Ford eyes finals return after frightening fall
In the first finals game of the 2026 GDFNL A grade netball competition, Bannockburn captain Sharon Ford suffered a serious head injury that had spectators holding their breath.
Bannockburn faced East Geelong in the qualifying final, which saw the Eagles sneak away with the win by 3 goals.
With just under ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Ford took a dangerous fall which caused her to land backwards onto the court and split her head open.
“At the time I didn’t actually realise how bad it was. I thought I was just winded because my back actually took the brunt of it,” Ford said.
“It was just one of those things that happens when you do the dance and you get bumped.”
Ford was removed from the game following this incident and has since focused on her recovery, making a quick and unexpected visit to the hospital.
“I got checked and they glued the cut back together, so now I’ve just been monitoring any symptoms but I’ve actually been feeling pretty good,” Ford shared.
“I’m obviously a bit sore, but that’s just sport isn’t it? It comes with injuries.”
With Bannockburn being forced to play out the remaining minutes of the game without their captain, Ford recognises the impact that her injury would have had on her teammates.
“I think me going down and the teams having to change courts would have probably rattled the girls a bit,” Ford said.
“We had eight more scoring shots than East Geelong, so we had our chances but it just goes to show how tight the competition is.”
Despite the final result, Ford was pleased that her team was able to continue playing and adjust their positions following the loss of their captain at such a crucial point in the game.
“I was super proud of the girls, and especially the younger girls who have had the opportunity to play in finals and fight it out,” Ford said.
“It was a close game all day and could have gone either way, but it’s moments like this that are going to set them up for the future, and that’s kind of what my job is.”
Just one day after her head injury, Ford still managed to cheer on the other Bannockburn teams playing in finals, and thanked the community for all the support she received.
“Everyone from the league and East Geelong were so great and were checking up on me to see if I was okay,” Ford shared.
“I even got messages from opposition teams, so it really makes you realise that there’s more to life than netball and it goes further than just on the court.”
As Bannockburn prepare for their semi-final game against Winchelsea, Ford is hoping to get the clearance from her doctor early this week and return to the court.
“Our goal for this year was just to make finals, so for us to have won those early games really put us in a good position for the rest of the season,” Ford reflected.
“We’ve really clicked as a team and have some really talented young girls who always want to get better and improve their craft.”
Bannockburn will take on Winchelsea this Sunday the 30th of August at St Albans Reserve, where the winner will progress into the preliminary final next weekend.
As Ford waits for the green light from her doctor, we wish her all the best with her recovery and for the remainder of the A grade netball finals with Bannockburn.
