Two rising netball stars were recognised at Wodonga Council’s March meeting, in the first Young Achiever Scheme (YAS) ceremony held under the new council.
Molly Moylan has played netball for over a decade and in the last six months been involved in the state program.
Molly’s long-time coach Kylie Murphy says her success is well-deserved.
“I coached Molly for several years in the junior squad within the Ovens and Murray Football netball League,” she said.
“This was a significant achievement, as Molly first joined the team as a young player and was up to four years younger than some of her teammates.
“She was, and continues to be, a vital member of the club, playing in senior grades and contributing significantly to the U17 team.”
According to Kylie, key to Molly’s success is her commitment and attitude.
“Molly possesses a strong character and an unwavering determination to succeed,” she said.
“Her values are evident in her work ethic and approach to the game. She is reliable, positive, committed and a coachable teammate.”
Molly plans to use the YAS funding to support her journey to Sydney in April for the Netball National Championship.
Darcy Lockhart started playing netball at Wodonga’s Kelly Park in mid-2022. He was a development player in the 2023/2024 Victorian Boys U17 team and in the reserves team in 2024/2025.
Katherine Horton, Darcy’s U16 netball coach in 2024, notes his strong sense of sportsmanship.
“Darcy always genuinely welcomes the opportunity to be inclusive and accept the diversity of players within both his team and his opponents,” she said.
“At a young age, he understands that equity is the end goal to a successful game for everyone.
“He is a skilled and dynamic athlete who has a growth mindset and who will always do the work.”
Katherine also notes Darcy’s continued pursuit of a sport that, locally, has traditionally had a low rate of male participation.
“A large portion of Darcy’s netball experience has been accumulated rurally, where the sport predominantly has female engagement.
“He has had to face some intersectional challenges in this environment, in contrast to a metropolitan setting where there may be increased male participation.
“Despite this, he has continued to pursue the sport wholeheartedly – his love of the game has been influential in our netball community where we have seen an uptake and increase in male participation across the Wodonga competition.
“Darcy’s humility in this space brings progressive strength to the game of netball in Wodonga and has introduced the start of an integral change for gender equality in rural netball.”
Darcy will use the YAS funding when taking part in the National Men’s and Mixed Netball Championships, held in Melbourne this April.
The Young Achiever Scheme (YAS) recognises and supports young people under 25 years old who display an outstanding achievement in their chosen field.
The scheme provides financial assistance of up to $800 to individuals or groups of young people to participate, develop skills, compete, perform or represent Wodonga in their chosen endeavour at a local, state, national or international level.
There are six categories:
- Arts, performance, music and dance;
- Sport and recreation;
- Community leadership;
- Education and training;
- Cultural; and,
- Agricultural, environmental and sustainability.