32 • Riverland Weekly – Thursday September 29, 2011
SPORT
Urgent call to keep tennis alive in Monash ONE of the Riverland’s oldest tennis clubs is in serious danger of entering into remission next month due to a shortage of players and committee members. Operating with a bare minimum for several years, the Monash Tennis Club’s hierarchy is prepared to put a stop to the struggle and will hold a second annual general meeting after its first was cancelled a fortnight ago after only two members were in attendance. Secretary Lawrie Guppy said the meeting will be the final call for anyone interested in keeping the club alive. “No one turned up for our AGM (recently), it was only the president (Ian Webber) and myself,” he said. “If locals want to see it continue, they better front up on the
REPORT BY R
C CALLUM TTRIFONOFF fourth of October.” “It’s got a long history and it’d be a shame to see it fold. “We’ve got four virtually new courts, all under lights.” Despite interest from new juniors, Mr Guppy said the club has faced a major battle in attracting enough players to fill a junior team and he admitted the club’s survival was a long shot. “I have heard from the (Monash) primary school there is a few kids interested in playing but you can’t run a club with just juniors,“ he said. “You need senior players as well.”
“(Last year, junior players’) mates played at Berri or Barmera and they wanted to play with them. “We didn’t have any others coming in from the lower ranks to fill their spot. “At this stage, I’m not really confident we can get the right numbers to continue.” Community members committed to the survival of the Monash Tennis Club are urged to attend the annual general meeting being held at the Monash Community Club on Tuesday, at 7.30pm. ■ FUTURE: Monash Tennis Club president Ian Webber ponders the future of his club. Photo: JANE WILSON
Talented Marnie rewarded for sporting achievements THE Riverland has a fine reputation for producing quality young athletes and multi-talented, pint-sized Marnie Stewart is no exception. In only her third year of playing soccer, 14-year-old Marnie, who plays for Berri River Rangers, was the joint winner of the Riverland Soccer Association’s Open Women’s Best and Fairest trophy last Friday night. Riverland Soccer Association secretary Adrian Pipe said it was unusual for someone so young to win the prestigious award, however, Marnie was a very deserved winner of the trophy. “It is unusual for someone at her age and build to win the award,” Pipe said. “The girls are generally 16 to 17 but Marnie was definitely a standout player. “She has very good fitness and stamina and she reads the ball well. “Marnie has got the drive to do anything she wants to.”
REPORT BY
JANE WILSON It is high praise indeed from Pipe but Marnie’s tennis coach Mike Horsman has even more admiration for his young protégé, who has been playing tennis since the age of five. “She is very determined and just doesn’t give up,” Horsman said. “She gives anything a go, trying anything new. “She’s a naturally talented athlete.” But it is not just Marnie’s physical ability that Horsman is proud of. “She is always available to help the younger kids,” Horsman said. Her eagerness to assist with the young players was no doubt part of the reason why Marnie was awarded the Darnley Taylor Junior Tennis Sports Person Award at the
conclusion of the last Riverland tennis season. Last season Marnie not only played at the number one position, in division one, for the Berriview Tennis Club’s juniors but would go on to play at number one or two, in division two, in the senior competition in the same day. She said during tennis season, Saturdays are a big day but she loves nothing more than to have a hit of tennis. “Out of soccer and tennis, I prefer tennis but soccer is close behind,” Marnie said. “I just love the game and how you get to meet new people. “I prefer singles to doubles because I don’t like to let people down.” Marnie hopes to one day move to Adelaide and pursue a career in editing magazines or become a pilot. With such a diverse career path in mind, it is little wonder she wants
to continue with two such different sports when she goes to Adelaide. Playing tennis at tournament level or perhaps playing soccer with Adelaide United’s women’s league are Marnie’s sporting goals. “I’ll definitely always play tennis and hopefully soon I can start to coach little kids,” she said. Although Marnie has been training for tennis during winter, she has one more soccer commitment before she starts her tennis season. This weekend she will be part of the state country under 14 girls’ soccer team competing against Adelaide metro teams, in Adelaide. Despite being a late inclusion in the squad, there is little doubt Marnie will be a valued member of the team and there will be no surprise if she makes state selection. There is not much of Marnie Stewart but this is not the last that we will hear of this little pocket rocket with a big heart and even bigger future.
■ JUNIOR STAR: Marnie Stewart with the soccer and tennis trophies she has won this year. Photo: JANE WILSON
Local football club matches it with Australia’s best By CALLUM TRIFONOFF
■ SMILES: The Waikerie Football Club finished in the top 25 clubs for a project to help fight breast cancer.
DAILY Passenger & Freight Service concession fare from only
*
$24.95
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ex Renmark/Loxton to Adelaide
APPROVED Passenger Transport Card Pensioner Senior Children Full time students Unemployed
MON-FRI
SAT
SUNDAY
Dep Dep Dep Arr
Renmark 7.30am Berri 7.50am Barmera 8.10am Adelaide 11.30am
5.10pm 5.35pm 5.55pm 9.10pm
7.30am 12.00nn 7.50am 12.20pm 8.10am 12.40pm 11.30am 4.00pm
4.00pm 4.25pm 4.45pm 8.00pm
Dep Dep Dep Arr
Adelaide 12.15pm Barmera 3.30pm Berri 3.50pm Renmark 4.15pm
5.30pm 12.15pm 11.00am 8.50pm 3.30pm 2.20pm 9.10pm 3.50pm 2.40pm 9.30pm 4.15pm 3.00pm
5.30pm 8.50pm 9.10pm 9.30pm
MON-FRI
SAT
SUNDAY
Dep Loxton Arr Adelaide
7.45am 11.30am
-
4.15pm 8.00pm
Dep Adelaide Arr Loxton
5.30pm 9.15pm
-
5.30pm 9.15pm
Times are subject to road / traffic conditions
Phone
8586 6468
www.premierstateliner.com.au
WAIKERIE Football Club was one of the many football and rugby clubs around Australia recently taking part in the fight against breast cancer with the Footy’s Hidden Heroes program. The program saw participating clubs nominate female volunteers on the program’s official Facebook
site with the entry with the most nominations winning $25,000. Despite one of its entries holding the lead for sometime, Waikerie could not gather enough support and dropped to 17th place by the end of the competition. However, taking part in the program was a pleasure according to Waikerie Football Club president
Fast pace for karts By GRAHAM CHARLTON WITH 73 entries from this state amongst the 285 karts involved in the 2011 Australian Dirt Kart Titles titles in Busselton, WA, this weekend, the Nullabor Plain has seen a lot of South Aussies heading west over the last week or so. Fourteen different classes from rookies, seven years and over, to 200cc open class are being contested. Amongst drivers from this region who have made the long trip for the championships are Loxton’s Zachary Hammerstein, who
will compete in the junior heavy class, and Morgan pair Dylan Ellis in both J open and KT light and Barry Heinrich in KT twin and 200cc open. Other Morgan members who nominated for the event are Claire Bradley (125 light), Aaron Bradley (125 heavy) and Brook Alexander (125 heavy and outlaw). Joining them from the Blanchetown club are Gary Fisher in Statesman and 100cc open classes and Eric Austin in statesman. The Morgan club will host the SA championships in May next year.
Henry Crawford. “We won a footy and a t-shirt signed by Shane Crawford so that was pretty good,” Mr Crawford said. “We couldn’t rally enough support in the end to get the 25 grand but it was still good.” Mr Crawford said taking part in the program was good promotion for the club. “There would have been
a fair bit of people logging on and seeing our footy club’s name,” he said. “It’s easy and it’s free so (we would) definitely (take part again). “It’s working to help breast cancer (in) Australia.” Through the awareness campaign, sponsor Nissan Australia presented the Breast Cancer Network Australia with a $100,000 cheque.
Milo in2CRICKET clinics ■ HAVING A GO: Our Lady of the River School Year 2 student Tia Efthimiou participated in the recent Milo in2CRICKET clinic. Photo: CALLUM TRIFONOFF