Once upon a time Mudgee District Netball Association was considered the 'weaker' club in the Central West, but after its juniors' representative performance at the State Titles, this is no longer the case.
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Heading into the competition, the bar was set high with hopes of achieving a top 10 result for the 12s and 14s, while the 13s were looking for a top four victory.
However, with a combination of hard work, dedication and teamwork, all three squads exceeded expectations.
The 12s came in equal first in division three but were pushed back to second due to a countback, 13s placed first in division four, while the 14s finished in 8th, two places up on last year.
"I definitely think consistency was key. They all played around 18 games and for the 12s and 13s to only lose one or two games, they required consistency in every game," Mudgee Netball representative coach Tash Smith said.
"All of our coaches were extremely happy with all of their team's performances. They exceed the expectations which were already set high."
Placing so high gives certain age groups the pleasure of moving up in divisions meaning 13s will move to division three and 12s will move to division two.
"Mudgee Netball has not had a team compete in division two in 12 years. It will also be the first year in a long time that we will not have a team in division four," Smith added.
"This is massive for our association and really showcases the hard work we have put in recently.
It's really exciting because a few years ago Mudgee was perceived to be the weaker association in the Central West.
- Mudgee Netball representative coach, Tash Smith
While the Penrith weather wasn't friendly to the purple and yellow outfit, the players managed to work around it to ensure their chance at top spot wouldn't slip away.
"The weather conditions were a little difficult for our girls to adjust to. The courts were quite slippery, therefore the girls had to adjust their game slightly," Smith said.
"Instead of throwing long balls, they had to bring it back to short passes to ensure they could execute them and utilise their possession.
"To be able to adjust like this shows their court smarts and is an amazing skill for 12, 13 and 14 year olds to be able to identify."
Smith says the most positive aspect of the titles trip was witnessing the club culture in action.
"I think the biggest positive of the State Titles was our club culture. Every single player played for their teammates, and you could tell how passionate they are about the game," she said.
I was lucky enough to watch all of the teams play over the course of the weekend and I really noticed how strong they all played and how much fight they had. They really put in 110 per cent.
Nominations for Mudgee Netball's 2020 representative teams are now open, with coaches, assistant coaches, managers and players encouraged to apply.
Nomination forms can be found on the MDNA website.
Trials will be held on Sunday, August 25.
"Look out for Mudgee Netball, we are on the rise," Smith said.
Jay-Anna Sleeman
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
