Blood runs thicker than water at Tallygaroopna, Bree Giles can attest to that.
Sure the Redlegs are right in the limelight as one of Kyabram District League’s A-grade frontrunners over the past decade, but it wasn’t always the case.
What has remained is the family ties ― and Giles knows all too well about the significance of playing with the ‘‘rellies’’.
Taking on Dookie United this weekend the wily goal defender chalks up her 300th club and A-grade game at Tallygaroopna, 22 years on from first hitting the asphalt in the famous navy and red.
She’s one of only three Redlegs players to have reached 300 A-grade games or more, the only other active player being her cousin Rebecca Brett.
And of the 299 games Giles has played in a Tallygaroopna dress, all bar 20 have been shared with Brett.
“That’s an extremely special relationship. We’re cousins, we’re best friends and we both play in defence together,” Giles said.
“We’ve done so for 20 years, so we know each other inside out and it’s such a good relationship on and off the court and that speaks well to our defensive partnership over the years.
“Having people out there on court that you really love makes playing netball every week that bit more special.”
Giles’ start at Tallygaroopna in 2001 was as hot as they come.
Though the Redlegs lagged well behind finals contention, the fresh-faced defender scooped the club best-and-fairest in her first A-grade season.
New to club netball, Giles hilariously conceded she didn’t even know such an award existed at the time.
However, she’d later become well accustomed to the podium walk on presentation night with a further seven best-and-fairests arriving throughout her career.
Before the bulk of her personal accolades started to roll in Giles made history as part of Tallygaroopna’s first grand final in 2005.
“Even to this day I feel like that was one of the most exciting times at the club for me personally and for us as a group,” she said.
“Even though we didn’t win it, just getting there felt like we’d achieved something really special.
“At Tally we do have a really unique situation where a lot of us are related and, in that team that made it, there was five or six of us that were related somehow.
“Achieving that with your family is really even more special and just the vibe around the club was great.
“Still to this day this is probably my favourite lead up to a grand final.”
Tallygaroopna missed out that day.
In fact, the Redlegs would be on the wrong end of five more grand finals since ― three of which Giles was involved in ― but the Tally local would finally have her flag eight years into her career.
The side knocked off Stanhope in the 2008 decider and claimed last year’s grand final in style where Giles would be bestowed Kyabram District League netball’s top prize, the Warren Medal.
“I think after playing that goal defence position in the league for over 20 years, getting it as an older player certainly meant a lot more to me than it would have when I was younger,” Giles said.
“I am older now, so I had to be a bit of a smarter player knowing I couldn’t keep up with the little ones like I could 10 years ago.
“Just proving to the mums out there and the older players that we’re still really great netballers and we still have a lot to offer a team.
“That was a cherry on top for what was such a great year after winning the premiership.”
Giles has had her fair share of awards, no-one can dispute that.
It puts her talent into perspective when considering she’s missed six years of netball due to university, a knee reconstruction and the arrival of her four daughters.
She has also coached Tallygaroopna’s juniors on two separate occasions while taking the reins as the Redlegs’ A-grade assistant in 2014.
There’s been interleague representation and committee participation in between and, now in the twilight of her career, Giles is happy enough to see three of her daughters ― Lia, Ava and Indie ― suit up for the Redlegs.
After all, people brought her to the club, people made her stay and people will be the reason why she continues to stay on well after she’s played her last minute of netball.
“When I do stop playing I’ll certainly miss the relationships, I think that’s the one thing that I’ve stayed so long for, is because of the relationships we have out at Tally,” she said.
“I feel like I’ll look back on that and how cool it was to play 20 years with my cousin and best mate and other people at the club.
“The individual accolades are great, but they’re not why I return every year.”