Rise to 301: Shepparton Swans’ Kate Betson secures A-grade triple ton of matches

A cheery and outgoing character at Princess Park, Betson is playing A-grade game number 301 at home against Mooroopna in Goulburn Valley League this Friday.

Her 300th A-grade match was last weekend against Seymour at Kings Park, with Swans holding off celebrations until on their home court to properly mark Betson’s incredible milestone.

Usually eager to be a quiet achiever, Betson joked if the club was going to celebrate her milestone, it should spare no expense.

“I have told them I want fireworks and then a wheelchair after the game would be nice,” Betson said with a laugh.

“I don’t like a fuss, but I’m sure they will have something planned for before the game and then we might have a few drinks afterwards to celebrate.

“Mum and Dad will be the two that will want to celebrate the most.

“They have been there through every high and low of my netball career, every injury, every heartbreaking loss and that sort of thing, so they are both very keen to see me play and have a drink afterwards.”

One of those lows came less than 12 months ago when Betson was on track to secure the triple ton of A-grade matches last season.

The ever-green wing defence's parents Peter and Colleen Toy and nanna (Mary Kenna) came to watch the Swans play, only for Betson’s day to be over before a chair could be folded out.

“I was literally on the court for 10 seconds,” she said.

“They had brought my nanna down to come and watch and first centre pass I tore my foot.

“We play Friday and I am hoping I can get through a bit more than the first centre pass, just for Mum and Dad’s sake.”

Betson first made her start in Goulburn Valley League netball at Shepparton United before switching Deakin Reserve clubrooms and joining Shepparton where her mother was coaching and sisters Melinda, Gemma and Kylie were playing.

The family then wandered down to Princess Park when Colleen was offered the A-grade coaching job, with Betson going on to etch her name into the club’s history books as one of the Swans' favourite and long-serving stars.

When starting a family of her own with husband and former Swan Zack Betson, the pair moved to Picola District league side Strathmerton for a few seasons.

Although Zack remains at the Kennel and is now in his first season as senior football co-coach, Betson rediscovered her drive and desire to play for Swans 18 months ago.

“It wasn’t until I watched the GV grand final in 2023, I just got the itch again,” she said.

“I thought I was done with GV netball and, given my age, I absolutely thought I was done, (but) just got the itch again and started chatting with the coach Jana Riordan and she said to come to trials and that was it.

“Netball has always been a huge part of my life, it has been a consistent thing for me, and now even more so as a mum, it is probably my outlet with the kids — it’s my hour for me-time.

“I just love it, it’s fun, I love the competitiveness of it, the speed, the mental side of it, the strategic sort of stuff.”

Betson took her first step into A-grade coaching upon returning to Swans at the end of 2023 and is co-coach alongside Riordan.

The star Swan’s links between her love for family and netball are as direct as her passing through the midcourt as she reflects on her favourite moment throughout her career: Swans’ first A-grade flag in 25 years.

“My younger sister Gemma, prior to that win we had played in three losing grand finals, so there had been a bit of a monkey on the back I guess for Swans netball, particularly in A-grade,” she said.

“That was the biggest relief to get the win.

“Getting the taste of it, I would love to have that experience again.

"I don’t know if I ever will get to, but it just shows I have been playing netball for a very long time and to only win that one GV premiership how hard they are to win.”

To make it to her 301st A-grade game this weekend, Betson has had unwavering support from her parents and husband.

Betson said conversations with her folks before her return to Princess Park helped convince her it was the right decision.

“Accepting that your playing days are nearly over is a really sad thing to think about and that sort of was playing on my mind,” she said.

“When I mentioned to (my parents) I was thinking of going back to the GVL to play, they were the first two I spoke to and I had a lot of background noise that, ‘You’re too old and give it up you have been there done that’, that sort of thing.

“Knowing how big a commitment it is I really needed them on board and they were the first to say, ‘You would be stupid not to, why not while you still can?’.

“I am very, very lucky to have that support.”

Another major Goulburn Valley League milestone will be celebrated on Friday when Rochester hosts Euroa.

Tigers star and stalwart Bridgette McCarty will play her 200th A-grade game.

McCarty has had an incredible career to date at the Tigers, earning the club’s rising star award in 2011, before winning four club best-and-fairest gongs in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2022.

Rochester’s captain has also come runner-up seven times and has only missed the top two in the club’s best-and-fairest count on two occasions, in her debut season at 17 and when she injured her ACL in 2019.