Senior coach Matthew Battistello, who has been at the helm since 2019, said the disappointment of missing the grand final last season had been a major motivating force for the team.
But, on reflection, the creation of a “one-club culture” focusing on football and netball had been equally rewarding for him.
“(Grand finals) are hard to win and we probably fell short due to some injuries the previous year,” he said.
“When you have the added disappointment of 12 months ago and then have every football grade in grand finals, with our under-18s losing by less than a kick, my overall reflection is one of reward for hard work.
“We try to make it a one-club culture and we’re starting to see the rewards of that now.”
Dan Nicholson, who had been part of a losing grand final team with rival club Port Fairy, and the return of Jeremy Mugavin from Uni Blues, were the major additions to the team in 2022.
Will Jamison has coached South Warrnambool to back-to-back open netball premierships with last year’s win its first in 32 years.
Centre Ally O’Connor and goal attack Annie Blackburn capped off an unforgettable season by filling the first two placings in the open grade league best and fairest.
The star duo were also among six South Warrnambool players picked in the 10-member Hampden league team-of-the-year with Jamison named coach.
“South had always been OK in juniors, but had been in the wilderness for a while in seniors,” he said.
“Some of those really good juniors have aged up into the seniors, but I think where we’ve seen success is just player accountability.
“They’ve really stepped up in their approach and preparation.
“We’re also still a young team.”
Club president John Ross said South’s standout season had “been six years in the making”.
“Obviously Covid got in the way like it did with most clubs,” he said.
“But it’s all come together and we’ve been able to celebrate football and netball wins.
“Six years ago we got in Michael Taylor, a consultant from Ballarat, and just built some new policies and focus.
“It just mapped out how we run the club and the culture of the club and things have just been building and building.
“We put a lot of focus on volunteers and don’t burn anyone out.
“Everyone only has a couple of jobs to do.”
If two football and four netball flags weren’t enough, South Warrnambool produced two players who were taken in this year’s AFL draft.
George Stevens, who played in the senior grand final win, was drafted by Geelong and Luamon Lual was picked up by Essendon after being South’s best player in the narrow loss to Warrnambool in the under-18.5 grand final.
Brisbane rising star Hugh McCluggage’s brother Myles was the only South player to play in every match this season including the premiership.
EXPLAINER
The Weekly Times has determined the best country football-netball club in Victoria and southern NSW on success across all grades of football and netball in the 2023 season.
Five points were awarded for senior football and A grade netball premierships, three points for senior football and A grade netball runners-up and one point for every minor grade football and netball premiership won.
THE FINAL STANDINGS
SOUTH WARRNAMBOOL, Hampden, 15 points
Following a dominant run from Koroit of seven flags from 2014 to 2022, South Warrnambool comfortably beat North Warrnambool in the senior football grand final to end a 12-year premiership drought and losing only two matches for the year.
South went back-to-back in the open netball division in a season and also won the 17 and under reserves, 15 and under, 15 and under reserves and 13 and under reserves flags.
ECHUCA, Goulburn Valley, 13
The GV’s modern day powerhouse club with only one loss this season after a similarly dominant 2022.
Echuca went back-to-back in senior footy with star players including co-coaches Andrew Walker and Sam Reid after a clean sweep of all football grades the previous year.
The Murray Bombers netballers also claimed the A grade and two other netball triumphs this season.
OSBORNE, Hume, 13
The club with no town claimed the senior football premiership after being mowed down in the last quarter by Holbrook in the grand final 12 months earlier.
Osborne’s A grade netballers went back-to-back under coach Sally Hunter, with two other flags in C reserve and under-11s with two other runner-up finishes in netball.
CUDGEWA, Upper Murray, 12
It was a dominant season for the dominant club in the smallest league in the state with only four teams.
Cudgewa cruised to the senior flag after finishing runner-up 12 months earlier and its A grade netballers were also successful with a win over pre-match favourites Tumbarumba.
INVERLOCH-KONGWAK, West Gippsland, 12
Inverloch-Kongwak also completed the senior football-A grade netball double, plus plenty more, in 2023.
Tom Hams coached the club to the senior football flag in his first season and there were also reserves and under-18s football success and a C grade netball premiership to celebrate.
NIRRANDA, Warrnambool District, 11
Another club to complete the senior football-A grade netball flag double was Nirranda, taking it to another level by going back-to-back in both competitions on a wintry grand final day in the southwest.
John Paulin and Jo Couch also were crowned senior football and A grade netball best and fairest winners.
NULLAWIL, North Central, 11
This was a massive debut season for the former Golden Rivers league club in the stronger North Central league.
Nullawil lost the senior football grand final narrowly to hot favourites Sea Lake-Nandaly, but won the A grade netball premiership and three other flags
WY YUNG, East Gippsland, 11
It was the first senior football flag since 2015 when the Tigers won a low-scoring grand final against Boisdale-Briagolong by eight points after also winning the reserves.
The A grade netballers lost to Stratford in the A grade netball grand final, but more silverware came in two other grades.
DARLEY, Ballarat, 10
The senior football team captured one of the most thrilling flags of 2023 with Billy Myers kicking a late goal to seal a one-point win to cap off a season when star player Brett Bewley captured a second Henderson Medal.
The A grade netballers lost to North Ballarat in the grand final, but there was premiership success in two other grades.
IRREWARRA-BEAAC, Colac District, 10
The netballers provided the bulk of the club’s silverware in 2023 with an A grade and three junior level flags.
The footballers won the under-18s and under-14.5 flags.
KIEWA-SANDY CREEK, Tallangatta District, 10
Kiewa-Sandy Creek lost a three-point thriller to Chiltern in the senior football grand final, but there was still plenty to celebrate with an under-17s football flag and A and C grade netball premierships.
Alissa Donaldson was also the league’s A grade netball best and fairest.
TATYOON, Mininera District, 10
Another club to complete the senior football and A grade premiership double, Tatyoon’s senior football team won its first flag since 2016 after being blown away by Ararat Eagles in last year’s grand final and the netballers completing back-to-back wins.
WOODSIDE, North Gippsland, 10
Beaten by Traralgon Tyers United in the senior football grand final, Woodside had a day out in netball, winning A grade for the second year in a row and also taking out the B and C premiership and losing by one goal in D grade.
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