OFTEN playing against girls half her age, experienced Merbein player Rebecca Harvey says on-court wisdom helps her gameplay.
Playing netball for over 23 years, Harvey, aged 42, has developed her skills and used her experience to shine on court.
Harvey said the league’s netballers seemed to be getting younger and bigger each year.
“There’s a lot of young ones and kids are getting bigger so I’m contested more, which is great,” she said.
“I feel some games I’m playing against daughters of friends and people from school, it’s their children.”
Harvey said it was great she could still play against players so young and she thought her experience on court helped herself and the team.
“I feel like my age has helped (me) a lot, I’m definitely wise in the game,” she said.
“My undoings at times, I can work around them … playing for that long, I suppose you pick those things up a little bit.”
Playing as the team’s goal shooter, Harvey joked that she was “too old and unfit for anywhere else”.
However, Harvey has an impressive shooting history, recently racking up the third highest number of goals in the SFNL for 2021.
She also won an award for the most goals shot in the league a few years ago, but said she’s never been one to keep count of her goals, because winning was a whole team effort.
“I honestly have no idea how many I’ve shot, I never really followed that, at times I would shoot more if I got the ball more,” she said.
“I’m a shooter so (getting goals) that’s my job but whether it is myself or my GA Emily (Gray) that is fine. The smarter option at the time is the best option.”
Harvey began playing netball for Euston when they were a part of the Millewa league, before moving to the SFNL after the Robinvale Euston merger.
She said a few years later, in 2017, a friend of hers was coaching for Merbein and asked her to join the club. After her friend left, Harvey decided to stay on with the club as she enjoyed playing there.
“I felt like it was a really good fit and I was content there, so I was happy to stay,” she said.
“I feel lucky to play there, I like everyone I play with and I like to see them all do well.”
Harvey said the team she was playing with this year was great and had developed a connection with each other throughout the season.
“The girls on the team now I have played on and off with and probably known for (the five years with Merbein),” she said.
“A lot of them were B grade or between A and B, but most of them I know and the coach I knew from my early years because I played with her.
“(This year) it’s trying to find our consistency each week and trusting in each other to do what we’ve got to on the court for four quarters.”
Harvey said she enjoyed playing for the club and when asked if she would keep playing, she said she’d “take each year as it came”.
As the SFNL netballer of the round, Rebecca receives $100 courtesy of Mildura Golf Resort and Sunraysia Daily.
