Answer: to a leave-of-absence from her off-court position at Netball Victoria and on-court role with Hawks Netball in the Bupa VNL, across the seas to the UK Superleague and a plum starting position for Team Bath alongside England Roses captain Serena Guthrie and her predecessor Eboni Usero-Brown.
Commane is 30. Before being plucked from obscurity by Vixens’ coach Simone McKinnis for the second time, she had not played at national league level since 2016, when the quick-thinking, strong-bodied shooter first emerged from obscurity in Wollongong as a replacement player for the injured Tegan Philip.
This development was as unforeseen as it was thrilling, and if the Melbourne team’s finals bid would ultimately be thwarted by eventual champions the Sunshine Coast Lightning, then Commane’s career was simultaneously revived.
“It opened a couple of doors for me – not necessarily here in Australia, but I had three clubs from the UK get in contact with me,’’ Commane recalls.
Clubs that seen that SSN game, watched some VNL performances via streaming, and/or accessed some old footage, while Team Bath had also received an endorsement from Guthrie, after the midcourt star had finished a successful stint in Sydney with the Giants.
Thus, Commane stresses to netballers seeking higher honours and greater opportunities: keep going, work hard, and persevere, because you never know who’s watching.
“I just thought that my opportunity was done after I was with the Swifts in 2012, and then I got a phone call from Simone for the 2016 season when Tegan hurt herself, so you just don’t know,” she says. “I would definitely say ‘just because you’ve been told no once or twice before doesn’t necessarily mean the it’s definitely over’.”
Indeed, the approach from Team Bath came when Commane was preparing to play for the Shepparton Bears in the Goulburn Valley footy-netball league. By November, the former Australian 21/U representative was in England with husband Jarrett preparing for the start of Superleague in early January.
First, there were visas and other details to be organised, and a leave-of-absence to be approved by supportive Netball Victoria chief executive Rosie King.
“I sat down with Rosie and said ‘I’ve been given this fantastic opportunity to go and play overseas’, and she was absolutely thrilled for me and said ‘I’m sure we can work something out for you’,’’ says Commane, who resumed at Netball Vic last week in a new role as fan engagement co-ordinator.
Side trips to Ireland and Belgium and a detour to Italy on the way home meant there were many travel opportunities to savour during the Commanes’ time away, as well the unusual netball experience of a game being postponed because the athletes were snowed-in.
As for the standard of the netball, the verdict: “not too bad – it’s actually a solid competition!’’ One that Commane ranks as the world’s second-best domestic league after super-slick SSN, and ahead of the less physical ANZ Premiership in New Zealand.
While Team Bath finished third, Commane ended her debut season having played in every game, collected several match MVP gongs, won the Players’ Player and Coaches’ Awards as well as being named as Fan favourite. Of the latter, she jokes: “I think there was a bit of help from Netball Vic, because you can vote, so I’m pretty sure the link went viral around here!”
Regardless, having made the most of one opportunity, Commane hopes there may yet be another at Super Netball level. If not, she insists the elite Australian competition is not the only league worthy of consideration.
“It’s not the be-all and end-all. Obviously you want to be playing in the best competition in the world, but the way netball’s going, the standard’s growing and growing, and there’s oodles of Australian players that are just wanting to play, so they just go elsewhere.
“When we were over in the UK there were so many times when I’d be walking down into town to get my bus up to training and I was like ‘this is crazy, I live in the UK, I live in Bath, which is absolutely beautiful. It was very overwhelming but an amazing experience – we just loved it.’’
Written by Linda Pearce
