Gee Tees have been left this week mourning over the loss of their founder Jan Walley.
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She was 77.
The passing has coincided with the iconic NTNA club's 50th year that Walley built up with Cheryl Honeychurch.
Long-time club president Margaret Brown, who joined Gee Tees in 1983, said Walley was such an influential figure over the entire five decades.
"It was only in most recent years that she no longer was involved after many, many years of service," Brown said.
"I think it just only goes to prove because of her that we are the longest running club in Northern Tasmania.
"We are yet to confirm if that is also so in Tasmania, so we can't say that yet, but still that has a lot to do with Jan.
"Not so much recent years, but she set the foundation."
Walley carried over that influence to ensure that Gee Tees was renowned and embraced as a family club.
The feat said a lot about a personality that was bigger than life and nearly the sport.
"Jan encouraged a lot of the girls to play the game," Brown said.
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"Even though she did not have any children of her own involved in netball."
Walley's reach extended to not only Gee Tees, but also representative teams in the North, taking on both coach and team manager roles.
Walley was anointed a life member of the Tasmanian Netball Association after first serving her state in 1957.
That acclaim was even so great that her contribution on the board of the All-Australia Netball Association over 26 years was recognised with an Order of Australia Medal.
The 2000 medal was the first of multiple distinctions that would include a recipient of the Australian Sports Medal and induction into the Tasmanian honour roll of women inside seven years.
Brown said the club was still hoping to commemorate Walley's life this year during the club's biggest milestone.
But recent developments with the Coronavirus pandemic has put a stop to that.
"We had been organising a celebration for this year, but that has been put on hold because we can't get together, so I guess it's now just going to be postponed," she said.
"It will probably have to be next year at this stage."
A number of past players live interstate and would now need time to organise travel.
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