The Diamond Valley Basketball Association would like to announce Margaret O’Connor as a newly appointed Life Member of the Association.

Margaret O’Connor started her journey with Diamond Valley back in 1973 as a parent and helper for the Basketball Association. Margaret is the only parent to have all 5 sons (Frank, Joe, Peter, Terry and Leo) and 3 daughters (Catherine, Pauline and Maureen), to all play in either juniors or in the open competition in some form under the Diamond Valley Eagles banner. Her eight children all played, refereed and coached within the Basketball Association. In order to better understand her children’s love for the game, she took up playing the sport herself at the age of 42 in the DVBA’s Open Women’s Competition.

Margaret was a key volunteer in the early days for the Eagles; assisting for numerous years in the Eagles Uniform Shop, sitting as a Committee Member and a fundraising volunteer for touring parties of junior teams that ventured interstate and to other countries such as New Zealand and USA. She was a volunteer and key organiser for the Churinga Sports Day (Late 70s). This was an event which was held for intellectually handicapped basketball players and included fixtured games at the Diamond Valley stadium.

Margaret housed numerous imports that joined the Eagles senior team and educated them in the DV-Eagles way. She became their second mother and still to this day some of these players keep in regular contact from all areas of the world with her. Some of these people include Brook Gray, Jim Town and Ronnie Ryer. She regularly opened her house to billet junior players and families when they were visiting on interstate visits.

She was a very keen supporter of the North - East Melbourne Arrows when they formed to compete in what we know today as the SEABL. She had a great reputation amongst the players of both home and away teams, thanks to her supply of afternoon tea scones.

With 30 years as a Diamond Valley Eagles Score Bench official, Margaret retired from the role in 2012. Margaret had the qualifications and experience to score from junior domestic games to SEABL, Big V and other Championship levels. She scored for the Monday CBL competition, the Great Australia Shootout Tournament as well as a number of international games conducted at Diamond Valley.

Margaret has not only continued to serve the Diamond Valley Eagles over many decades, and in many areas, but to this day she continues to be a real one-eyed supporter of Eagles family ethos.

Her dedication and commitment over the years was so infectious that to this day, sees the family name connection continue at not only Diamond Valley but also throughout the ranks at our neighbouring Basketball Club – Eltham, through family names of O’Connor, Cukier and Hogan.

We would like to thank Margaret for her many contributions over the past 40 years and congratulate her on becoming a Diamond Valley Basketball Association Life Member.