IT’S almost impossible to tell on the netball court that Maggie Smith is only 15 years old, with the teenager well and truly holding her own in Sunraysia A Grade netball this season.
The Ouyen United goal shooter stands at 186cm tall, which, when paired with her exceptional talent for the game, makes her a true powerhouse.
Smith made her A Grade debut for the Kangas last year at 14 and was subsequently selected in the Netball Victoria Talent Academy.
Moving to Ballarat for boarding school this year, Smith was originally only going to play a couple of games for the Kangas during school holidays and bye rounds from her other club, Lake Wendouree.
But six games later, the young shooter said she was “coerced” by coach Kyra Nathan to qualify for the club in order to help them into their finals journey.
Smith said it had been great to be back playing her with hometown club, and she was feeling confident in the countdown to finals.
“I didn’t think it would be easy, but since I played with them last year, it was actually a really easy transition back onto the court with the girls,” she said.
“We made finals last year, so I would like to see us go a bit further than the prelim, and I have high hopes.”
When asked what she enjoyed most about netball, Smith said the unpredictable nature of the game was what she found most exciting.
“It initially was playing with my friends and the social side of it,” she said.
“But since coming to Ballarat and joining the state and rep teams, it’s more about the competition – you never know what to expect in any game, especially coming down into a new league.”
The potential for Smith in the sport is evident, and she said she hoped to one day find herself in the Suncorp Super Netball competition.
“It’s always been one of the higher hopes, and that is one of the reasons why I decided to move to Ballarat so I would have a better opportunity of it,” she said.
As the round 17 Netballer of the Round, Smith receives $150 from Mildura Golf Resort
