Katandra’s C-reserve has a big score to settle on Sunday.
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The Kats gird up the loins for a monumental semi-final against Rennie, but first there’s Nicole Damon to celebrate.
Katandra’s servant of 28 years is playing her 450th club game, becoming the Kats’ all-time appearance holder in doing so.
Damon did admit she wondered if the milestone would ever roll around, but now that it has, she could only laugh at the timing.
“Well I was a little bit shocked to start with because I thought I wouldn’t be doing it in finals,” she said.
“But no, it’s a great honour to be able to do that for a club I have been at for all my adult life.
“That’s another great honour in itself (to hold the record) because Katandra has had many great netballers go through there.
“So to be able to be amongst that sort of calibre and be in that group of ladies is a very great honour.“
Damon has become the ultimate clubperson in Katandra colours in close to three decades around the Queen St courts.
She’s been a secretary, a netball director, an A-grade player, B-grade player and is now coaching the C-res side towards a hard-nosed finals finish.
Much more than that, Damon is a friendly face to chat to ― she’s always been that way.
The soon-to-be 450-gamer began playing her junior netball for Central Ave and later followed her father, the great Gary Cooper, to Shepparton East.
Work and school got in the way of the netball for a few years, but when she landed at Katandra aged 18, she knew she’d found her calling.
“I just find it’s just a great family club,” she said.
“To me it’s not just a footy club, it’s sort of like a second family really.
“It’s just great community, they’re always there for you. They’ve always been really good to me and my family and I’ve made all my good friends basically from there and met so many great people.
“Basically it’s that familiness, that community spirit ― that’s what has kept me there.”
Katandra has found a gem in Damon.
And just like a precious stone, her value has only increased as the years have passed with the long-standing goaler returning three premierships back to the club during her time.
There may well be another on the way given the Kats get up over Rennie this weekend.
“It’s been a great season, it’s a really good, tough comp this year,” she said.
“Our finals series is really anybody’s I think at this present point, so we’re just hoping we get the win this Sunday.”
Win or not, Damon owes Katandra nothing in light of her dedication underpinned by Sunday’s milestone.
However, there was a time when she felt like she did.
Her youngest son Blake fell ill after playing an under-14 game for the Kats in 2017, later diagnosed with leukaemia where many a night was spent at Ronald McDonald Charity House.
While he made a full recovery and, remarkably, a full return to footy four years later, Damon said she leaned on the support of Katandra Football Netball Club during that time.
And that’s something she’ll never forget.
“Life took a bit of a turn after that, my son got sick and that’s why it’s been a bit of a chore to get to where I am,” she said.
“But that’s where Katandra has been fabulous, they’ve accommodated when I could and couldn’t play and looked after us.”
As for her own journey, Damon is fine with saying the brakes are starting to pump on her playing career.
She was a feared shooter who could rattle the net from anywhere in the circle, but in recent years has switched roles to offer her expertise from a wing attack position.
How long will Damon continue to don the dress? Only she knows.
However, if Katandra wins the C-res flag in a few weeks’ time the club may farewell one of its greats.
“I did say that if we went all the way that was it and, look, in all honestly it probably still could be,” she said.
“The body is probably starting to tell its tale and life is going in different directions now. I’m not saying it’s a final decision, but it’s definitely on the cards.
“My hope is that my two boys will be back out there playing next year and my daughter-in-law and they’ve just had a baby.
“I said I’d do babysitting duties, it’s their turn to have a go now. That’s the plan, hopefully I can get them all there.”
Senior Sports Journalist