What a great weekend of netball we all had at the 2017 Sumsung Cup held at Maroochydore. Our two GCC netball teams joined 128 other teams from all over Queensland for a huge weekend of netball. More than 1200 games were played with each team playing about ten games over the two days. The Eagles won six of their nine games which was one of the best performances ever by a GCC team at this competition.

Our A team, named the Eagles, finished third in their day one pool after winning three games of their five and moved into division three for day two of the competition. The B team, the Hawks, came up against some tall and talented opposition but won one game and moved into division six for day two.

The Eagles combined well as a team and won three out of their four games to win their division three pool. This was a fantastic result and one of the best for a GCC team at this competition. This result meant they placed about 40th from the 128 teams which was a fantastic result. Many teams in the competition play together every week in their local competitions so our teams did well as some of the players do not even play netball for a club.

The Hawks games were all very close on day two with them getting one win from the four games. Every player gave 100% in every game and each one was willing to play in every position asked of them. Some found their favourite positions where they excelled and were a great asset to the team. Others could play in several positions and some great combinations were formed between players.

It was fantastic to have five boys playing in these teams and they added strength and agility to each team. The boys enjoyed the experience and look forward to more opportunities to play this fast paced game. Experienced club players shared their knowledge of the game and showed their skills especially in shooting and positioning and movement on the court.

The weekend was really enjoyed by everyone and the teams were very grateful to their parents who spent the weekend cheering the teams on. They also provided constant snacks and drinks between games, helped entertain players during breaks and enthusiastically supported both teams.

We look forward to competing in this competition again next year with those students who are in Year 5 or younger being eligible to play again next year.

Wendy Stott