Contax Netball Club are an Australian netball team based in Adelaide, South Australia. Their senior team currently plays in the Netball South Australia Premier League. Between 1989 and 1996, Contax represented Netball South Australia in the Esso/Mobil Superleague. They were premiers in 1994. They were originally known as Contax Basketball Club, when netball was known as women's basketball. During the Esso/Mobil Superleague era, they were also referred to as Adelaide Contax. Between 1995 and 2012, when the club was sponsored by ETSA, and then ETSA Utilities, they were known as ETSA Contax.
History Early years Contax Basketball Club was formed in 1952 by a group of young girls who had played for the 1951 junior South Australia team. The team was originally based in Woodville. The team was named after the Contax camera. It was suggested by the brother-in-law of the inaugural captain, Margaret Rankin. He was a camera enthusiast and suggested using a short and simple name. Contax won their first South Australia state league premiership in their debut season, defeating Tango in the 1952 grand final. The team was captained by Rankin and included three future Australia internationals – Gaynor Flanagan, Betty Rowe Whelan and Lorraine Wright. Contax initially only organized adult teams. However, from 1966 the club started to introduce junior and youth teams with training taking place in Hectorville. In 1970 Contax won their second premiership, defeating Garville in the grand final. In 1980 Margaret Angove was appointed head coach of the senior Contax team. She remained in the position for sixteen years until 1997, when she was appointed head coach of Adelaide Thunderbirds. In 1986, with a team that included sixteen year old Kathryn Harby and Michelle den Dekker, Contax won their third premiership, defeating Tango in the grand final.
Rivallry with Garville In 1988, with a team that included Michelle den Dekker and Kathryn Harby, Contax won their fourth premiership, defeating Garville in the grand final. This marked the beginning a rivalry between Contax and Garville. Between 1986 and 1996 Contax and Garville contested every South Australia state league grand final. The rivalry saw the two clubs compete in nine consecutive state league grand finals, plus one Mobil Super League final, with both clubs winning five finals each. With a team that included Harby and Julie Nykiel, a former Australia women's basketball international, Contax won their fifth and sixth premierships in 1990 and 1991. After finishing as runners-up to Garville for four successive grand finals, a Contax team featuring Jacqui Delaney won the club's seventh premiership in 1996.
National leagues Esso/Mobil Superleague Between 1989 and 1996 Contax represented Netball South Australia in the Esso/Mobil Superleague. With teams that included Kathryn Harby, Michelle Fielke and Julie Nykiel, Contax played in three successive grand finals between 1990 and 1992. In 1990 they lost to 52–42 to Melbourne City. Contax then lost out to Sydney Pulsars in both 1991 and 1992. In 1994 Contax won the title after defeating Garville in controversial circumstances. A Contax team captained by Kathryn Harby and featuring Vicki Wilson and Tania Obst, took on a Garville team featuring Natalie Avellino, Jenny Borlase and Fielke. Wilson was the top scorer and the closely fought match finish level at full time. However Garville claimed they had actually won the match 48–46. It was alleged that during the third quarter, the official scorer accidentally gave one of Garville's goals to Contax. Despite protests from Garville, extra time was played and resulted in a 61–58 win for Contax.
Commonwealth Bank Trophy In 1997 Netball Australia replaced the Mobil Superleague with the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. Contax applied to join the new league but the application was subsequently denied by Netball South Australia. They instead opted to form two brand new teams, Adelaide Thunderbirds and Adelaide Ravens. Together with Cheerio, Matrics and Oakdale, Contax effectively became a feeder team for Thunderbirds. With a squad coached by former Contax head coach, Margaret Angove, captained by Contax player Kathryn Harby and featuring several Contax players including Jacqui Delaney and Laura von Bertouch, Adelaide Thunderbirds won their first two premierships and grand finals in 1998 and 1999.
ETSA Contax Between 1995 and 2012 when Contax were sponsored by ETSA, and then ETSA Utilities, the team became known as ETSA Contax. In 2000 with a squad that included Laura and Natalie von Bertouch, Bianca Reddy and Tracey Neville, Contax won their eighth South Australia state league after defeating the Australian Institute of Sport in the grand final. Between 2002 and 2004 Contax won three successive state league premierships. Natalie von Bertouch, Kirby Mutton, Carla Dziwoki and Lauren Nourse were all members of the 2002 winning squad. ETSA Contax subsequently won further premierships in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012.
Premier League era During the 2010s Contax won a further six premierships. During the 2010s their main rivals were Matrics. Between them Contax and Matrics played in every South Australia state league grand final during the decade.
Grand finals South Australia state league Season Winners Score Runners up Venue1952Contax Tango1970Contax Garville1973 Contax1984Tango Contax1986Contax Tango1988Contax GarvilleApollo Stadium1989Garville Contax1990Contax GarvilleApollo Stadium1991Contax Garville1992Garville Contax1993Garville Contax1994Garville Contax1995Garville Contax1996Contax Garville1997Matrics Contax1999 Contax2000 Contax Australian Institute of Sport2002Contax 2003Contax 2004Contax 2005Matrics Contax2006Contax 2007 Contax2008Contax 2009Oakdale Contax2010Contax Matrics2012Contax Phoenix2013Contax34–33MatricsNetball SA Stadium2015Contax51–39MatricsNetball SA Stadium2016Matrics49–47ContaxNetball SA Stadium2017Contax59–50MatricsNetball SA Stadium2018Contax73–39Garville2019Matrics55–47ContaxPriceline Stadium2020Matrics60–56ContaxPriceline Stadium
Esso/Mobil Superleague Season Winners Score Runners up Venue1990Melbourne City52–42Adelaide ContaxState Sports Centre1991Sydney Pulsars59–36Adelaide ContaxBruce Stadium1992Sydney Pulsars59–45Adelaide ContaxState Sports Centre1994Adelaide Contax61–58Adelaide GarvilleAdelaide Powerhouse
Home venue Contax play the majority of their state league home games at the Netball SA Stadium.
Notable players Internationals
Jane Altschwager Laura von Bertouch Natalie von Bertouch Audine Cobb Jacqui Delaney Michelle den Dekker Gaynor Flanagan Kristen Heinrich Kathryn Harby Kay Jessen Lauren Nourse Shelley O'Donnell Margaret Rankine Betty Rowe Whelan Rebecca Sanders Sarah Sutter Vicki Wilson Lorraine Wright
Emily Beaton Carla Dziwoki Maddy Proud Kate Shimmin Maddy Turner
Tracey Neville Kate Shimmin
Julie Nykiel
Adelaide Thunderbirds Jane Altschwager Laura von Bertouch Natalie von Bertouch Jacqui Delaney Emily Beaton Georgia Beaton Sasha Glasgow Kristen Heinrich Kathryn Harby Kirby Mutton Tracey Neville Maddy Proud Bianca Reddy Melissa Rowland Kate Shimmin
Georgie Horjus
State / Premier League Best & Fairest Season Players 1974, 1975Kay Smerdon1977S. Lehmann 1979Kerry Hussey 1983Ros Natt 1985Rhonda Kraft 1986Michelle den Dekker 1987Wendy Frost 1988Kathryn Harby/Karen Schulz 1989Karen Schulz 1990Sarah Angove 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996Kathryn Harby 1995Rebecca Sanders 1997Vicki Neale 1998Leanne Oats 1999Laura von Bertouch 2000Natalie von Bertouch 2001Leeanne Oats/Laura von Bertouch 2002Leanne Oats 2004Rebecca Sanders 2005Amanda Martin 2006, 2007Leanne Eichler2008, 2009, 2012Jane Fitzgerald2010Kirby Mutton2011Kristen Heinrich2013, 2014, 2015, 2017Georgia Beaton2016Gia Abernethy2018Georgie Horjus2019Amehlia Schmidt2020Chelsea Lemke
Club Captains Season Player 1952–1954 Margaret Rankine1955–1958Gaynor Flanagan1959–1962Jenny Badman1963–1967Moira Clarke1968Margaret Edwards1969Rosemary Cobby1970Gerry Freer1971Margaret Van der Linden1973Gerry Freer1974–1976Kay Smerdon1978Lyn Mulroney1980Jill Dolan1981–1982Ros Natt1983–1984Kay Jessen1985–1987Rhonda Kraft1988–1992Karen Schulz1993–1996Kathryn Harby1997–1998Tania Obst1999Vicki Neale2000–2007Leanne Oats Eichler2008–2013Jane Fitzgerald2014Lauren Hyde2015–2018Gia Abernethy2015– Georgia Beaton
Head coaches Coach YearsLena Pomeroy1952–1955 Fay Dumont1958 Mavis Buckingham1961Merle Oldham1962–1963 Joan Horner1964–1972 Pauline Fielden1973–1976 Daphne Axford 1977 Jenny Bonnett1978–1979Margaret Angove1980–1996 Barney Williams1997–2000 Tania Obst2001–2006 Fay Walsh2007 Tania Obst2008–2009Margaret Angove2010–2011 Leanne Eichler2012–
Main sponsors Years Class A Jewellers1990–1993Fairmont Homes1994ETSA1995–1999ETSA Utilities1999–2012SA Power Networks2012–
Premierships Netball South Australia Premier League Winners: 1952, 1970, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018: 19 Runners up: 1973, 1984, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2016, 2019, 2020 : 15 Mobil Superleague Winners: 1994 Runners up: 1990, 1991, 1992
References
External links Contax Netball Club on Facebook Contax Netball Club on Instagram