Willunga Netball Club was established in 1924. Willunga Netball Club has been one of the most successful clubs in the Hills Netball Association, in the Southern Hills Netball Association (SHNA) and more recently in the Great Southern Netball Association (GSNA).
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In 2015, we joined the Great Southern Netball Association.   We are one of the largest clubs in the association with 19 teams, with all home and away games following the Willunga Football Club.  The club has been running a very successful Woolworths NET-SET-GO program since 2009 with between 30-40 participants each year. In recent years, the club has started a Walking Netball program where people from all ages and fitness abilities can be involved in the game they love.

In 2024, we celebrated 100 years of netball history. Come along and enjoy this celebration with us!

Gallery of images in our history...

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The Willunga Netball Club story so far...

​The Southern Basketball Association was founded in 1924. Five teams – Willunga, Aldinga, Hillside (now McLaren Flat), Myponga and Wattle Flat joined together to form the association.  Willunga provided the first President and Secretary of the Association – Pauline Audrey and Mollie Jackson.

The colours of red and white were a natural choice to echo the football team. The uniform was designed to compliment the fashion of the time, red box pleat dress with red tie, neat belt and thick stockings. A boom for those who couldn’t be bothered to shave their legs each week! A big difference between this and today’s uniforms.

Conditions in those early days were a far cry from the facilities of today.  All courts were dirt, or more frequently mud, marked with lime and prior to each season, the courts were scraped of all grass and stones.

In the very early days, there wasn’t a shield at the end of the season, but in 1927 a cup was purchased so teams would have something to compete for each season.  The present “A” Grade shield came into being in 1934, donated by the above-named clubs.

By 1970, when the name of the game was changed to ‘Netball’, Willunga fielded 4 senior teams and 3 junior teams.  Fast forward 54 years, with rapid growth of the area, we are one of the largest clubs in the GSNA and field 7 senior teams and 12 junior teams.

A breakthrough in netball in the south occurred in 1974, when a summer night competition was introduced, firstly at Christies Beach, then Morphett Vale and finally at the SUNA complex on States Road at Morphett Vale.  Since its inception, Willunga has entered various teams with much success.

Until 1980, Willunga was part of the Southern Basketball Association and upon joining Southern Hills Netball Association, it retained the A Grade Shield as W.N.C had won more A grade premierships than any other team in the competition.

Also in 1980, under the guidance of the committee and specifically, Jill McKinnon, Heather Waye and Veronica Hartnett saw the inception of mixed netball.  This competition had rapidly increased in popularity with 18 teams participating.

A feature of the late 70’s and 80’s were the successes of sisters in the club, notably the Jennings, McDonalds, Fitzpatricks and Johncocks. It was also at this time too, that we saw our first male take an executive position on the committee and later to take up coaching – John Bradbury.

In 1989, the club relocated to the Willunga High School courts due its increased number of teams and the oval facilities not being big enough for us.

From 1987 – 1994, the A1 team was undergoing its most successful period in the history of the club.  The team won 5 grand finals and only marginally lost the other 3.

In 2000, the club was approached by the Recreation Park regarding the possibility of returning to their complex, and interim plans were drawn up to see if we could fit 4 courts in the old Scout ground area.  In 2001, with a lot of hard work from the committee, the club received a $150,000 grant from the Department of Sport and Recreation towards the new courts.  After many setbacks and delays the complex was finally opened on the 29th March 2003.  Demonstration matches were played, food and drinks were served to celebrate the momentous occasion.
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​Willunga Netball Club has been and still is one of the most successful clubs in the Southern Hills Netball Association (SHNA).

In 2015, we joined the Great Southern Netball Association and have enjoyed the exciting journey! In our first year we increased our numbers of registered players to 180, increasing our teams to 22, with all home and away games following the Willunga Football Club. We currently have 19 teams in the GSNA competition (one team per division).

Willunga struggled in its first year in the GSNA but managed to get its first 2 premierships in 2016 with their junior teams shining through.

The club had a 5-year plan in 2016 to win a League Premiership and this came to fruition in 2020 and 2022, along with numerous premierships in other grades, over the years. 

The club is in its 16th year of running a very successful Woolworths NET-SET-GO program that runs for 10 weeks and caters for children aged 5-7 years of age.

In 2014, the club celebrated its 90th Birthday with a “High Tea” for past and present players, coaches, sponsors and umpires and it was a great day with over 100 people attending!

In 2022, we introduced Walking Netball as a come and try program offering the sport that we love to people of all ages and levels of fitness.

This year we celebrated our 100th Birthday by hosting an “Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea” on Sunday 16th June at the Willunga Basketball Stadium.

To all those people who have played a part in the success of the club over the years we say a big thank you no more than our Life Members past and present for getting us to where we are today.  Those being Jill May (McKinnon), Eileen Boothey,  Jean Eatts, Heather Waye, Beverley Egel, Veronica Hartnett, Anne McDonald, Steven Bliss, Joan Turner, Sue Tawera, Lyn Brice, Eva Treen, Lisa Waye, Carol Overy, Nerida McDonald, Mary Ivison, Susan Hoffman, Robyn Mellors, Jenny Pulford, Dianna Foster, Kylie Brunton, Ashleigh Wolferstan, Taylah Gregory, Corinne Campbell, Kim Sedunary, Carlee Evans, Lynda Gregory, Melinda McCauley, Jodie Trowbridge, Lisa Miller, Katrice Turner, Catherine Hockham, Amy Bull, Zoe Trowbridge.