New changerooms bring Jervois Netball Club into the 21st century
Decades of Bluds’ sweat and tears have ended with the opening of new facilities for the town’s netball and tennis players.
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No more will Jervois’ netballers have to get changed in their cars or behind bushes, or hide from the wind in a dilapidated old shed.
The netball and tennis clubs’ new, $550,000 clubrooms were officially opened by state MP Hilton Gumbys on Sunday, with assistance from netball club president Nicole Cercone and life member Sandy Brion.
The town’s netballers can now get ready for matches together in their own changerooms and showers.
Volunteers have a spacious and modern new canteen to work in, plus bathrooms, a first aid and umpires’ room and a storeroom; while spectators can enjoy much more undercover space for both match days and community functions.
The new facilities were used for the first time on Saturday, for the Bluds’ home match against Mannum.
They must have boosted morale, too – the A grade side had a memorable win against the Roos, their first since before the cancelled 2020 season.
The planning process for the new clubrooms had taken even longer than that, development committee chairperson Michelle Afford said.
At least nine versions of the plans had been prepared before funding finally became available in 2024.
The development received almost $480,000 from the federal government’s Play Our Way program and almost $360,000 from the state government’s Power of Her program, both aimed at increasing female participation in sport.
Any funds not used for the building went into improvements to Jervois’ three netball and tennis courts.
Sandy Brion speaks; showers and toilets adjoin the new netball changeroom; and volunteers work in the new canteen. Photos: Peri Strathearn.
Ms Afford said the Bluds had learned lessons from other River Murray netball clubs and surveyed members and local residents along the way.
She thanked everyone who had helped with the process, including joint project manager Lynton Piggott and advisors Rodney McCulloch, Rob Frazer and Michael Holliday.
Mr Gumbys – representing South Australia’s Recreation, Sport and Racing Minister – congratulated the club on its achievement.
“How important clubs like this are to not only sport in the region, but also as a community hub,” he said.
“Hopefully there’ll be a few accolades and trophies in your trophy cabinet moving forward.”
Murray Bridge Mayor Wayne Thorley also came down the road to offer some praise.
It was hard for rural communities to sustain themselves and retain players when their facilities were tired and worn out, like Jervois’ old shed had been, he said.
“To have great facilities is important,” he said.
“I take my hat off to the club, the organisers, the people who did the work.
“It’s quite an honour to see something fantastic in my own community.”
In a statement, federal Sports Minister Anika Wells said women and girls deserved equitable sporting spaces that made them feel welcome and valued.
“This investment in the Jervois Bluds Netball Club will see more women and girls take to the court with pride and bring spectators in from the cold,” she said.
Senator Marielle Smith expected the works’ impact on the club would be profound.
Ms Brion agreed that Jervois was a club “on the up and up”.
The old netball sheds were demolished the day after the Bluds hosted preliminary finals on September 6 last year.
The tennis club used temporary facilities while construction went on during their summer season.
