SINGLE girls, don’t be afraid to check out opposition footballers.
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It’s what Stacey O’Sullivan did just over a decade ago when she played for Warrnambool.
While she admitted it “took a few weeks” to hook the nice-looking Terang footballer who caught her eye, he is now her husband.
The couple will create Hampden Football Netball League history tomorrow when they become the first husband and wife to earn life membership into the league.
While Nick O’Sullivan received life membership in 2004 after playing his 250th senior match, Koroit’s Stacey will reach the milestone tomorrow.
She becomes only the eighth netballer to join the exclusive club.
“It’s just nice that we’ve both represented the league for as long as we possibly can,” she said.
While Nick, now retired, soaked up two senior premierships, Stacey has played in an envious seven senior flags — three with Warrnambool and four with Koroit.
The Saint believes an eighth one is within reach this year.
“I think we can definitely play in a grand final and hopefully we can win it,” she said.
The regular interleague representative cites her first-ever premiership with Koroit in 2001 against former side Warrnambool as her career highlight.
“We were the underdogs and no one gave us a chance,”
she said of the three-goal victory.
“It was just a very exciting game.”
The 31-year-old lined up with the Blues until the end of 2000, when she and Nick decided to share a new club.
They chose Koroit because they had bought a block of land in Illowa, where they live now.
“I loved it at Koroit but it was a little bit harder for Nick to settle because he had played at Terang for years and years,” she said. “In 2002 Nick wanted to go back to Terang.
“Even though I really loved Koroit I thought I’d go there for him.”
Stacey spent a year at Terang before the travelling became too much for her, effectively seeing her return to the Saints.
Nick joined her at Koroit in 2004, where he stayed before hanging up the boots in 2007.
Stacey — the mother of Jack, Paddy, Finn and Shelby — believes she has a few seasons of netball left in her.
“I’ll probably play until I’m about 34, 35,” she said.
“The body’s good, it’s just my kids are starting to play so much sport.”
The defender’s milestone tomorrow will be a family affair as the Saints tackle Terang Mortlake — her sister Jess O’Connor’s side.
The siblings are likely to match up against each other in the goal circle, promising spectators an entertaining and physical duel.
“We talk every day but we haven’t really said much at all about this weekend,” Stacey said.
“It’s nice (the milestone’s) going to be against Terang.”
