The Gold Industry Group took West Coast Fever premiership players on a community tour of Kalgoorlie-Boulder this week, featuring heart-thumping emergency response drills at Northern Star Resources’ Super Pit, high-energy netball clinics with budding young athletes and a unique community signing session with the prized trophy.
West Coast Fever premiership players Sasha Glasgow, Verity Simmons, Jess Anstiss, and Alice Teague-Neeld in front of the Mt Charlotte headframe.
Following their incredible Super Netball Grand Final win, the Group brought star players Verity Simmons, Jess Anstiss, Alice Teague-Neeld, and Sasha Glasgow, along with Head Coach Dan Ryan, to Kalgoorlie for two days as part of its landmark partnership with West Coast Fever, Netball WA, and Shooting Stars.
The trip was an opportunity for West Coast Fever to celebrate their first ever championship title with the Goldfields community and to grow the bond between Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s gold mining sector and netball in Western Australia.
The players kick started their trip at Northern Star Resources’ famous Super Pit, finding themselves a long way from the court when they bravely climbed the 60 metre tall Mt Charlotte headframe.
Fresh off their adrenaline fuelled climb, Northern Star Resources’ world class emergency response team trained the players in what to do in an emergency on site, teaching them various safety knots and stretcher lifting techniques.
The players were then challenged in a realistic emergency scenario, putting their newly learnt skills and teamwork into practice by abseiling off an 8 metre stack of shipping containers.
The players said it was fantastic to get first-hand experience at one of the world’s largest operational mine sites and to meet some of the passionate workers in the industry.
Star shooter Sasha Glasgow said she loved hearing from workers on what they did on site and learning more about the industry.
“The best part of the day was getting to learn all the different roles and responsibilities of people in the gold industry and how they support us, as well as all the fun activities we got to do,” said Ms Glasgow.
Speedy goal attack Alice Teague-Neeld said she was nervous to climb the headframe but the view from the top made it all worthwhile.
West Coast Fever goal shooter Sasha Glasgow
“After walking up the headframe at Mt Charlotte I was very proud of myself and basically seeing the whole of Kalgoorlie and the Super Pit, it was pretty cool,” said Ms Teague-Neeld.
That night, Gold Industry Group members had the opportunity to celebrate West Coast Fever’s successful season during an exclusive member sundowner at the Hannans Club, where Head Coach Dan Ryan shared insight into his personal journey into the top job and joined a Q&A with the players.
Mr Ryan said he was thankful for the Gold Industry Group’s ongoing support of West Coast Fever, which he said allowed the Club to achieve its success.
“That’s what these great partnerships do, they allow us to dream and dream big,” Mr Ryan said.
“It’s why our partnership with the Gold Industry Group is so important, because we get to live our dream every day and aim high and set lofty goals because we know that we have everything we need around us to be our very best.”
On day two, more than 100 budding young netballers had the chance to train with the elite athletes during two clinics at the Goldfields Oasis Recreation Centre, the championship players running the youngsters through high-energy training drills and teaching them some new skills and tricks.
West Coast Fever players with Northern Star Resources and Gold Industry Group staff
The young athletes quizzed their idols on what it takes to become an elite netballer and had their hats, balls and posters signed.
The local community also got their opportunity to meet the Fever superstars and take a photo with the Super Netball Trophy, the players signing merchandise and interacting with fans at the Boulder Town Hall all afternoon.
West Coast Fever goal attack Alice Teague-Neeld with young fans
Gold Industry Group Executive Officer Rebecca Johnston said the trip was a fantastic opportunity for West Coast Fever and the gold industry to build on their strong relationship with the Goldfields community.
“Australia’s gold industry is committed to building a strong and long-standing connection with netball and regional communities,” Ms Johnston said.
“We are proud to provide this unique opportunity for the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community to celebrate West Coast Fever’s incredible season with star players.”
West Coast Fever defeated the Melbourne Vixens 70-59 in the Super Netball Grand Final on July 3 in front of a sell-out home crowd at RAC Arena, the first championship title in the Club’s 25-year history.
The Gold Industry Group is proud to power women’s sport at all levels as the Elite Partner of West Coast Fever, Principal Partner of Netball WA, and Major Partner of Shooting Stars.
Gold Industry Group members championing the partnership include Gold Fields, Northern Star Resources, AngloGold Ashanti Australia, St Barbara Limited, Gold Road Resources, Ramelius Resources and The Perth Mint.
