South Rovers' Kylie Carter, Nadine Porter retire from coaching, playing

The two well-respected leaders within the Warrnambool and District league featured in their final game for the Lions on Saturday. The pair had previously won an A grade premiership together at Merrivale before Carter lured Porter to the Lions some years later.

"It's been really nice, we sort of started together, then had some years apart and (now) finish together," she said.

Carter, who retired from playing in 2018, revealed she had initially planned to step away from coaching at the end of 2020 but felt the time wasn't right. She then recommitted to help get the club into the right position before stepping back.

Porter also lined up for another campaign in 2023 after initially contemplating retiring last year following a broken collarbone that derailed a finals appearance.

"I talked to Nadine, and said 'let's go one more year'," Carter said. "Because we finished in finals last year, we thought we'd have another crack.

"(But) the time has come now."

While the Lions' 2023 season didn't live up to last year's success, in part to injuries and changes in personnel, Carter found enjoyment through the group of players she coached.

"We still had a great year," she said. "Not so much on the scoreboard, but a really good bunch of committed girls who always had a positive attitude and just played with positivity every week. They keep giving it their best. They made my job easy."

Carter praised Porter, who will lead the club's under 15s into finals this month, for her impact within the A grade side in recent seasons.

"She is one of the best netball brains you'll meet," she said. "She's an outstanding player, very clever, very rare for anyone to get a ball off her.

"But what she brought leadership-wise to the court was really strong for our team and for our club. She's very well respected around the league."

Carter said while the Lions' 2011 A grade premiership was her greatest "success-driven" highlight at Walter Oval, it was the friendships, and watching young players develop, that stood out the most over the years.

"When I coached under 17s it was with the likes of Zahra Walker and Emma Mclean and Steph Jenkins," she said. "To then see those girls going into your A grade team, that's fairly satisfying.

"And some of my best friends I've made through netball. I played a lot of years with my sister (Haley Kelson). Along with Georgia Bolden, she's one of my best friends, that's how we met through netball."

Carter, who has coached various age groups across a 20-year period, is now looking forward to more opportunities to watch son Sam play football at Panmure, as well as her two nieces play netball at South Warrnambool.

"(And) I'll always pop up to Rovers to see what the girls are doing, because there is some really great girls and players there," she said. "Just to watch their progress will always be of interest for me."

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