KERRYN Conabere has been playing netball for half a century.
And the teacher from Traralgon in Victoria says the definite highlight of all those years on the court is playing on the same team as all four of her daughters.
In October the 61-year-old could well tick off another sporting highlight - playing at her sixth straight Australian Masters Games.
Kerryn will travel to Adelaide for the 17th Australian Masters Games from October 5-12.
"When I was in form four, I filled in for a friend from school and her mother was in the team," she said.
"I thought it was great she was playing with her mum and thought to myself, 'If I ever have a daughter, I want to play long enough to play with her'.
"Little did I know I would have four daughters and be lucky enough to play with all of them in the one team!"
Kerryn formed a team with her daughters in the Morwell Indoor Netball Competition in 2002 when her third daughter was having trouble finding a team to play with.
"It was such a privilege to play with them all," she said.
"My mum came to watch one evening and as she was sitting there, another spectator said, 'Do all the players in that team call that lady mum?' My mother replied, only her daughters!"
Kerryn still plays two days a week in two different indoor netball competitions and umpires on Saturdays for the North Gippsland Football Netball League and the Gippsland Football Netball League.
She is looking forward to the games in Adelaide.
"I really enjoy playing in the Australian Masters Games because for a whole week I can get up every morning and do the thing I love doing the most - playing netball," she said.
"It is terrific to play with friends and meet so many people along the way.
"My goal is to play long enough to play with two of my granddaughters.
"That will mean a complete family team."
And quite an accomplishment if they can pull it off!
The Masters Games netball competition is scheduled for October 7-11 at the SA United Church Netball Association - City Courts on Goodwood Road, which have recently been resurfaced.
Geraldine Cardozo
Features Editor at The Senior.
Features Editor at The Senior.
