Sport
23 June, 2023
Carolyn to hit 530 mark
Submitted By Dani Grindlay Carolyn Middleton of Edenhope Apsley Football Netball Club (EAFNC) will play her 530th game this weekend. That is the equivalent of playing every game in a season for more than 30 consecutive years. The mother-of-four has...
Submitted By Dani Grindlay
Carolyn Middleton of Edenhope Apsley Football Netball Club (EAFNC) will play her 530th game this weekend.
That is the equivalent of playing every game in a season for more than 30 consecutive years.
The mother-of-four has only taken two full seasons off, pregnant with her sons, since joining the club in 1986.
"In total, I've played more than 700 senior games since I started at 14 in Adelaide," she said.
"I'm a netball nerd; I eat, breathe and sleep it."
Carolyn's first experience of white-line fever came early, but it wasn't until she landed in Edenhope that netball became a way of life.
"In the city, you just play the game and go home," she said.
"In the country, it's your life; it's a lifestyle, and I've embraced every part of it."
Netball became coaching, cleaning, cooking, speeches, planning events, ongoing fundraising, umpiring, hosting meetings, strapping limbs and counselling a community.
This list of jobs is perhaps why she was too busy to realise her 500th milestone had whizzed past.
This year is Carolyn's eighth club president; she also served as netball president for four years, junior coach for 27 years, senior coach, and on the central committee for 15 years.
"The social events over the years have been unbelievable," she said.
"We had some wild times in the '80s, and that's what we lived for; it was everything."
The club has Carolyn's husband, Richie, to thank for luring her to the district, where she has also worked as a nurse for 37 years.
She quickly joined the A-Reserve team and balanced club commitments around shift work.
"It was such an inviting club from the moment I got here," she said.
"We'd close the kitchen and sit down for a glass of bubbles, and it's a lovely feeling to get something done together as a community."
Carolyn's four kids – now 33, 31, 28 and 23 – have grown up in the club and formed lifelong friendships.
"I dragged them along from newborn babies through all those winter weeks," she said.
"There's a euphoria that you get from exercise, from leaping through the air, and everyone should have it in their life.
"I have instilled that in the kids – fitness and wellbeing – and I'm so grateful they've taken that on."
Carolyn's moved through the grades over the years, but her career highlights aren't far in the rear-view mirror.
"I'd say the last eight years have been the best, with Cath (McDonald) and Wendy (Cryer) by my side," she said.
"I think we've played five (C grade) grand finals in that time.
"I just love playing with those girls and building that friendship, which will always stick in my memory."
Another huge moment for Carolyn was coaching Under 13s in 2007 when they took out the club's first premiership in the Horsham District Football Netball League.
"They were my favourite years because the girls were so enthusiastic and loved netball as much as I did," She said.
"Those kids are now adults and coaching some of our senior teams."
Behind the scenes, the club has navigated an obstacle course that typifies the challenges of regional Australia.
Population decline, financial stress, a league switch, and amalgamations have all featured, but nothing hit EAFNC harder than COVID-19.
"It's been absolutely devastating for the whole community, and I don't think we've realised the full extent of it yet," Carolyn said.
"The whole mindset has changed, and there's a detachment from the club that's turned volunteering, and getting volunteers, into a chore.
"There's no blame because everyone's had their own challenging journey, but I can't deny that it's become quite hard; it's a difficult time to keep a club going."
Winning the 2022 A-Grade premiership for the first time in more than 30 years has undoubtedly helped Carolyn.
"That is the pinnacle, and it was such an amazing thing for the club," she said.
"I've been around the whole time, so I felt the significance of it; we're all very proud."
As for her own time on the centre court, Carolyn can't see any reason to come down from the high.
"I suppose I've got grandkids now, and I'm in another life stage, but I never really want to hang up my boots," she said.
"I've never had a major injury, and I still get that euphoria.
"People ask me when I'll retire because of my age, but what is with age dictating what people do?"
Carolyn's 530th game will be staged at EAFNC's home ground, against Kalkee, on Saturday, June 24.