Netball and Football Grand Finals

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (15:31): I rise to celebrate and recognise two sensational occasions in the Hills: the grand final days in netball and football respectively that have just been run and won at Mount Barker on the weekend and over at Uraidla a couple of weeks ago. It is good to recognise these very special occasions, coming as they do just after last Sunday that saw back-to-back premierships for Glenelg. I will have a bit of a word to say about the Bays in a minute as well.

The Hills Netball Association has covered itself in glory again. Really, the entire day hosted by Uraidla Netball Club saw the mostly girls—girls and boys—all the way through to the senior women playing in grand finals that were attended by the community far and wide. It was just a fantastic festival of netball with some absolutely fantastic netball played. It was freezing cold weather, I might say, suitably, and Uraidla, as Uraidla is wont to do, turned on a really crisp, cold day where you needed to turn up with basically your skiing jackets on and all that sort of thing if you were not playing.

In the B grade netball, Aldgate defeated Ironbank—congratulations to Aldgate—and Uraidla prevailed over Crafers netball, with whom my family, our eldest daughter in particular, have had a long association. I just want to single out for special praise all of those who contributed to what was just a tremendous occasion. Congratulations to all the winners in all the teams on that day.

The same was true of the Hills Football League grand final day just at the last weekend. That day started with a magnificent win by the Mount Lofty Devils over Blackwood, a really courageous run. At the risk of singling out those superstars, I want to just make special mention of the Goldstone and Illman families, who participated in some early celebrations. It was a really tremendous performance by the Devils.

Then, in the Div 1 contests, the Bs had a really hard-fought hit-out between Echunga and Hahndorf. Echunga just managed to get over the line. That will be a proud victory long remembered. A special shout-out to 'Bomber' Lancaster, who has played I think his 500^th game or thereabouts. He is a true hero and has played most of those games at Bridgewater but has made the move to Echunga. It was just brilliant to be there to see and to give him a big hug and say, 'Congratulations; well done.'

In the As, I think there was some poetry in Hahndorf prevailing over Nairne. Congratulations to Hahndorf, which has just such a proud history of success in the Hills Football League. I want to make special mention as well of Kangarilla and Gumeracha. Gumeracha prevailed and Kangarilla was gallant in defeat in the Country Division grand final.

Having seen footy played in the Hills like that on Saturday and then to see the truly historic event on Sunday of the Bays going back-to-back at Adelaide Oval prevailing over Norwood in which there were shadows of Norwood coming from fifth in 1984, we know we are in great shape locally. The Bays were really not expected to prevail over Norwood as minor premiers, but they came up from fourth and they have gone back-to-back.

I think there have been a few people saying over the last couple of days that Liam McBean really encapsulates that victory in so many ways. McBean kicked seven straight in a five-point win from all angles, all over the place. If he misses one, they go down. Not only did he captain the side but he won the Jack Oatey Medal and the Bays went back-to-back. If there is a personification of that great victory for the Bays then congratulations to that giant, in all sorts of ways, literal and metaphorical—I think he is just a tick over two metres tall—Captain Liam McBean and his magnificent men of the Bays. Congratulations to you.

I say, as well, very special greetings, congratulations and recognition to Rob Gillies, once again continuing his service on the board of that great club, alongside so many who have made contributions of significance to the Glenelg Football Club over many, many years. Congratulations.