After over 30 years of dedication, Terry Derham is stepping down from his volunteer roles at St Mary’s.
From his first days as a team manager back in 1991 to coaching, being awarded Life Membership, leading the senior club as the first secretary, and being Team Manager up until now, Terry’s work has shaped the heart of our community.
Terry’s passion for the club run deeps, and he has created lifelong friendships and always brought smiles to our faces.
His commitment is a reminder of the vital role that volunteers play in community clubs and we hope others continue to follow in his footsteps.
Today marked an exciting start to the season, with a fantastic turnout from our community.
We welcomed new players to both netball and football and introduced our leaders for 2025. A big thank you to our major sponsors, Luke Pearson from Cold Concepts and Aleks Todarov from AES, for presenting the jumpers.
Our footy coaches shared their insights, and there was a netball update to keep everyone in the loop.
We can’t wait to see what the season holds! Take a look at the photo gallery below.
Reserves Coach – Matthew CentofantiSenior Men’s Coach – Jack BianchinWes Mills received his senior jumperSenior Women’s Leadership TeamSenior Women’s Coach – Troy BickertonNew Under 19.5 playersLuke Pearson from Cold Concepts presents jumperClub President – Mark StanleyUnder 19.5 Coach -Trevor LittleNetball playersNew women’s football playersTommy helps Luke Pearson present a jumper
A huge congratulations to Lilyana Condon and Jo Denton, who have both been selected for the NFNL Reserves Representative 15&U Netball team!
After impressing at trials late last year and dedicating themselves to intense training, their hard work has paid off. They will proudly represent the NFNL at the Netball Victoria Association Championships later this year.
On the football side, a special congratulations goes to the 12 St Mary’s boys who have been named in the U18 Northern Knights squad for 2025! A big shout-out to Harry Van Hattum, Matt Kayrooz, Tom Eames, Kai Parker, Max Downes, and Tyler Hamilton who will be joining our Under19.5 team this year.
We are incredibly proud of all our players for their achievements and can’t wait to see them excel in their respective representative teams.
At St Mary’s, we celebrate the wins on the court, but we equally cherish the relationships we build off the court.
St Mary’s 1 capped off a great season with a dinner at our sponsor, Jaga Jaga. After a season that saw them reach the grand final, the team enjoyed cocktails, parmas, and pizza, reflecting on their hard work and the strong bonds they’ve formed along the way.
The 15&U team, along with some of our new 13&U players, gathered at Golden Hills Brewery to mark the inaugural junior season. Coach Mick Denton presented custom t-shirts to the players, honouring their contributions in building the foundation of a supportive junior arm of the club.
With the winter season ahead, the team is excited for more games and, of course, more catch-ups!
Get ready for an exciting start to the 2025 season! Join us at Whatmough Park on Sunday 30 March for a social afternoon as we introduce our new coaches and present jumpers to our new players.
Plus, you’ll have a chance to buy 2025 match day merchandise and pay registration fees.
Yesterday, our football and netball captains, coaches and President represented St Mary’s at the NFNL Media Day.
Thank you to Clare Nicholls (Netball), Tane Cotter (Senior Men), Elyssa Rees (Senior Women), and Ollie Gleeson (U19.5), Jack Bianchin (Senior Men’s Head Coach), Troy Bickerton (Senior Women’s Coach) and Mark Stanley (President) who showcased the club with pride.
A huge thank you as well to the NFNL for hosting this event and providing the opportunity for us to capture some fantastic photos.
As the summer netball season wraps up, we want to congratulate our inaugural 15&U team on an amazing season!
In their first season together, they made it to the preliminary finals – an incredible achievement! There was also no shortage of individual achievements with three players making the NFNL Representative Squad and Lilyana Condon coming 3rd in the Best and Fairest.
We’re so proud of their hard work and growth, and we’re confident they’ll continue to see even more success in the upcoming winter season.
A huge shoutout to Coach Mick Denton for his hard work, getting the team started and helping them see such success already!
We’re also excited to announce that following the team’s success, we’ll be introducing a 13&U team for the winter season! This will help us continue to build a strong foundation for our senior program and ensure the longevity of netball at St Mary’s.
Congratulations to St Mary’s 1 on an incredible summer netball season! Our team spent most of the season sitting proudly at the top of the ladder, and made it all the way to the Grand Final.
Although things didn’t go our way on the day, making it to the grand final is still an amazing achievement. With two key players unavailable, the odds were certainly stacked against us. But despite the challenges, every player gave their all and fought hard until the very end.
A special mention to our captain, Clare Nicholls, who had a standout season, taking home the Division 3 Best & Fairest as well as being named Best on Ground in the Grand Final.
It was also amazing to see the support from family, friends, fellow netball players, the women’s footy team, and our Committee at the game.
Here’s to even more success in the seasons to come!
As we celebrate International Women’s Day this year, we embrace the theme “March Forward: For ALL Women and Girls,” which calls for bold actions to unlock equal rights and opportunities for every woman and girl, with a special focus on empowering the next generation as catalysts for change.
Reflecting on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, we take a moment to recognise the strides made in the pursuit of gender equality. However, despite significant progress, the promises for gender equality remain unfulfilled—particularly in sports.
In 2025, women are still underrepresented and undervalued in the sporting world. Recent reports have shown that not a single woman is named in the top 100 highest-paid athletes globally, highlighting the stark disparity that remains.
On a more local level, research from Change Our Game reveals some hard truths:
Only 15% of sports coverage focuses on women’s sports, while a staggering 81% is dedicated to men’s.
Just 3 in 10 coaches that children encounter are women, meaning young athletes are far more likely to identify men as coaches or officials.
Although there is strong support for more women to volunteer in sports, negative attitudes persist, particularly from older men. Women are still rarely seen in leadership roles, such as club president or coach of men’s teams.
At St Mary’s, we are proud of the steps we’ve taken to create more opportunities for women and girls in sport. In late 2024, we launched our very first junior 15&U netball team. This marks a significant milestone for us, as we open new pathways for young girls to get involved in sport, advance to higher levels in netball, play in representative teams, and even consider a future career in sport.
By building this junior program, we are ensuring that St Mary’s has a sustainable women’s netball program that will continue to support and uplift women and girls in sport for years to come.
Today, we celebrate the achievements of women in sport, but we also recognise that there is much more work to be done. It’s time for all of us at St Mary’s to continue to step up—whether as athletes, coaches, or volunteers. Together, we can continue to move forward, unlocking the full potential of women and girls in every field of play.
SMFNC 