At just 19 years old, Keely Rodrigo typifies the Canberra Darters team which starts its Australian Netball League campaign on Saturday with a double header in Launceston.
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The team – which represents the top of the elite netball pathway in the ACT – has seven players under 21, and this season will be captained by Rodrigo, the reigning Darters player of the year.
"[Rodrigo's] been at the AIS and in the Australian 19 and under squad and Australian 21 and under squad previously, so we'll be looking for her to stand up," Darters coach Melinda Clarke said.
While there are some more experienced players bolstering the young line-up, Clarke knows the competition will be a tough one for the Darters.
"There's a number of teams in the league which are linked to an ANZ [Championship League] franchise … [they] get some players coming back down to play ANL, so that's always really challenging for our younger guns."
Combining in defence with the teenaged Rodrigo will be her Tuggeranong teammate, former NSW Swifts premiership player Nardia Macdonald, 17 years her senior.
"We played together in Sydney for Baulkham Hills as well, so we've got all that behind us, two seasons together, so hopefully that works out for us against the ANL teams," Rodrigo said.
"There's a saying my old coach used to say … 'defence wins games and shooters sell tickets'."
While the Darters haven't finished in the top half of the draw since the inception of the ANL, selling tickets has proven to not be an issue; they regularly attract 800 people to the AIS Arena for home games, but they'll have to wait until August for their first home game.
"Four games away from home is a pretty tough start to the season, but the girls have been working really hard and feel like they've had a really good preparation and are ready to go in Tassie this weekend," Clarke said.
The pre-season emphasis for Clarke has been on physical preparation, with her expectation for the team being to compete for four quarters every game.
"We've had some really competitive games in previous seasons where we haven't been able to play four quarters and one quarter has let us down in terms of the overall result," Clarke said. "We just have to try to play four consistent quarters."
Rodrigo said the hard work together in the gym is paying off.
"There's a real sense of team this year which is cool, like pushing through fitness sessions together and just the support we have for each other on court, so it will be interesting to see how we play,'' she said.
"I have every expectation that it's going to be hard work, every game's going to be hard work, but that's what we're good at; pushing through."
Saturday July 5: Tasmanian Spirit v Canberra Darters
Sunday July 6: Queensland Fusion v Canberra Darters
