Being selected to represent Victoria in the Marie Little Shield squad was a major achievement for Grace Dean who travels over an hour to join her teammates for each training session.
Hailing from Shepparton, Grace has shown nothing but commitment and dedication to the team while her passion for the sport is also undeniable according to Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Kaylia Stanton.
“Grace is a fantastic team player who absolutely loves her netball and it’s shown through the travel she commits to each week, coming down from Shepparton to train and be part of the squad,” Stanton said.
Grace admits that the travel can be “hard and tiring” especially when she has to “wake up pretty early” but the avid midcourter is always eager to hit the court and play alongside her teammates.
Set to hit the road to Sydney in late October, Grace is excited to “travel with the team and trying to get the gold. We were really close two years ago,” she said.
Representing Victoria and being named in the squad means a lot to Grace who is excited and “happy” to step out on court and represent her state. But one thing she is most looking forward to is competing against the other states and seeing how the Victorians match up against their rivals, as they fight it out for the title.
“Getting to play against the other teams,” she said.
The team has a strong mix of familiar faces – including herself - and fresh faces, making the squad highly versatile, which is great for Grace who can learn from those around her.
“There’s a lot of old players and new players and I get to learn off them.”
Although Grace doesn’t know what initially sparked her interest in playing netball, she hasn’t looked back since.
“I don’t know why I love netball, but I’ve always played. It’s easy for me,” she said. “My favourite position to play out on court is centre. I like to run, and I know what I’m doing.
Despite representing her state on numerous occasions, this time means even more after the last two years of lockdown in Victoria putting a halt to community netball.
“Grace is a wonderful athlete who has been in the program for a few years now. Her dedication and determination to be the best is unwavering. She is a fantastic team player who absolutely loves her netball,” Stanton said.
Through being part of the Marie Little Shield team, Grace has learnt how to “work as a team” and is excited to bring that to the fore when they step out on court later this month.
“Her passion for the game always shines through and allows her to demonstrate how dedicated and hardworking she is. The coaches have seen great growth in her performance over the years, and it’s amazing to see that development over the years,” Stanton emphasised.
Melbourne Vixens shooter, Kiera Austin made a surprise appearance at training, with the goaler providing some tricks of the trade to the Victorian side ahead of their tournament.
“Yeah that was fun and we learnt some things which was pretty good,” Grace said.
Victoria is set to take NSW on in their Round 1 clash on Wednesday 26 October. See the full fixture here.
