1 What has been the most rewarding aspect of your long involvement with netball in Otago?
''I played my first national tournament at Memorial Park Courts for Southland Minor in 1949. That was my start and then I came to Dunedin to live the next year. That was exciting for me. We were in a lower division and it was inspiring to see how the players in the top division played.''
2 What about some of the people you have been involved with?
''Half the people won't remember these ones, but Sara Foster. She was a great administrator and a strong woman. She coached the Otago team and she either made you or broke you, sort of thing. You either quivered in the corner and shed a tear or you were, `I'll show you'. She was good for me in my early days here. All of us in Otago grew up respecting these woman like Rena Mackenzie and Mrs [Margaret] McAughtrie. They were great administrators and they taught us that you had to do that, as well as play.''
3 You've seen a lot of changes. What do you make of the modern game?
''I played nine-a-side and thought it was a great game. But then I was in that first New Zealand team that went to Australia in 1960 which played seven-a-side. I liked the seven-a-side game but I came from a basketball background and ... I believe the ones who had played basketball adapted more easily to the open space.''
4 You have had the odd grumble about how physical netball has become. Has it gone too far?
''I still believe the skills of the game should win. If someone is jumping in the air and gets pushed in the back so they can't take a high ball then I get upset. The umpires need to control that. There was a lot in [Monday night's game between the Steel and the Thunderbirds] which was not that skilful. I love the game and it is going forward. But I do think we are just a little bit at the razor's edge. You really want the game to flow and it is in the hands, I believe, of the coaches and the players.''
5 What direction will netball take in the future?
''We will always be measured against Australia, so I believe we have to give tougher competition and empower more players earlier. Australia has state championships for under-12s and they are learning the tougher parts of the game earlier and they are learning them automatically.''
6 What do you make of the state of netball in Otago?
''We are very fortunate. We've got a great club competition but we have not got enough good coaches at the lower level and at school level. Christchurch pay all their school coaches. They are skilled people ... and that is why the school teams in Canterbury, up till now, have performed better than some of our Otago teams. We've got to get more quality coaches at that level.''
