Before last weekend, Longford Netball Club hadn't done a fundraiser for a while and Caitlin Grant was looking to change that.
Identifying Outside the Locker Room as her charity of choice after seeing Robert DiPierdomenico fly the flag on reality television, Grant came up with a simple but also outlandish idea.
"I thought a netball club may as well play netball and thought that playing it for 24 hours is a good way to raise money," she said.
"Everyone knows someone that's struggling or has lost someone due to mental health, so I thought that would be a great cause to raise money for."
Starting at 10am last Saturday before finishing 24 hours later, matches were played in one-hour sections, with players from the club's under-11, 13, 15 and 17 teams taking part as well as their NTNA mid-week teams.
The event also brought together teams from the community, with Bracknell Cricket Club and Evandale and Longford football clubs also taking part.
"All the footy boys were really supportive and they donated a large amount of money which was great as well," Grant said.
It was good to see the boys step outside of their comfort zone and play netball, which is definitely not their preferred sport but they did great.
- Caitlin Grant
Setting themselves a target of $1500 at the start of the challenge, the club had raised $2670 as of Friday afternoon, with sponsorship and a silent auction helping boost the total.
Holding the event at Longford Health Revival, a spacious area with a break room and a kitchen with constant coffee made the fundraiser easier but Grant, who was one of several people there for the full 24 hours, said it was still tough.
"It was very physically challenging, we had a couple of people pull out due to sickness and that kind of thing.
"I was there for the whole 24 hours, so that if there was ever a person short I was playing.
"I played for a total of 13 hours, so I'm still recovering but that's ok."
To donate to the fundraiser, visit the mycause.com.au website and search Longford Netball Club.
Josh Partridge
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
