DESPITE a couple of stints with the Horsham Demons, Janelle Knight has always been lured back to her home club of Harrow-Balmoral.
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“I’m originally from a farm between Harrow and Balmoral,” she said.
“I’ve always played there since I was a junior and just love it down there. It’s like a big family. There are quite a lot of us that travel from Horsham.
“I left a couple of times and played and coached B Grade at Horsham. I played for Horsham from 2006 to 2008, went back to Harrow-Balmoral and then I went back to Horsham for 2012 and 2013. I’ve been back at Harrow-Balmoral since 2014. Home always called for me.”
Knight first played for Douglas-Harrow-Miga Lake as a junior and has now amassed more than 350 games for the Southern Roos.
“I played my 350th game last year so I must be around 370 or something like that now,” she said.
“I don’t think anyone has played 400 games for Harrow-Balmoral and way back I don’t know what kind of records they kept. I might have been the first to play 300 a few years ago and the club did a big thing for that.
“I’ve probably played 400 with my games at Horsham but 400 at one club would be a pretty good effort.”
“I’ve been pretty lucky playing in four A Grade premierships and coaching a B Grade premiership too.”
Knight has had to overcome some setbacks in her career, most notably an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2005.
“It was really hard and I had to do a lot of rehab for my knee,” she said.
“I was pretty lucky not to do any other damage to my knee, it was just about getting that strength back into my knee and my leg. I haven’t had any trouble since.”
Throughout her career, Knight said one player stands out as being one of the most talented players she has lined up alongside.
“Ebonie Salter is a good friend, we get along and like to have a bit of banter and honestly, she is definitely the best player I’ve played with,” Knight said.
“She was at Horsham when I went there the first time. What she provides to a team and how she brings a team together is fantastic. You might not be the best player but she lifts you and the whole team up.”
Knight is a life member of Harrow-Balmoral and said the community that surrounds the club is special.
“The community is really spread out and people come from as far as Hamilton, Horsham and just all around the area,” she said.
“You find that if you went to school there a lot of people will go away but they always get drawn back to the club.”