There are moments in local sport that don’t just belong to the scoreboard, but to the people who have quietly built a club from the inside out.
For Panton Hill Football Netball Club, one of those moments arrives this week when Elly Synan runs out for her 100th netball game in the Northern Football Netball League, making her the first player in the club’s history to reach the milestone.
In red and black, it’s a century built not on headlines or fanfare, but on consistency, connection and years of simply showing up.
The milestone is rare at the community level, even more so in a small, single-team program like Panton Hill’s, where every season is shaped as much by relationships as results. For Synan, it’s less about reaching a number and more about everything that has unfolded since she first put on the bib as a 16-year-old.
“I’m actually emotional about it. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long, but then you think about it, it’s a lot of seasons, a lot of years made up of both the winter and summer seasons,” she said.
Back then, senior netball felt like a different world. Older players, higher standards and coaches who set a demanding tone made the transition a challenging one.
“I was young and all the coaches felt really serious,” Synan explained.
“It was a bit intimidating at first.”
What followed wasn’t an overnight rise, but a gradual build. Synan started on the bench, learning the pace and pressure of senior netball, taking lessons from each season and applying them quietly over time.
That growth has shaped her into a dependable, flexible player across the court, though one position has always felt most natural.
“Wing defence just feels like home,” she said with a smile.
It’s a role that reflects her style: Steady, disciplined and team-first. But the foundation behind it goes beyond training nights and game days. Some of the earliest lessons came long before her senior debut, in backyards and driveway drills that focused on the basics until they became second nature.
“My dad wouldn’t let me leave until my passes were straight and strong,” she said.
Those habits have carried through every stage of her 100-game journey, becoming part of how she approaches the game and her place within it.
But if development explains how Synan got here, it doesn’t fully explain why she stayed. At Panton Hill, the answer has always come back to people.
“The girls, definitely. We’re all really close. Even if people stop playing, they don’t really leave the group chat. So we have girls in there that haven’t actually played with us for a couple of years,” Synan said.
In a club where netball is built around a single team, those connections run deep. Teammates become friends, seasons blur into years and group chats rarely go quiet for long. For Synan, that sense of belonging has been the constant thread through study, work and everything else life has brought outside sport.
“If I left, when would I actually see them properly?” she said.
Her involvement at Panton Hill has also extended beyond netball. Synan spent time in the football program as well, following her brother into the sport and adding another layer to her club life.
In 2024, she was part of the club’s premiership-winning football side, a highlight that sits comfortably alongside her netball achievements.
“Knowing we achieved something as a team, and for the club, after all their support, was really nice,” Synan said.
The crossover between sports also helped her development in both. Football built endurance and strength, while netball sharpened agility, timing and movement under pressure.
Although she has stepped away from football this season, netball has remained her constant. Across 100 games, Synan has experienced finals campaigns, near misses and repeated grand final appearances.
Like many long-serving players, she has also had to navigate change, particularly as one of the last remaining members from her early years at the club.
“I’m kind of the last one from when I started,” she said. “So, it’s been about adjusting to new teammates and how they play.”
That adjustment has included moments of self-doubt, especially when comparing herself to new arrivals.
“You see really good players come in that are normally younger than you and think, ‘they’re so much better than me’, but you just keep going,” she said.
Off the court, Synan has also found herself contributing in another way, stepping into a trainer role at the club. It’s a responsibility she fell into naturally, but one that reflects her broader commitment to being involved wherever she is needed.
It also speaks to her deeper connection to Panton Hill, not just as a player, but as part of the club’s fabric.
Over time, she has watched that fabric strengthen. The separation between football and netball has gradually given way to a more unified identity, something she has long hoped to see.
“I’m really excited that it’s all coming together,” she said. “Having all my friends and family in one place is going to be really special.”
As for the milestone itself, Synan is still coming to terms with it. Being the first at the club to reach 100 games is something she never set out to achieve, but something that now carries its own quiet significance.
“It just means so much because I’ve been around for so long. I’m one of the OG’s now!” she said with excitement.
Still, true to form, she is quick to shift attention away from herself.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without my family, the club and all my teammates,” she said. “I’m just excited to see what happens next.”
And if her journey so far is any indication, there is still plenty more to come in red and black.
“I’m just drawn to the club culture. I can’t leave! Someone’s going to have to drag me off the court for me to stop playing, but that won’t be for a long time,” Synan said, laughing.
