2026 seems to be the season of milestones, as this week, East Geelong will be celebrating Samantha Rundle as she plays her 400th game for the club.
Rundle first joined the East Geelong family back in 1985 when she was just 11-years-old and has been a member of the club ever since.
“We came across here when my brother started playing footy,” Rundle reflected.
“Ever since then, being here as a kid, we just stayed here. It’s a great community, greatly family oriented, and just a great place to be.”
Rundle has remained loyal to East Geelong throughout her sporting life, which has allowed her and her family to consider the club as a second home.
“We’ve never looked anywhere else. We’ve just always been at East Geelong and that’s part of our family.”
Prior to her netball journey, Rundle played football for East Geelong between 2000 and 2004, where she won the Best & Fairest award for three consecutive years.
Once netball was introduced to the league in 2002, Rundle started playing immediately and went on to win the A Grade club Best & Fairest in that same year.
“It’s amazing, to have been here since the start of the netball and to be at the one club that whole time.”
As her netball journey at East Geelong continued, Rundle proved that she could handle anything both on and off the netball court.
“2009, when the girls were born, was a very special year because it was also the year we won the D Grade premiership,” Rundle exclaimed.
“I had the girls in May and came back to play in July into the D Grade side, which was the first year of D Grade. That made it even more special.”
With just over a month between the birth of her twin daughters and winning the D Grade premiership, Rundle considers that year to be the highlight of her time at East Geelong.
“To win the premiership that year was amazing,” Rundle said. “It was such a good feeling to be able to come back out there and win the premiership.”
Fast forward to today, and Rundle will be lining up to play her 400th game this weekend against Bell Post Hill, where her team hopes to remain undefeated for the season.
“To be playing 400 is just super exciting and special for me” shared Rundle. “Now with the girls playing as well, it just makes it even more special.”
Rundle’s twin daughters, Dakota and Mikayla Ferguson, have also played for East Geelong since they were young and appreciate how much the club means to their family.
“It’s something really special that we’re lucky enough to experience,” Dakota acknowledged.
“It just brings all of us a lot closer. It allows us to have the opportunity to be with our family, not only at events, but together within a sport.”
As successful netball players themselves, the twins understand how important the 400-game milestone is for their mother who is a life member of East Geelong and the GDFNL.
“It’s pretty awesome that she’s played 400 games. It feels quite special to me that I get to grow up and watch her play,” Mikayla shared.
“She’s been a really big inspiration for me and my netball journey.”
Besides playing netball, Rundle also coaches the D Grade and E Grade netball sides for East Geelong, where both teams are currently undefeated for the season.
Rundle appreciates that all the players are connected and are able to work well together due to the strong family and community feeling present at the club.
“I think it’s just the flexibility we’ve got in both teams,” Rundle said. “They’re a great group of ladies and we all get along really well.”
East Geelong will face Bell Post Hill for round nine this weekend as Rundle celebrates her 400 games across 24 seasons of netball.
Rundle has no plans of leaving East Geelong anytime soon, especially whilst her family remains so supported and rooted in the club.
“We’re still here, we’re still part of the East Geelong club,” she concluded.
Congratulations Samantha Rundle on 400 games and an incredible netball journey with East Geelong.
