The Broken Hill Netball Association (BHNA) commemorated Anzac Day on Tuesday night with a host of fixtures, none larger than the A-Grade competition with the best player of which the night – West Flames Robins’ Ava Devoy – receiving the Anzac Medal.
“It means a lot, winning this, knowing the person who this is named after obviously fought a lot and sacrificed a lot,” Ava told us.
“Obviously I love my netball and I just appreciate everything that the sport does for me. It’s an honour to receive this just with everything it means.”
The Anzac Medal is given in honour of Sergeant Wendy Jones – a fellow BHNA member and player, and resident of Broken Hill – who was one of nine ADF personnel who died after crashing in a Navy Sea King helicopter on the Indonesia island of Nias in 2005.
On Tuesday, Sgt Jones’s name was added to the Post-World War II Operations Memorial in Adelaide – the only woman among this year’s 25 additions.
Broken Hill RSL President, Des Kennedy told the Truth the BHNA did a good job with the event.
“I think it’s great because you see the comradery between the girls all playing the sport. Wendy Jones should be up there watching, she’d be proud of them and proud of the medal. The way the Broken Hill Netball Association puts on the [remembrance] for Wendy, I think she’d be proud of it,” he said.
BHNA President, Tori McManus, whose great grandfather fought in World War I and whose medals she wore on Anzac Day, said there is plenty of special meaning behind the event.
“For the Association, we’ve been doing the Anzac Medal for quite a few years now, and to actually have someone who represented us in Gallipoli was wonderful to put Broken Hill on the map. The respect, and the girls on the court as well, are happy to participate in the Anzac spirit. They always show it.”
The A-Grade results of the BHNA’s Anzac Round (Round 8) saw Jesters beat West Flames Robins 40-15, and Westside prevail 41-19 against Black Diamonds. West Flames Black had the bye.
The BHNA season continues into its last month of regular matches on Tuesday, May 3, before three weeks of finals.
