mmg.com.au

It’s a story that in this day and age might seem unbelievable — but it’s true.

A story of a one-time country netballer who made it on to the biggest stage of all — but her club didn’t know about it for 44 years.

Yet that’s the story of late Australian netball star Maureen Kirsanovs.

It was after her death last year that her husband, during travel to the north-east of the state, detoured through Avenel and saw a group of young netballers with someone who he presumed was their coach.

He took a chance, introduced himself and described his wife’s beginnings with the Avenel club.

The club is now looking at a way of honouring the star it never knew it had.

The-then Maureen Wikman started her journey to netball fame at Avenel while a student at what is now Seymour College between 1956 and 1962.

She travelled to school by bus from the family farm at Locksley, and depended on family and others for transport and overnight stays. She also rode her bike on occasion to play for Avenel.

‘‘She was very grateful for this support, especially from some Avenel people, because without it her netball probably would not have advanced,’’ husband George Kirsanovs said.

His wife was a tall, very athletic and highly-skilled defender, who preferred goal defence because it allowed her more freedom for intercepts and initiating attacks.

They were characteristics that remained with her through her playing days.

She moved on to Melbourne University in 1964 to study teaching — and her netball quickly advanced further.

She played with the university team at state level, gained a full Blue, and also played interstate with the Victorian side as well with as inter-uni and combined Australian university teams.

But it was all capped when she represented Australia in the second World Championship netball tournament in Perth in 1967. By then she was Mrs Kirsanovs, and was about to settle into teaching and family life.

Officially the 47th player to represent her nation, Mrs Kirsanovs was one of seven players to make their debut against Scotland. She played a further two games in the tournament, in which Australia finished runner-up to New Zealand.

Mrs Kirsanovs continued to play in local and district competitions and coached at secondary schools at which she taught.

‘‘A stroke and a year’s rehabilitation in 1991 ended her active participation in netball, but not her love for the game or her teaching career,’’ Mr Kirsanovs said.

‘‘Having had four sons, she was looking forward to inspiring her five granddaughters to commence and enjoy netball, regardless of how successful each found it.’’

But that’s not quite the end of the story.

On acquainting the Avenel club of his wife’s links with it — and her even greater achievements — Mr Kirsanovs, in association with Netball Australia, donated tickets to a ‘‘promising and enthusiastic teenager’’ for the Australia v New Zealand clash at Melbourne’s Hisense Arena in October.

These were awarded to Bonnie Dawson, daughter of Avenel netball stalwart Helen Dawson. Another pair of tickets was awarded to a student from Beaufort Secondary College, where as a teacher Mrs Kirsanovs had her final involvement with teenage netballers.

‘‘Maureen was not a person who sought attention or publicity for her netball achievements,’’ Mr Kirsanovs said.

‘‘She loved playing and the associated social life, as well as coaching in her adult years.

‘‘She would have wanted the Avenel club and the Avenel people who supported her ... and those who have continued to support their teenage netballers in subsequent years — as well as Netball Australia (tickets) and Netball Victoria (netballs, one signed by present-day Melbourne Vixens players) for their donations — to all be given recognition and sincere thanks.’’

Avenel also plans to honour Mrs Kirsanovs, along with others who have distinguished themselves either with Avenel Football Netball Club or after leaving it, at a ‘‘back-to’’ function.

There have been plenty of fine footballers and netballers to wear the colours of Avenel in the past 100 or so years, but keeping track of them hasn’t been easy.

The Swans haven’t had a past players’ committee, for example, and there are few records of those who represented the club outside of premiership winners.

It’s probably how Maureen Kirsanovs slipped through the net.

But that’s about to change.

The club will hold the back-to day on April 28 — the day it hosts Violet Town — and hopes in the interim to ensure a big turn-out of past Avenel reps.

It’s good timing, too — Seymour has a bye in the Goulburn Valley league and the numbers should swell at the Recreation Reserve with plenty who have played for both clubs.

But the jewels in the crown could be the four players who went on to stellar VFL/AFL careers.

Club president Martin White is hoping to get 1958 Collingwood premiership player John Henderson, Essendon legend Ian ‘‘Bluey’’ Shelton, the Bombers’ premiership star Leon Baker and, of course, St Kilda, Sydney and Western Bulldogs champion Barry Hall to attend.

But regardless of whether all four make it or not, a great day is guaranteed.

‘‘It’ll be a get-together and a means of getting people back to the club,’’ White said.

‘‘Most clubs have got a past players (committee) but we haven’t. It’s just because no-one’s done it before.

‘‘We’re trying to make sure we have all the past players and set up a proper database.’’

That includes players from the old Waranga North-East league as well as the Kyabram District football and netball competitions.

‘‘We want to record who they are and put them on our website as well. People could then check on it and get in contact with each other, which hopefully leads to even more people getting contacted — and the list then grows.’’

■If you are a past Avenel footballer or netballer who would like to attend the back-to weekend, further details are on the club’s website, or phone Martin White on 57936267.