Sisters galore for Murray Bombers

By Bransen Gibson

May 5, 2022

Family: Sisters Kylie Walker and Tina Rankins, Meg, Lucy and Georgie Eishold and Lilli and Jorja Oliver after their B-grade game on Saturday. Photo: Alan Davidson

All smiles: Sisters Maddie O’Nial and Steph Vick both hit the court for the Murray Bombers last weekend. Photo: Alan Davidson

Sister act: McKenna and Zaya James after their games on the weekend. Photo: Alan Davidson

Doing it for themselves: Claire, Bridget and Rose Byrne. Photo: Alan Davidson

Siblings: Tess and Meg Rohde. Photo: Alan Davidson

It was a family affair at Victoria Park on the weekend for the Echuca Football Netball Club, with a plethora of sisters in action for the Murray Bombers.

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A total of 17 sisters from seven mothers were on the court for Echuca on Saturday, playing across the As, Bs, B-reserves, under-17s and under-15s.

Claire and Bridget Byrne were teammates in Echuca’s A-grade side, while their other sister, Rose, was on the court in the under-15s.

At one point, the B-grade side was made up entirely of sister combinations.

Kylie Walker and Tina Rankins, Meg, Lucy and Georgie Eishold, as well as Lilli and Jorja Oliver all played together, with the seven all on the court at the same time.

Meg Rohde was in action for the A-grade side, with her sister Tess playing in the under-15s, and A-grade coach Steph Vick was on the court and her sister Maddie O’Nial played in B-grade.

In the juniors, sisters McKenna and Zaya James played in the under-15s and under-17s, respectively.

Tonya Eishold was at Victoria Park last weekend and got to watch her three daughters Meg, Lucy and Georgie in aciton.

It was the first time the three sisters had played together, something Tonya said was special to see.

“It was very exciting, I was very pleased,” Tonya said. “It’s great that they were all able to play together.

“They have played basketball together in the same team, but that was the first formal netball game that they played together.

“I think they felt it was really special and I did too, because there is a bit of an age difference between the girls, the fact that they have reached the stage that they are all able to play together in the same team is a good achievement.”

The three Eishold sisters started playing netball in the under-17s, and all three have only ever played netball for Echuca.

Tonya said she thought the trio had great chemistry out on the court.

“I thought they played well together, which I thought was nice because they have been playing in the back yard for a long time together, particularly when they were little,” she said.

“I enjoyed the opportunity that they could play together.”

While Saturday was the first time the Eishold sisters had played together, Tonya said she did not think it would be the last.

“I think they will have that opportunity to play together again,” she said.