West Coast Fever made history last weekend, winning on and off the court in Kalgoorlie-Boulder as they engaged with the community at every turn and played two epic preseason matches.
As their proud Principal Partner, the Gold Industry Group backed the elite squad’s trip to the outback region, along with combined support from the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
More than 2,000 Fever fans joined in the fun from the moment the team touched down over three action-packed days of activity. From Friday 6 to Sunday 8 March the team played two preseason games, visited five schools, held a free community clinic and an open training session, conducted coach and umpire education sessions and interacted with local fans in autograph sessions after both games.
On Friday, the players kicked off their tour at St Mary’s Primary School, Boulder Primary School, Hannan Primary School, Kalgoorlie-Boulder Community High School and John Paul College, inspiring students with what it takes to become a top athlete.
Boulder Primary School Health and Physical Education Teacher Joshua Harding told the Kalgoorlie Miner he jumped at the opportunity to host a clinic at the school.
“In terms of getting those professional athletes from Perth, the opportunity doesn’t come around too often,” he said.
Mr Harder said the athletes were also positive role models and examples of the rewards of hard work.
“With a lot of these kids, we really hone in on building resilience and obviously as a professional athlete, that’s a trait you have to be quite strong in,” he said.
“The kids have been able to just really chat to some professional athletes and get to know how they got to where they are.
“It shows that with a bit of hard work and perseverance, you can achieve your goals,” he added.
Later that evening, the public turned out for an open training session, where nearly almost 100 locals could see Fever in action, running drills and perfecting their skills before the upcoming clashes with Sydney-based Giants Netball.
On Saturday morning, over 100 children embraced the opportunity to interact with their sporting heroes again in a free community clinic. Fever players created a round-robin style of activities where the kids could try new skills and play mock matches under the guidance of the players before one lucky supporter was gifted a gold netball.
The community continued to show their overwhelming support for the team with warm welcomes and sell-out matches at the Goldfields Oasis Recreation Centre. Gold netballs, #heartofgold hats and #goldfever stickers were all the rage as netball fever officially hit the town.
Following a curtain-raiser game between local teams Esperance and Goldfields, Fever’s first pre-season match on Saturday afternoon featured a dominant performance from the green team, as they came out on top in a 74-58 victory. As the Premier Partner of Shooting Stars, GIG invited participants from the nearby Laverton and Leonora sites for the opportunity to attend and showcase their skills in a halftime shooting game.
The weekend culminated with Fever’s second pre-season match on Sunday morning, in which the 600-plus crowd was treated to another epic showdown with Fever claiming both games by finishing in a 70-50 win over the Giants. Halftime also saw a quick game between NetSetGo participants from Kalgoorlie Saints, St Joseph’s and NVUS.
Fever’s trip to the region coincided with International Women’s Day (Sunday 8 March), with this year’s theme Each for Equal aiming to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness against bias and act for equality.
Fever Captain Courtney Bruce acknowledged the significance of being able to celebrate the day with the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community.
“International Women’s Day for myself and the Club is really about inspiring the next generation; we want to see strong independent women coming through our pathway in netball, but also outside the sport,” she said.
“To be able to celebrate our role in that journey in a community with such a rich netball history has been a real privilege.
“Being able to engage with the local schools and to see how excited the kids are to see us, as well as being able to share a little bit of knowledge about the game, has been an opportunity that the whole team has embraced,” Ms Bruce concluded.
Gold Industry Group Vice Chairperson Kelly Carter said she was thrilled to see the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community get behind the West Coast Fever.
“I was overwhelmed with the enthusiasm and appreciation from the Kalgoorlie community, and as ever, truly impressed by the leadership shown by the team both on and off the court,” Ms Carter said.
“What better way to celebrate the weekend of International Women’s Day than by showcasing such outstanding ambassadors for their sport and positive role models in our remote regional communities,” she concluded.
The pre-season tour followed a recent trip made by Fever players to Kalgoorlie-Boulder with the Gold Industry Group in November 2019, where they participated in the City’s annual Saint Barbara’s Festival Parade, held community clinics and explored the region.
The Gold Industry Group are proud to support netball in Western Australia, thanks to members Gold Fields, Northern Star Resources, Newcrest Mining, Saracen Mineral Holdings, AngloGold Ashanti Australia, St Barbara Limited, Newmont Australia, Gold Road Resources, Ramelius Resources and The Perth Mint.
