Football
18 February, 2025
Laharum Football Netball Club sweep awards
The Laharum Football Netball Club won five categories in the 2024 Sports Star of the Year awards, a remarkable achievement for a club that has made an extraordinary transformation in the last 15 months.
They won the 3WM Tom Gawith Spirit of Community Award, Club President Hamish Roberts won the Administrator of the Year award, Rebecca McIntyre won the Coach of the Year award, and Laharum Netball Club won the Team of the Year award. Georgia Foster also plays netball for Laharum and won the Young Star of the Year Award.
LFNC received the Tom Gawith Spirit of Community Award for its resilience, excellence, and leadership off the field.
The club has led the way in fostering cultural awareness. It played a pivotal role in
organizing and hosting a Reconciliation Round during Reconciliation Week, partnering with
Natimuk United FNC for the inaugural Battle of the Rocks.
This round celebrates the cultural significance of Dyrite (Mt Arapiles) and Geriwerd (The Grampians). It acknowledges our Indigenous first people and the beginnings of our national game, Australian Rules Football, in the Grampians. This powerful initiative highlights the importance of reconciliation.
Club President Hamish Roberts won the Wimmera and Design and Print Administrator of the Year award through his dedication and hard work, which was instrumental in rebuilding the club after a near merger in 2023.
Roberts has been an exceptional leader in his role as president of the Laharum
Football and Netball Club (FNC) in 2024. His professionalism, vision, and tireless dedication
have revitalised the club and left a lasting impact on the wider community.
He has been a driving force behind the introduction of women’s football, writing the
Women’s Football Charter for the club and playing a key role in the formation of the
district’s first female football league. He has worked tirelessly to fundraise and improve the club’s facilities. His leadership was evident when he MC’d the club’s first Reconciliation Round, a landmark event celebrating inclusion and cultural understanding.
Roberts supported the league’s Check Mate Mental Health Round by hosting a
guest speaker to address this important issue. His ability to motivate, guide, and uplift others has earned him widespread respect and admiration within the club and beyond. Hamish Roberts embodies the spirit of this award through his exceptional contributions to the development of Laharum FNC, the district, and the sport as a whole.
While Roberts is honoured with the Administrator of the Year Award, he emphasises that many people, not just him, have been involved.
"I'm honoured, but at the same time, it's a little bit embarrassing, singling me out when there has been a power of work from many people at our club," Roberts said.
"While it's an individual award, and I'm very honoured to win it, many people involved with the club could have won it."
Regarding the Spirit of Community Award, Roberts said the club deserves it.
"The key thing is, on-field and on-court success is wonderful, but it's a byproduct of our club culture," Roberts said.
"Our culture is terrific. Our culture is based on family, community, care, and respect; when you get that culture right, everything else comes naturally on the field and court. Good people want to come to your club.
"The things we have put our energy into, such as women's footy, Indigenous round, and mental health, are important not only to the community at Laharum but also to the Wimmera community as a whole."
"As long as a cause is important to our people, we will invest energy into it. A prime example is Robbie Miller doing his 24-hour run in two weeks to promote a fantastic course, and we will support him with this."
"Whatever our people care about and want us to pursue, we will do."
Roberts acknowledges everyone at the club.
"I want to highlight our board members as they have put in a power of work," Roberts said.
"We have fantastic people on our board who are forward-thinking and highly energised, as well as positive people who are willing to put in the work, and that is why we are where we are currently.
"I want to acknowledge coaches of all grades through football and netball as they are leaders among the club who drive the standards and our values."
"When you put the right people in the right places, it filters down from top to bottom and flows beautifully, and they have all driven the change, and that's why we are where we are at compared to 18 months ago."
Laharum's A-grade netballers were also named team of the year. The team has participated in the past five Horsham District Football Netball League Grand Finals.
After losing the last two, the team amazingly bounced back in 2024, going undefeated and winning 18 games to claim the ultimate prize.
The coach of the team, Rebecca McIntyre, was named Coach of the Year.
McIntyre had an outstanding year in her coaching achievements across netball and
basketball. She was the Head Coach of the Horsham Lady Hornets in the Country Basketball League Finals.
McIntyre was the assistant coach to the victorious Victorian Under 20 Women’s Basketball Team at the National Championship in an undefeated tournament.
She was the Head Coach of the Under 18 Horsham Hornets Girls Representative to a state championship Division Three, also undefeated.
She started the All Abilities Athlete basketball program at the HABA in conjunction
with the WRSA and ran an inaugural Gary Bird tournament, the first of its kind.