GRACE Manserra and Eloise Wills have played a lot of netball together in their young careers and the pair will get another opportunity at the next level in Decemer.
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The Horsham Demons juniors were both included in the School Sports Victoria squad that will compete at the 12 years and under School Sports Australian Netball Championships in December.
Both girls said they were excited to be selected in the final squad after training hard.
“It’s big opportunity and now the hard work really starts,” Grace said.
More than 3000 girls participated at the start of the selection process. Grace and Eloise impressed at a zone trial and against all the other girls from the country.
There were 40 girls at the final trials on Monday before the squad was cut to 12 on Wednesday afternoon.
Eloise said she was excited to travel to Adelaide to play.
“It will be great to do it with Grace as well and there is another girl we both know from Ballarat,” she said.
“It has been a great experience so far and I want to continue to learn and develop my game.”
There will be training sessions with the squad between now and the championships and the girls will continue to train together regularly with the rest of their Demons teammates during the season.
Grace said she was most excited to wear the Victorian uniform.
“To know that I’m wearing a Victorian dress and representing Victoria,” she said. “Eloise and I are very lucky to have each other in the team.”
After the season Eloise said she would continue to keep her fitness level up by swimming and playing basketball.
“I think there will be a few more sessions with the squad at that stage as well,” she said.
Penelope Manserra and Helen Wills both said they were proud of what their daughters had achieved.
“Eloise was just doing it for the experience at first so to get in is pretty special,” Helen said.
“It’s really exciting and wonderful that the two girls have been selected in the team together.”
Penelope said she had hoped they would do well at the trials.
“It was just a good opportunity to play against kids of a similar calibre,” she said.
“Grace has been really lucky to have some really good netball coaches to this point in Mel Scott, Helen, Di Hayes and Tony Lloyd.
“Those four people are pretty important in where she is at today.”
Grace was also the only bottom-age player in the Wimmera Netball Association 13 and under team that made it all the way to the association championships.
“I think that really held her in great stead for the trials,” Penelope said.