By David Nagel
It takes a while to compute these numbers in your head; but Karla Brook played her 300th club game for Cora Lynn on Saturday at the ripe old age of 24!
A total of 170 junior games have now been complemented by 130 in the seniors for the Pakenham local, adding up to the remarkable figure that was celebrated at the Cobradome on the weekend.
The daughter of Cora Lynn life members Rebecca and Wayne, Karla and her older sister Emily, and younger brother Corey, have treated the famous surrounds on Bunyip River Road as a second backyard.
It’s where her passion for the sport began.
“Mum and dad were always out at the club, and Emily is a few years older than me and she was the first to start playing,” Karla said.
“Corey and I would just play at the ground during the day and then I started training with my sister’s team in juniors… I loved training and told mum I wanted to start playing.
“I was too young to play at the time, I was only nine, so had to wait until I was old enough to play under 13s at Cora Lynn.”
And once she started, she never wanted to stop.
“When I was younger I just loved playing netball so much and I wanted to play all the time,” she said.
“I was pretty lucky in my juniors; I was able to have a go at playing 15s and 17s, then go on to play A Grade on the same day.
“I played four games one day, which was allowed back then, but thank god it isn’t allowed now because there’s no way my body could handle it.
“I ended up playing five times a week and mum would be the one driving me around, to Bairnsdale, and Sale, there was Zone Academy training, then straight from Zone Academy training on a Sunday to Rep training as well, then back it up with a game on a Monday.
“I was here, there and everywhere playing netball, but I loved it.”
Karla Brook has built a reputation for being a fair but ferocious competitor on court, who loves to chase an intercept or hunt for a hard-fought ball.
“I would describe myself as a hard-ball go-getter, if I see ball I want to get ball,” she explained.
“I try not to take players out but I love nothing better than getting a nice intercept through the midcourt.
“I won’t lie, I do love a win, but I just love running around, going for the ball and saying to yourself ‘I’m not going to get that, but I’ll go for it anyway’ and then being able to get an intercept.
“I love that side of netball, and I’ll always stick up for my players.
“When they’re being mistreated or anything like that, I’ll back them 100-percent.”
Karla has a sparkling resume, winning club best and fairests for fun during her junior days and taking out a B Grade league best and fairest as well.
She has won multiple A Grade best and fairests at Cora Lynn, but is yet to taste the ultimate success as a team.
“I’ve been a little bit unlucky from a Cora Lynn perspective in finals,” she explained.
“When I was in my juniors we had an amazing 15s team, and we were able to make the grand final, but just missed out by a goal in the last 10 seconds against Bunyip.
“The next year we were undefeated, but lost the last game of the year and then got knocked out in straight sets.
”I’d love to win a premiership in any grade, every player is chasing that, but I’d also like to be around long enough to play with some of the juniors that I mentor.”
Karla said playing netball for the best part of a decade with her sister Emily was something she had never taken for granted.
“I don’t think many people can say that they’ve played 10 years of netball with their sister, because I’ve been lucky enough to step up and play alongside her every year,” she said.
“It’s just a privilege; she’s a great player and a great leader and it’s great that we’ve been able to play for so long together.”
Karla said her special day had lived up to expectations.
“It was special because I had so many people around me that have been there with me for the journey, my friends and my family, and having my in-laws there as well was just amazing.”
Not as amazing as you Karla Brook…300 games at the age of 24 is still hard to get your head around!
