1. What are your earliest memories playing tennis at Mt Prospect?

I was around 8 or 9 when I started playing tennis at Mt Prospect. I was playing for Clarkes Hill, as that’s where our farm was and our team was made up of kids from the school. I always looked forward to playing on a Saturday morning on the grass courts, and it was great that a number of friends also played (along with my twin sister). Was certainly a highlight of the weekends, and then there was 3 or 4 years where I was able to combine playing Juniors and Seniors on a Saturday, resulting in a long day, but certainly an enjoyable one!

2. Were you lucky enough to win any junior titles as you were coming up through the ranks?

I was able to play in some Junior Premierships, both in the Junior Competition and Junior Country week when it was in Ballarat. I was also lucky enough to win some Junior Club Championships in singles (which is about where my singles career peaked as a 16 year old 😊), with those Tournament days always great days.

3. How old were you when you started playing against the seniors and who was your first big scalp? 

My first year of seniors was around the 2004.05 season (I would have been 13) and I was playing for Dean in the A1 Grade. In terms of a big scalp, I do remember there was a “Tiebreak Tournament” after tennis one day where you got to play singles against players in different grades, and if you were in a lower Grade, you got a points advantage. Whilst the advantage certainly helped me, I was lucky enough to win the Tournament, which included beating Dave Reeves, Justin McGrath and Adam Sewell.

4. Describe yourself as a tennis player?

I don’t have a big serve or any big weapons, I have really focused on just trying to get each ball back. Growing up playing majority of doubles, I generally always serve and volley (with mixed success) and feel more comfortable at the net than the back of the court.

5. What do you enjoy most about playing on grass?

Growing up playing on the grass, it just felt comfortable to me and I always felt like I had better timing playing on a grass court. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realise how lucky we are to have access to 16 quality grass courts. Nowadays, the surface is certainly more forgiving on the body, especially when serve and volleying.

6. Who are the best players you’ve shared a court with in your time at Mt Prospect?

Very tough question as there has been a lot of great players. In no particular order, I would say Chris Todd, Justin McGrath, Kellie Swift, Tracey Amarant, Geoff Reese, Adam Sewell, Marcus Driscoll and Gary Wealands. I was also lucky enough to play 1 season with Peter Sewell, and whilst he wasn’t a spring chicken then, he was still a great tennis player, and I got an appreciation of how strong he would have been in his prime.

7. What has been the biggest win you’ve had and how would you rate your recent premierships with Smeaton in the last two season in your career?

I was lucky enough start in A Grade with a strong Smeaton team, and was able to play in 2 A Grade Premierships in my first 2 seasons. However, I think the 20.21 A Grade Premiership is the most memorable, given we just got into finals, before having a really strong 2 weeks. It was also really special to share this with Elyse (my fiancé).

8. Who have been some of the most enjoyable players to play against and can you recall any funny stories from one of your matches?

I always look forward to playing against the better players (which I mentioned earlier) as it’s usually a good level of tennis, despite whether you win or lose. One story that stands out is from a Senior Country Week in 2010 when after a large night, my doubles partner (who will remain nameless), brought back up most of the drinks he had consumed the night before. Thankfully this was at the back of the court and it didn’t draw as much attention as I had hoped it would.

9. What do you think draws people to keep coming back to our association season after season?

Certainly, I think the grass courts is a huge drawcard, along with the quality of the people across the board in all competitions. Win, lose or draw, it always is a nice place to socialise and catch up with people that you may not generally see.

10. At what age did you join the committee and what have been some of your proudest achievements in your role? 

I was 18 when I joined the committee, and 19 when I became Secretary, a position which I still hold now. Bringing membership under the Association banner was a big change, but it certainly highlighted us better across the State, and I truly believe that as a collective, we have been able to advocate stronger. This has led to us being able to invest more heavily in the facilities, with a mixture of both internal and external money.

11. Who are some of the people who have really helped the association during your time and ensure we have such a great facility, competitions and social atmosphere?

 There has been a number of great people who have given so much time to the Association, which has been one of the biggest strengths of the Association. Across my time, this includes (but isn’t limited to), Gary Lindsay, Peter Morrish, Mick Kennedy, Marcus Driscoll, Casey Preston and Peter Bertoncini. Without the work that these people have done (and continue to do), the Association wouldn’t be in the position it is now.

12. In your role with Tennis Australia, you’re in a great position to see how MPTA compares with regional associations nationally.  How does MPTA rate against associations in similar catchment areas?

 The Association certainly compares well to similar venues across the country. The real strength that has assisted Mt Prospect is the grass courts, and the quality of the people involved. The challenge compared to more metro areas is that we don’t necessarily have the foot traffic and density of population, hence the grass courts and quality of people are such a big draw card. 

13. What advice do you have for anyone reading this story about considering joining Mt Prospect next season?

It is a great place to get involved with, whether that is ranging from playing multiple competitions per week, or just participating in Tuesday night social tennis. There are options for all age groups, and certainly it is a great family Association. Tennis is truly a sport for life, and you get the chance to meet some great people whilst playing sport in such a picturesque setting, so I would highly recommend getting involved in some capacity.