Debby Stacey during her 250th game on Saturday.
AT THE age of 24, Debby Stacey had never played a team sport, but 18 years on and Stacey finds herself as the games record holder at the Beaconsfield Netball Club.
Stacey, 43, played her 250th game for Beaconsfield on Saturday at the home of ROC, coincidentally, the same place she made her debut for the Eagles in 1993.
Stacey said she was “happy, proud but most of all, embarrassed” at the fanfare she received before and after Saturday’s C-grade win over ROC.
“During the week, I tried making sure no one knew (about the feat), but I think something got leaked on Wednesday and on Saturday I ended up running through a banner and everything,” Stacey said.
“It totally threw me.
“I don’t like such a focus on me. I am more the type of person to do it for someone else, not to get it back for me… but I was blown away by the effort.”
Stacey, who is a joint organiser of the midweek aspect of the Beaconsfield Netball Club, said she devoted her long career to being injury-proof.
The mother of two has never had a major injury, incredibly, the closest she has been to injuring herself was when she had to tape her ankle for three games in 1998.
“I don’t know how it’s happened, I just keep running I guess,” Stacey said.
The eight time best and fairest said although her greatest sporting achievement was captaining the Eagles to a C-grade premiership, she hopes to one-day top off her career by playing alongside her daughters.
-Gavin Staindl
