Laharum A Grade netball playing coach Rebecca McIntyre will become just the fifth woman in the history of the Horsham District Football Netball League to play 300 A Grade games this weekend when she and her side take on Kalkee.

McIntyre played 192 A Grade games with Noradjuha-Quantong before crossing to the Demons, where she is preparing to play her 108th game at the top level.

The storied defender has appeared in a staggering 12 Horsham District league grand finals, winning six – four with the Bombers and two with the Demons, including Laharum’s first-ever A Grade premiership in 2019 and last season’s undefeated side.

McIntyre said the milestone had allowed her to take stock of a near 25-year netball career that also saw her play in the Wimmera Football Netball League and take time off during pregnancy.

“I definitely don’t take it lightly, the opportunities that have been given to me – and the ones we’ve been able to create through the people around me and the teams I’ve played with,” she said.

McIntyre, who made her A Grade debut at age 15, said her time away from the Horsham District league made the milestone, which qualifies her for league life membership, even more meaningful.

“It’s incredibly special to me,” she said.

“There are only a handful of women who’ve achieved this before, so to now be in that company is something I will hold close to my heart.

“To have been part of one league for this long is rare. It’s not easy for women to get to 300 A Grade games – many have to take time off for kids or other life commitments. So for me, this milestone feels even more significant.”

McIntyre said she regretted not having a chance to play alongside her daughter Izabella, but was proud of the fact that they played against each other in a final last year.

While remaining tight-lipped on whether this season would be her last, McIntyre said she hoped to inspire the next generation of netballers for as long as she played.

“I just hope I’ve made a difference. That I’ve impacted lives and helped create a future where girls believe they belong in sport – and continue to play any sport – because it literally shapes the course of your life,” she said.

McIntyre’s career highlights:

300 Horsham District Football Netball League A Grade games – 192 with Noradjuha-Quantong, 108 with Laharum; six premierships – four with Noradjuha-Quantong, two with Laharum; played in 12 grand finals; player-coach of Laharum’s undefeated 2024 A Grade premiership; Wimmera Regional Sport Assembly Coach of the Year, 2024; member of Wimmera Regional Sport Assembly Team of the Year, 2024 – Laharum; member of Noradjuha-Quantong’s teams of the decade for 1997-2007 and 2008-2017; member of Noradjuha-Quantong’s team of the quarter century for 1997-2023; member of Laharum’s team of the decade 2010-2020; represented and coached multiple HDFNL interleague sides.

• Players who have reacherd the 300 game milestone since the HDFNL formed in 2014. Jo Taylor, Cheryl Sudholz, Michelle Trigg and Emily Hateley.

There would be more from when the netball was a standalone comp before that.