The Courier |
THE Dummett family spent one year playing football and netball at separate clubs – but never again.
Now they bleed the blue and yellow of the Burra and could not imagine being elsewhere.
With father Shawne Dummett the coach of the Sebastopol senior football team, he and three of his children have become intrinsic members of the Kookaburras.
Whether it is on the netball courts, the football field or even the coach’s box, you will most likely be able to spot a Dummett at a Sebastopol game on any given Saturday.
Oldest son Chase, 20, is a regular seniors player on the road to recovery from a recurring hamstring injury; Brandon, 18, plays in the under-18.5s and 17-year-old Brittany plays as goal attack or goal shooter in the under-18.5 netball team.
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Between the four of them, there is almost 10 hours of game-play racked up each week – not to mention regular training and the obligatory household dinner conversation about the club.
“It’s pretty much every night we end up talking about footy or netball,” Brittany said.
Chase agreed.
“It’s a day-to-day thing, it’s what we all have most in common,” he said.
The foursome have been at the club since 2011, with Shawne having previously taken Dunnstown to a premiership in the CHFL and Carngham-Linton to two flags in the former LPFL.
There was one year when he and his children were split between Dunnstown and Carngham-Linton, which he said was quite a trying time.
“Let’s just say I’ve got a great wife (Raelene) for helping them run around in those days,” Shawne said.
“I think it’s really important to have all the kids at one club though.
“It’s good for the club that you’ve got a lot of families as well.
“What they learn off the ground is the most important thing in life and I think clubs can really teach that.”
Shawne’s two sons both won three junior premierships for Carngham-Linton, but are now part of a club that is struggling to find the same period of success.
Not that they are perturbed by the task ahead.
“You really learn what footy’s about when it’s not all going as well,” Chase said.
Shawne recognises his children will not be a part of the club forever – his oldest daughter Rebecca played netball at Dunnstown but is now pregnant with her second child.
“Once they get to 21, 22, 23 they drift off and do their own things, which is fine,” he said.
“But while we have them together it’s important they are close.”
Sebastopol is in with a genuine chance of its first win of the year against fellow win-less side Melton on Saturday.
Although Dummett said last week’s 118-point loss to Melton South was the worst of the season, he has named an unchanged line-up.
For Melton, a host of names come back into the side, namely Corey Patmore, Dillon Sharp, Brody Richie, Braedan Kight, Jesse McLellan and Brett Thomas.
Last time they met: Melton 9.10 (64) d Sebastopol 4.5 (29), round 17, 2012.
PREDICTION: Sebastopol to break the drought.
