IAN and Ange Nitschke have played for the St Michael’s pennant team for 12 years.
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The pair met playing tennis at Central Park and moved across to St Michael’s with friends.
Ian said he and Ange – now married with two children – played for Central Park in the early 1990s. “Friends of ours came over and played for Saints and we followed,” he said.
Ange said they were lucky to play in the same team for such a long time.
“Week-in, week-out, we’re always at the same venue so it works well, especially when our kids were little too. It was sort of like a family day where we would all come together,” she said.
Ian said it was a simple Saturday when the two prepared for their matches.
“For our home games we organise afternoon tea, which is toasties. That’s the same thing every home game,” he said.
“Ange works on Saturdays so I pick her up at 1pm and then we go straight to tennis.”
Ange played all her juniors at Central Park, while Ian played at Warracknabeal.
The St Michael’s pennant team was dominant in the 2016-17 season, winning win 15 out of 16 games and going on to claim the major premiership.
“I think we’ll go okay this year, we still have Steffi and Jess McDonald who are our strongest players in the women’s side,” Ian said.
“We’re very lucky to have those two young girls with us,” Ange said.
“We have a great team. We’ve been together for over 12 years, so we’ve been pretty lucky there because we have had the most consistent side the whole way through. I think we’ll do okay.”