Netball
30 May, 2026
Pimpinio pair reach 450 games
Lisa Ward and Maree Thompson both hit an iconic milestone on May 23, playing their 450th senior game for Pimpinio during the club’s round seven fixture against Kaniva Leeor United.
Asked how it felt to play game 450, both admitted they approached it as any other game.
“It feels like another game, really,” Ward said.
“Obviously, it's a great achievement, but it was just another game that I went out there with the same idea that we wanted to win the game.”
“We play the sport because we love the sport, and that's why we're still playing,” Thompson said.
“It was a special game, don't get me wrong, but it was just like another game of netball.”
Both capped off the day with victories, with Lisa’s C reserve side winning 46-27, while Maree knocked down 27 shots to help C grade to a 56-32 win.
Among their decades at the club, Maree and Lisa identified winning premierships with their daughters as the highlight.
“Winning a premiership and getting to do it with my children or play with my daughters is a highlight for me,” Thompson said.
“I haven't played in a premiership at Pimp, but I have coached a junior premiership, and one of my daughters played in that, so that's definitely a special moment,” Ward said.
Asked whether they were considering 500 games, the duo said it would depend on how their bodies held up over the coming years.
“If the body holds up,” Thompson said.
“While we can play, we will still keep playing.”
“Let’s just take it week by week,” Ward said.