OUYEN United’s Ellen Morrish has been a key performer this season, adapting to her team’s weekly player changes to help the Kangas maintain their third spot on the ladder.
Morrish began playing for Ouyen United during her Net Set Go years before moving to the Walpeup Underbool Football Netball Club.
Spending a few years in the Mallee League before it folded, Morrish ultimately returned to Ouyen United, where she has played A grade ever since.
With multiple premierships under her belt, the wing attack player has been a key competitor for the Kangas, who have struggled with player illnesses and injuries this year.
Morrish said despite playing with different teammates each week, the Kangas’ A grade side had still been performing quite well.
“It has been a bit tricky (this season), we have struggled with injury and illness and stuff, so it has been hard for us to fill our teams,” she said.
“It has been inconsistent, but I think we had lots of depth in the teams which has helped us along.
“We have been pretty flexible and adaptable.”
Ouyen United have maintained their third spot on the ladder this season and will next week take on fourth-placed South Mildura in the semi-final.
Morrish said she hoped the team would have a set seven for the finals, but stated they would be fine either way.
“Hopefully we can get some consistency in the next few weeks and give it a good crack,” she said.
“But I think we have shown that even if we do have some people out we are still very competitive with people coming up form B grade and even C grade too.”
Morrish, who was selected as the Netballer of the Round during Ouyen United’s round 17 game against Robinvale Euston, said the team had to utilise quite a few B and C graders at the weekend.
“(The game) was a bit of a funny one,” she said.
“We had a few of our key players out, away and injured, but some of our B graders and C graders really stepped up for us and we managed to get the win.
“(We) probably didn’t win by as much as we wanted to, but a win is a win.”
Morrish said she still had some consistent teammates by her side most weeks, a few of which she had played with for some time.
She had played with both Tayla Willsmore and Catherine Brown at Walpeup Underbool and had played with Tsharni Burns since she joined Ouyen United.
Morrish, who used to play wing defence before moving to WA, said Esther Manly had also been a teammate she consistently played with.
“Esther, she is normally a defender too and she turned attacker this year as well, so we are still finding our way but it has been really good to play with her and work it out together,” she said.
*As this week’s Netballer of the Round, Morrish receives $100 courtesy of Mildura Golf Resort and Sunraysia Daily.
