It’s spring in Australia so the touring teams of netball players set to visit Gleneagle secondary school for some exhibition games on Sept. 28 will just be coming into form for their season. Their hosts, however, don’t start playing until April.
That’s created some challenges for Talons’ coach Patty Anderson.
But the opportunity for her players to learn and be motivated by the skilled and speedy Aussies from Mount St. Benedict College, in New South Wales, was just too good to pass up.
So she rounded up her 40 or so girls from their classes and commitments to fall varsity sports like field hockey for a couple of practices to try to recapture their timing and chemistry that have made Geneagle’s junior and senior teams perennial contenders in league and provincial play. In fact, the junior team won a silver at last year’s provincials.
That pedigree won’t stand for much against the Aussies, who are bringing three teams on a barnstorming tour of exhibition games in Canada and the United States.
“This will be super valuable for them,” said Anderson of the experience her players will get from their well-prepared opponents.
That preparation might even be one of their lessons.
“Their warmups will be cool to watch, the way they pass and move into space,” Anderson said.
Terra Schott, a senior for the Talons, said she’s keen to watch how the Aussies play the game differently.
“Everybody has their own style of play,” Schott said. “We can learn something from them.”
Mikela Bordignon, whose older sister has played against an Australian team before, said they play a faster-paced game.
Alisha Joung, another senior, said the Talons’ biggest challenge will be getting into a game groove with only two practices.
“We’re coming from all over the place,” she said. “We won’t have the personal fitness and team chemistry. It takes time to build that.”
Still, Anderson is confident her charges will give their visitors a good battle. They’ll at least give them a good meal, as Gleneagle will also be hosting a lunch for the traveling players and coaches.
And the Talons’ players will have a chance to forge some new international friendships through the game, as well as get an early leg up on their own season.
“It’ll be up to the girls to bring whatever they learn into their netball season,” Anderson said. “It raises their level of play.”
