Bev continued to play the game she loves so much until injury temporarily forced her to hang the sports shoes up for an extended period in her early 40s. It was then she swapped roles from player to superfan. She joined other excited Southlanders at Centennial Hall for the Sting’s first franchise competition match in 1998, viewing the talents of elite players Bernice Mene, Donna Loffhagen and Julie Carter and their highly successful coach, the late Robyn Broughton. Competition matches moved to the purpose-built courts at Stadium Southland in 2000. The Southern Sting team enjoyed enormous success and popularity winning seven national titles in 10 years. The loyal fanbase, including Bev, dressed in team-coloured hats, wigs, masks and clothing, waving streamers or banging thundersticks to further inspire the players. Bev used her sewing abilities and arts and crafts skills to make several different netball supporters outfits over the years but it was when she decided to step up and take on the fan persona Dame Steel that she made the decision just one outfit needed to stay. She does, as indicated, make little changes each season, sewing the faces of new players onto her cheer-leading pinafore gown.
Bev even promoted the great sport of netball in her workplace. A qualified Diversional Therapist, her work involved organising social or physical interactions including creative and fun programmes, events and exercise. She coordinated regional players to visit care facilities and give talks to the residents. On several occasions she even organised limousines to transport Calvary Hospital residents to Southern Steel matches and at one of these the Steel players, in addition to the visiting Australian Firebird’s team, headed outside to physically greet and escort the residents into the stadium for the match.
Image: Recent photo of Bev in her ‘Dame Steel’ outfit.