Lisa Bradshaw to celebrate 250 netball games with Wodonga Raiders

After 12 years away from the club, something was calling her back to the court she called home, with her daughter Bella following in her footsteps.

"I lost my mum (Maree Burkitt) in 2019 and she was a real true Raider girl, she was there every weekend," Bradshaw said.

"It was really special for Bella and I to go back and make her proud."

Bradshaw first trialed for a position at the cub when she was 14 and began her career as a 15-year-old.

She's now about to step on court for the 250^th time this weekend.

Despite the now C-grade player, B-grade coach and A-grade assistant coach having a wealth of experience, she still remembers where her passion for the game came from.

"Netball has always been in my blood," she said.

"I've been playing since I was six and have only had one season off since then.

"My mother and her three sisters were wonderful netballers and I still hear stories of the four of them today.

"My nan (Joyce McCullogh) was involved in beginning the Netball Wodonga organisation and she used to go around and drop letters in people's mail boxes to get them to come and try netball.

"My nan still comes to watch when she can and Bella and I debrief with her every week when we help at the farm.

"She has great netball knowledge and is always happy to give her favourite advice, 'play up big' or 'play hard today.'"

The whole Bradshaw family is now in red and blue, with her husband Steve coaching junior footy and her sons Bodhi (under-14s) and Jett (under-12s) playing.

ALSO IN SPORT:

She admitted feeling a sense of pride when daughter Bella made it into the club's under-17s last year.

"When she was successful and got in, a lot of memories came back," she said.

"I love that part of the day watching her and seeing her grow and thrive.

"Between us all, if we have home games, then we're there seven days a week."

Bradshaw recalled how it felt starting out as a teenager.

"It was only sort of fresh and early days then, so there was no junior grades, you went straight into seniors," she said.

"Being young, it was totally fine though because everyone was so welcoming.

"Jo Withers and I went there together and went through it all, so we had that support of each other as well."

While she has claimed two A-grade and two B-grade premierships with Barnawartha, she's yet to feel that grand final success as a Raider.

However, she has been a club best and fairest winner and received a league C-grade medal in 1998.

"But the major highlight is just making lifelong friends," Bradshaw said.

"I love coaching with Jodie (House), I learn from her weekly and we work together with Haley (O'Neill) and Shaylah (House).

"Leonie Mooney is an amazing president. Then there's people like Sue Truin who was there when I was 14 and still is. They're all such a special part of the club."

Bradshaw will reach her club milestone against Albury at Birallee Park, where she hopes to add more games.

"I'm starting to think if I've got more tape on my body than skin, then my days might be limited," she laughed.

"But I'm not prepared to say that I'll stop just yet."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: