EDENHOPE netballer Sacha McDonald was named in an Australian 17-and-under squad on Wednesday.
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McDonald said it was always humbling to be selected in squads such as this one.
The 36-player squad was selected based on player performance at the National Netball Championships.
“It was not something I had really thought about too much,” McDonald said. “There might be something in the back of your mind but you’re focused on the team’s performance rather than individual performance.”
McDonald was vice-captain of the the Victorian 17-and-under squad that came up just short in the grand final on April 22.
The side lost 26-25 to South Australia but had to fight back after a slow start to the game.
McDonald is joined by six other Victorian in the squad that will undertake a high performance camp starting on September 25.
“It will be an awesome opportunity,” she said.
“I know a couple of the other girls selected but to be an environment meeting other top quality players is always good.
“It will also be a great experience to be coached by some elite level coaches.”
McDonald currently plays for the Ballarat Sovereigns in the Victorian Netball League and she said that while growing up in Edenhope she did not think about getting to the national level.
“I come from a very sporting family but being so rural did make it difficult at times,” she said.
“But it did mean I grew up playing for the love of the game and I suppose that helped. It was just something we would do as a family.”
She said she thanked her parents, Cath and Paul, for all the support they had always given her.
Netball Australia’s general manager of high performance pathways Stacey West described the camps as an athlete’s opportunity to develop and progress into the elite pathway of netball in Australia.
“Whether it’s their first experience in the national pathway or they’ve been in the system a while, these athletes will benefit from specialised coaching to further develop their position-specific skills,” West said.
“The 17-and-under camp focuses on the development of their playing position, developing their skill set in the attack and defence units, then translating this new knowledge.”
