Club grows a ROC hard future

By David Nagel
DUMMY spits will be a familiar sight at the ROC Netball Club over the coming months as a remarkable eight mothers-to-be prepare to deliver the club a bright future.
The club’s talent pool is about to explode, but is being tested like never before as A Grade players Michelle Cranston, Mel Overdyk and Kelly Tivendale, B Grade players Jess Airdrie and Nat Van Deelen and C Grade stars Paula Bright, Kirsty Munroe and Tammy Williams sit on the sidelines while their tummies continue to grow.
“Absolutely, this is the most we’ve ever had, normally every club has one or two ladies pregnant but not eight, it’s just ridiculous,” club president Amy Tivendale said with a giggle.
“It looks like we’ll be moving to the other side of the reserve next season so we might pool all the baby bonuses together and build a state-of-the-art crèche.
“But it is terrific, three or four of the girls have partners who play or have played footy here so it really does add to the family environment.”
It’s a fascinating time at the club with ‘GA and WD’ being replaced on bibs with Winnie-the-Pooh, Tweetie-Bird and Elmo, while season fixtures are being swapped for calendars circled with due-dates.
Overdyk, who has been at the club for six years, has seen it all before and sitting out one season and returning the next will be the second time she has done so in recent times.
“I had my first child and then played last season, and now I’m doing it all over again,” Overdyk said.
“But I just can’t believe this, it was just one after another, girls were turning up and saying ‘I’m pregnant’ and other girls would look at them and say ‘I’m pregnant too’.
“It’s just been unbelievable.”
The players that are available have covered the loss of talent well.
Despite a loss to Doveton on Saturday, the A Grade team is firmly entrenched in the top five, as is the C Grade team, while the B Grade had their first victory on the weekend.
It looks like those dummy spits can hold off for the time being.