Contax Netball Club

Last updated
Contax Netball Club
Founded 1952
Based in Adelaide
Regions South Australia
Home venue Netball SA Stadium
Head coachLeanne Eichler
Captain Georgia Beaton
Premierships20
League Netball South Australia Premier League
Esso/Mobil Superleague
Website www.contax.net.au
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Uniform

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Uniform

Contax Netball Club are an Australian netball team based in Adelaide, South Australia. Their senior team currently plays in the Netball South Australia Premier League. Between 1989 and 1996, Contax represented Netball South Australia in the Esso/Mobil Superleague. They were premiers in 1994. They were originally known as Contax Basketball Club, when netball was known as women's basketball. During the Esso/Mobil Superleague era, they were also referred to as Adelaide Contax. Between 1995 and 2012, when the club was sponsored by ETSA, and then ETSA Utilities, they were known as ETSA Contax.

Contents

History

Early years

Contax Basketball Club was formed in 1952 by a group of young girls who had played for the 1951 junior South Australia team. The team was originally based in Woodville. The team was named after the Contax camera. It was suggested by the brother-in-law of the inaugural captain, Margaret Rankin. He was a camera enthusiast and suggested using a short and simple name. Contax won their first South Australia state league premiership in their debut season, defeating Tango in the 1952 grand final. The team was captained by Rankin and included three future Australia internationals – Gaynor Flanagan, Betty Rowe Whelan and Lorraine Wright. Contax initially only organized adult teams. However, from 1966 the club started to introduce junior and youth teams with training taking place in Hectorville. In 1970 Contax won their second premiership, defeating Garville in the grand final. In 1980 Margaret Angove was appointed head coach of the senior Contax team. She remained in the position for sixteen years until 1997, when she was appointed head coach of Adelaide Thunderbirds. In 1986, with a team that included sixteen year old Kathryn Harby and Michelle den Dekker, Contax won their third premiership, defeating Tango in the grand final. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Rivallry with Garville

In 1988, with a team that included Michelle den Dekker and Kathryn Harby, Contax won their fourth premiership, defeating Garville in the grand final. This marked the beginning a rivalry between Contax and Garville. Between 1986 and 1996 Contax and Garville contested every South Australia state league grand final. The rivalry saw the two clubs compete in nine consecutive state league grand finals, plus one Mobil Super League final, with both clubs winning five finals each. With a team that included Harby and Julie Nykiel, a former Australia women's basketball international, Contax won their fifth and sixth premierships in 1990 and 1991. After finishing as runners-up to Garville for four successive grand finals, a Contax team featuring Jacqui Delaney won the club's seventh premiership in 1996. [1] [2] [5]

National leagues

Esso/Mobil Superleague

Between 1989 and 1996 Contax represented Netball South Australia in the Esso/Mobil Superleague. With teams that included Kathryn Harby, Michelle Fielke and Julie Nykiel, Contax played in three successive grand finals between 1990 and 1992. In 1990 they lost to 52–42 to Melbourne City. Contax then lost out to Sydney Pulsars in both 1991 and 1992. In 1994 Contax won the title after defeating Garville in controversial circumstances. A Contax team captained by Kathryn Harby and featuring Vicki Wilson and Tania Obst, took on a Garville team featuring Natalie Avellino, Jenny Borlase and Fielke. Wilson was the top scorer and the closely fought match finish level at full time. However Garville claimed they had actually won the match 48–46. It was alleged that during the third quarter, the official scorer accidentally gave one of Garville's goals to Contax. Despite protests from Garville, extra time was played and resulted in a 61–58 win for Contax. [1] [2] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Commonwealth Bank Trophy

In 1997 Netball Australia replaced the Mobil Superleague with the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. Contax applied to join the new league but the application was subsequently denied by Netball South Australia. They instead opted to form two brand new teams, Adelaide Thunderbirds and Adelaide Ravens. Together with Cheerio, Matrics and Oakdale, Contax effectively became a feeder team for Thunderbirds. With a squad coached by former Contax head coach, Margaret Angove, captained by Contax player Kathryn Harby and featuring several Contax players including Jacqui Delaney and Laura von Bertouch, Adelaide Thunderbirds won their first two premierships and grand finals in 1998 and 1999. [1] [2] [9] [10] [11] [12]

ETSA Contax

Between 1995 and 2012 when Contax were sponsored by ETSA, and then ETSA Utilities, the team became known as ETSA Contax. In 2000 with a squad that included Laura and Natalie von Bertouch, Bianca Reddy and Tracey Neville, Contax won their eighth South Australia state league after defeating the Australian Institute of Sport in the grand final. Between 2002 and 2004 Contax won three successive state league premierships. Natalie von Bertouch, Kirby Mutton, Carla Dziwoki and Lauren Nourse were all members of the 2002 winning squad. ETSA Contax subsequently won further premierships in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. [1] [2] [10] [13]

Premier League era

During the 2010s Contax won a further six premierships. During the 2010s their main rivals were Matrics. Between them Contax and Matrics played in every South Australia state league grand final during the decade. [14] [15] [16] [17]

Grand finals

South Australia state league
SeasonWinnersScoreRunners UpVenue
1952ContaxTango
1970Contax Garville
1973Contax
1984TangoContax
1986ContaxTango
1988Contax Garville Apollo Stadium
1989 Garville Contax
1990Contax Garville Apollo Stadium
1991Contax Garville
1992 Garville Contax
1993 Garville Contax
1994 Garville Contax
1995 Garville Contax
1996Contax Garville
1997 Matrics Contax
1999Contax
2000Contax Australian Institute of Sport [18]
2002Contax
2003Contax
2004Contax
2005 Matrics Contax
2006Contax
2007Contax
2008Contax
2009 Oakdale Contax
2010 [19] Contax Matrics
2012 [20] ContaxPhoenix
2013 [14] [21] Contax34–33 Matrics Netball SA Stadium
2015 [15] [22] Contax51–39 Matrics Netball SA Stadium
2016 [23] [24] [25] Matrics 49–47Contax Netball SA Stadium
2017 [26] [27] [28] Contax59–50 Matrics Netball SA Stadium
2018 [16] [29] [30] Contax73–39 Garville
2019 [31] [32] Matrics 55–47Contax Priceline Stadium
2020 [33] Matrics 60–56Contax Priceline Stadium

Source: [1] [2] [10] [13]

Esso/Mobil Superleague
SeasonWinnersScoreRunners UpVenue
1990 [6] Melbourne City52–42Adelaide Contax State Sports Centre
1991 [34] Sydney Pulsars59–36Adelaide Contax Bruce Stadium
1992Sydney Pulsars59–45Adelaide Contax State Sports Centre
1994 [1] [2] [5] [35] Adelaide Contax61–58 Adelaide Garville Adelaide Powerhouse

Source: [7] [8]

Home venue

Contax play the majority of their state league home games at the Netball SA Stadium.

Notable players

Internationals

Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
  • Margaret Rankine
  • Betty Rowe Whelan
  • Rebecca Sanders
  • Sarah Sutter
  • Vicki Wilson
  • Lorraine Wright

Source: [1] [3] [4] [13]

Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Fast5
Flag of England.svg  England
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia women's basketball

Adelaide Thunderbirds

  • Georgie Horjus

Source: [2] [13] [17]

State / Premier League Best & Fairest

SeasonPlayers
1974, 1975Kay Smerdon
1977S. Lehmann
1979Kerry Hussey
1983Ros Natt
1985Rhonda Kraft
1986 Michelle den Dekker
1987Wendy Frost
1988 Kathryn Harby/Karen Schulz
1989Karen Schulz
1990Sarah Angove
1991, 1992, 1993, 1996 Kathryn Harby
1995Rebecca Sanders
1997Vicki Neale
1998Leanne Oats
1999 Laura von Bertouch
2000 Natalie von Bertouch
2001Leeanne Oats/Laura von Bertouch
2002Leanne Oats
2004Rebecca Sanders
2005Amanda Martin
2006, 2007Leanne Eichler
2008, 2009, 2012Jane Fitzgerald
2010 Kirby Mutton
2011 Kristen Heinrich
2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 Georgia Beaton
2016Gia Abernethy
2018Georgie Horjus
2019Amehlia Schmidt
2020Chelsea Lemke

Source: [36] [37]

Club Captains

SeasonPlayer
1952–1954Margaret Rankine
1955–1958Gaynor Flanagan
1959–1962Jenny Badman
1963–1967Moira Clarke
1968Margaret Edwards
1969Rosemary Cobby
1970Gerry Freer
1971Margaret Van der Linden
1973Gerry Freer
1974–1976Kay Smerdon
1978Lyn Mulroney
1980Jill Dolan
1981–1982Ros Natt
1983–1984Kay Jessen
1985–1987Rhonda Kraft
1988–1992Karen Schulz
1993–1996 Kathryn Harby
1997–1998Tania Obst
1999Vicki Neale
2000–2007Leanne Oats Eichler
2008–2013Jane Fitzgerald
2014Lauren Hyde
2015–2018Gia Abernethy
2015– Georgia Beaton

Source: [36] [38]

Head coaches

CoachYears
Lena Pomeroy1952–1955
Fay Dumont1958
Mavis Buckingham1961
Merle Oldham1962–1963
Joan Horner1964–1972
Pauline Fielden1973–1976
Daphne Axford1977
Jenny Bonnett1978–1979
Margaret Angove1980–1996
Barney Williams1997–2000
Tania Obst2001–2006
Fay Walsh2007
Tania Obst2008–2009
Margaret Angove2010–2011
Leanne Eichler2012–

Source: [36] [39]

Main sponsors

Years
Class A Jewellers1990–1993
Fairmont Homes1994
ETSA 1995–1999
ETSA Utilities 1999–2012
SA Power Networks 2012–

Source: [1] [2] [13]

Premierships

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