The Real Dill: Built to Bring People Together

In less than a year since opening, The Real Dill in Ravenhall has grown from an idea between two friends into a tightly knit, high-energy pickleball hub, proof that a people-first approach can build community.

"Our primary pillar here is to have the community and people front and centre. And then I think the rest will come naturally."
Joe, Founder, The Real Dill

How The Real Dill started

The Real Dill didn't start with a business plan. It started instead with a neighbour's text: "Sorry about the pickleballs over the fence."

Joe, now co-founder, didn't even know what a pickleball was back then. After multiple invitations from his neighbour to come play pickleball, he finally went with a mate to a social session nearby, got hooked, and started playing multiple times a week. That early obsession led him to The Jar in South Melbourne, where he met Ron Shell, CEO of the NPL, while running a team bonding day. A coffee turned into a partnership, and a joke, "Imagine we set up our own so we can play 24/7" became The Real Dill.

The philosophy was simple: people first, joy first. If the venue made people smile, kept them active, and gave them a place to belong, the rest would follow. That's the metric they still watch: not spreadsheets, but the happiness of people walking out the door.

The examples of how The Real Dill have made a community are abundant. Karman, 19, arrived in Australia five months ago from India with a tennis background and a search for the closest court. He found The Real Dill, and a family. "Ronnie and Joe have been great people to me… they're actually like a family," he says. "The community is excellent. I've made plenty of friends."

The Teams Classic: Where Competition Meets Community

Of the Classics series, Teams Classic is the one that best captures what The Real Dill is building. It's a proof point that the venue isn't just a place to play; it's a place to belong.

It mirrors the venue's culture: collaboration, communication, and collective wins. It's NPL-inspired but distinctly Real Dill: innovative, inclusive, and built to create stories players tell all week.

The Real Dill Teams Classic is built to be different: a fast-paced, captain-led team competition where strategy and match-ups matter as much as shots. Twenty-four teams entered, in a format designed to keep every rubber meaningful and the win always within reach. The format is simple: four rubbers per team match, played to eleven, win by two. The flexible order lets captains leverage strengths, chase momentum, and flip a tie with smart calls.

The most recent Teams Classic took place on Saturday, 8 August, and the turnout said everything about where The Real Dill is at right now. The venue was full from the first rubber to the last, with players, partners and families packed in around every court. Competition ran hot all day, the kind where every point mattered and captains earned their reputations, but it was matched, rubber for rubber, by the laughter running through the crowd.

That's the detail that stuck: how many people stayed on well after their own match had wrapped, not because there was anything left to do, but because they wanted to watch a few more rallies and cheer on their mates. Good competition and good energy don't often show up in the same room this comfortably. At The Real Dill Teams Classic, they did.

Tanya, a Friday Night Social regular at The Real Dill, had no racket sport experience 12 months ago. After watching her partner and trying a random tournament while travelling in Asia, she became "10 times more obsessed." Her and her partner competed in The Teams Classic. She described how her experience from 'rocking up and playing' turned into 'this is my crew.' "I love the fact that you can walk in as a 19-year-old, as a 35-year-old, as an 80-year-old, and still be the same level," she said.

Partners that elevate the experience: Leapmotor + LADER

Great community needs great infrastructure. Two partners stand out in how they enhance the player experience.

Leapmotor activation: Brand partners like Leapmotor bring energy to event days, on-site activations, prizes, and experiences that make tournaments feel bigger and more celebratory. Leapmotor had cars available on the day for players and people to enjoy. (Some took a much-needed rest break- and a nap or two in the C10.)

LADER: The venue runs on LADER for leagues, ladders, pods, and tournaments. According to Joe, LADER gives The Real Dill "a north star around how we structure our social plays, our clinics, our programs." It replaced whiteboards with real-time draws, live standings, and phone scoring, freeing staff to focus on people, not admin.

The automation aspect, and having scores and updates in real time, add to a seamless customer experience. The result: smoother event delivery, clearer communication, and a more polished experience from check-in to finals.

What's Next?

The Real Dill has been a cornerstone of the community since its opening. Demand from the north made the next chapter obvious. The idea to expand The Real Dill came from the community, families and friends who travelled from Epping and beyond to come play in Ravenhall. So The Real Dill team did what they do best: listened, felt the pull, and said yes. The Real Dill is expanding, and its second iteration is happening soon.

Stay tuned for more news, and more rallies, as The Real Dill writes its next chapter.