ROBINVALE Euston’s A Grade netballers might be on the bottom of the ladder, but captain Kirsten Neyland says her team’s “little wins” more than make up for it.
The Eagles proved they are still a competitive side in the SFNL competition with a hard-fought draw against Imperials on Saturday.
While she conceded there were a couple of missed opportunities from her side, Neyland said she was pleased with how the team kept their heads high during a tough match.
“That was our goal, to just make sure we were positive out on the court the whole game, and that we rewarded every opportunity and congratulated the small successes within our team,” she said.
“We came off saying that those goals were achieved.”
The shooter-turned-defender said a particular focus of hers this season had been on learning more about her goal defence position, which she had taken on only in the past couple of years.
“I had a season off when I was pregnant, and when I went back I was actually playing B Grade and they threw me down (the defence) end, and I have just found a new lease on life on the court,” Neyland said.
“I love it so much more – it definitely was my secret calling.”
Although finals are no longer a possibility for the Eagles this year, Neyland said their individual and team goals were what kept them motivated on the court each week, striving to gain those personal accomplishments.
“A win is great, but we just want to be learning and improving in every game,” she said.
“If we win, obviously that’s the aim, but it’s just a bonus, and if we can just achieve the goals that we set for ourselves, then that’s a huge success for us.
“We’ve been making a lot of effort as a team – we are not really individual players anymore, we are coming together as a strong team now, I think.”
Neyland also spoke highly of playing coach Georgia Giofrelle, who she said had gone “above and beyond” for the team this season.
“She has just exceeded the expectations,” Neyland said of the young coach.
“You can tell that every minute of every day when we see her she has been thinking about netball and games and oppositions and everything – she has been living and breathing it since she got that role.”
Describing their season as a building-block year, Neyland said it was only a matter of time before the Eagles would be climbing back up the ladder.
“Give us another year, and we will start knocking off some teams, I hope,” she said.
As the round 12 Netballer of the Round, Neyland receives $150 from Mildura Golf Resort
