Walker’s Imps homecoming

EVERY Werrimull netball team Alison Walker coached over seven years made it to a grand final, so Imperials fans will be thrilled to know that she’s returning to her childhood club as the A-grade coach for the 2024 season.

A three-time league best and fairest and multiple premiership winner in the Millewa League, Walker said it was an extremely difficult decision to leave Werrimull.

“Really difficult decision, I loved playing and coaching out at Werrimull, my sister is out there and I love the kids and the family atmosphere,” she said.

“I was always going to come back to the Imps, I didn’t know when … but it felt like the right time to return.”

Walker, who has spent most of her career playing as a shooter, last played at Imperials from 2014 to 2016, a time when she had just begun to coach at the junior level.

“I did some coaching with Imps between 2014 and 2016, that was mainly with the under 17s division one and two teams,” Walker said.

“Then at Werrimull, it was all A-grade and A-reserve.

“My sister Amanda (Ramsey) mentioned to me that every team I’ve coached has made the grand final, not every team has won but every team has made it which is a nice little stat.”

While it remains unknown if she’ll take the court, Walker said she looked forward to developing the array of young talent already at the club.

“I know there’s some pretty strong junior girls coming through the ranks,” she said.

“That excites me, I like the idea of development.

“It would be really nice to find some mature age netballers that I used to play with that might get on board and help those juniors along the way, hopefully it won’t have to be me but we’ll see.”

Imperials, who finished seventh with just three wins in the 2023 season, will be hoping to improve next season.

Now, a mother and stepmother to four children, Riley 13, Molly 3, Logan, 2, and Maggie, 3 months, Walker said she hoped to stay settled at Brian Weighman Oval.

“Molly hasn’t really taken to the sport yet but she loves to come down and watch … whereas Logan already loves to play with a netball,” she said.

“I’m not sure yet if they’ll end up playing but if they do I’d like them to develop their skills at Imperials.”