Heyfield Football-Netball Club loyal servant Sarah Schellen celebrated an impressive milestone recently.
Schellen became the first Heyfield netballer to play 300 senior club games when she ran out for the Round 13 clash against Glengarry.
Whether you believe in destiny or not, Schellen was fated for a netball career with the Kangaroos, being the daughter of a Heyfield footy player.
From a young age, Schellen joined local footballers and netballers in the winter Saturday ritual, rising early on cold, often wet mornings and donning club colours before making the journey to wherever the weekend’s game was located.
Schellen played her entire junior netball career for Heyfield and continued representing the Kangaroos on the court as she entered her senior career.
“I moved to WA for a couple of years, and I had a season over there in a town called Busselton, but other than that, I have only ever played at Heyfield,” Schellen said.
“I coached an A Grade team at Maffra a couple of years ago – I didn’t play, I just coached – but other than that, I have always been at Heyfield.
“When you start playing at 10 years old, and you’ve got family connections – like, my dad played most of his football career at Heyfield and is a life member as well – growing up in that community environment, the club becomes part of your family.
“Your winter family is the Heyfield Football-Netball Club, and it’s a pretty good family to be involved with, I think.
“Heyfield is one of those places that is just a community, and you look after each other.
“It’s like a family; it is your family. I think having my dad play there, my sister Emma, she’s also a life member at Heyfield, she’s played all of her netball there, so to play with your sister, my daughter Jasmin, I was lucky enough to play some A Grade netball with her as well, it is my family.”
While the 47-year-old centre has accumulated numerous accolades throughout the years, including becoming the first Heyfield player to win the North Gippsland A Grade netball best-and-fairest award in 2015, Schellen’s three premiership titles and playing A Grade with her daughter have been the highlights of her career.
“Biggest highlight is obviously playing A Grade with my daughter Jasmine and also playing three premierships alongside my sister Emma,” Schellen said.
“I’m pretty lucky; not many people can say they’ve won three premierships with their sister, and not many people can say they’ve played A Grade netball with their daughter.
“I know this probably sounds a little bit daggy, but when you’re on the court, and you’re playing, and you hear someone say, ‘Mum pass me the ball,’ it’s pretty funny, it’s a bit of a funny highlight.”
Schellen has won three A Grade premierships playing alongside her sister: 1999, 2010 and 2013.
Schellen’s 300th also coincided with a 10-year reunion of the 2013 premiership.
Despite Schellen suffering a loss in her milestone game, with Glengarry’s B Grade defeating Heyfield 52 to 30, with so much to celebrate, there was little room to dwell on the defeat.
As the Heyfield netball veteran reminisced on her career, she said she was grateful for the opportunity to face fierce opposition in the NGFNL A Grade competition over the years.
“I have played with and against quite a few fiercely competitive players,” Schellen said.
“There have been quite a few players I have enjoyed having a tussle with over the years.”
Among the many met throughout her nearly five-decade-long career, it is Joan Foat and Maureen Kelly, who’ve left a lasting impression on Schellen.
“Joan Foat was one of my coaches when I was still an A Grade player,” Schellen said.
“She just simplified my game and has been a really big inspiration.
“I just remember her words all the time, ‘Sarah, as a centre player, all you have to do is hover and dash’. Those words just stick in my mind.
“Someone else who has been influential is Maureen Kelly.
“Maureen is another life member at Heyfield; she’s done a lot of coaching; she’s just been involved in a lot of things throughout my time at Heyfield.
“She’s someone who everyone looked up to; she was always there, she was always there coaching, she was always umpiring, she was always helping out, canteen, everything.”
For someone who loves playing netball as much as Schellen does, and someone who loves their club as much as Schellen does, it’s no surprise the Heyfield FNC life member is the first netballer to reach the 300-game milestone.
While Schellen admits reaching 400 games is “a bit out of reach”, she’s now aiming for 350 games, suggesting the netball veteran has no intentions of ending her illustrious Heyfield FNC netball career, anytime soon.
