Pomonal, Australia, 30 October 2024 | Luke Dennehy

When John Fitzgerald officially opened the two new courts at the western Victorian country town of Pomonal last weekend, it brought back so many memories for the former world No.1 doubles player.

‘Fitzy’, as he is universally known as, grew up in Cockaleechie on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, playing tennis on similar asphalt courts.

“This reminds me of my heritage, I genuinely feel it,” he said. “The town I grew up in, Cockaleechie, was a farming community that had three tennis courts.

“A bit like Pomonal, it had a cricket oval and a hall, where our parents used to go to Saturday night dances and we stayed in the car when we were little kids.

“The courts we had were similar to this, but not in as good shape. In fact, there were quite a few mushrooms and grass growing through the courts, which was sometimes hard to navigate, and there were more flies.”

Bushfires devastated the community of Pomonal in February this year and the new courts formed part of the proud community’s recovery.

The courts were built with the support of the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation’s Ride to Remember and the Ararat Rural City Council.

“This community has gone through a lot and to see what they have done here to build these tennis courts is just amazing,” Fitzy said.

The Australian Open trophies visit Pomonal; CFA Captain Randall Bacon with John Fitzgerald. Photo: Tennis Australia

As well as cutting the ribbon and opening the new courts alongside Pomonal Tennis Club president Michelle Stewart, Fitzy was visiting as part of his work supporting the AO on the Road program.

AO on the Road – which showcases the Australian Open trophies Norm and Daphne at locations around Victoria – is a joint initiative between Tennis Australia and Tennis Victoria with the support of Visit Victoria.

Already the trophies have been to the Bacchus Marsh and Castlemaine Tennis Club, and in coming months will visit Mt Beauty, Warrnambool, Morwell, Red Hill and Mt Eliza tennis clubs.

“It’s about taking the sport we love and the two AO trophies to all these fantastic communities and looking forward to next year’s Australian Open,” Fitzy said.

“We find when we bring the trophies everyone is so welcoming, and you never meet people who aren’t good people in places like this.”

Australia has a proud history with many of the nation’s iconic players, including Fitzy, starting out on courts just like those at Pomonal.

Fitzy acknowledged the integral part the sport and such facilities played in regional and rural communities.

“Tony Roche, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Evonne (Goolagong Cawley) and so many others started in the country and regions just like this,” he said.

Future AO on the Road tennis club locations

• Mt Beauty – Sunday, 3 November
• Warrnambool – Sunday, 24 November
• Morwell – Saturday, 30 November
• Red Hill – Sunday, 1 December
• Mt Eliza – Sunday, 15 December