In sport it can sometimes be hard to see the bigger picture, but you could never accuse North Shore United of that.
“We have included NSW Mens & Mixed Netball representatives Dylan Nexhip and Mitch McBurnie in our training partner positions for the first time in club history,” former NSW Swifts and GIANTS captain – now NSU Opens Coach – Kim Green says.
“We are looking forward to pushing boundaries amongst our own franchise and continue to level up both on and off the court.
“We look forward to supporting the Men in their quest to win nationals in April, and supporting our U19’s NSW players heading to Nationals also, and continue building the culture at NSU where players feel a sense of family every day.”
It’s an ethos that has served the franchise well, with an Opens title in 2020 the proof that it works.
But despite being unable to defend their title last year after the Origin Energy Premier League’s premature end due to COVID lockdowns, the winning mentality hasn’t changed.
“After a strong couple of years of building connections and building a great base, the team are looking at pushing the boundaries with court play and making sure consistency is front of mind,” Green adds.
“We will have disruptions this season with three NSU players being selected as GIANTS Netball Training Partners, but that is incredibly exciting for those players and our team.
“We have elevated three of the Under 23s to Opens team members in Ella Johnson, Erin O’Brien and Kristen Vrcelj, and franchise legend Hayley Wilson will be taking a step back from playing and will be assisting throughout the year in a coaching role.”
It’s a strong base from which to start, and NSU’s U23s team is hoping to feed off a similarly positive vibe.
"I expect us to start off with some great energy, and I am sure we find our feet within the first few rounds and come out with some good netball that we can continue to improve on each week,” U23s Head Coach Colleen Mitchell says.
“We have a totally new defence end and it will be exciting to see that develop in 2022.”
So, who are the teams to look out for in the U23s competition?
"Way too hard to say,” Mitchell says.
“Every team over the past few years has done well at different points in the competition… we were leading the comp last year when COVID hit and have a number of new athletes and combinations to try.
“I suppose, at the end of the day, the biggest competition will be the team that commits the smallest number of turnovers and executes the basics well.”
However, Mitchell is also keen to embrace the big-picture view of the franchise, with athlete development high on the coach’s radar.
“Seeing our young players come through the ranks,” she answers when asked what excites her most about 2022.
“I’m back to the drawing board with a relatively inexperienced team and I find that one of the most exciting things… to see what they can do when opportunity has been handed to them.”
With a family-first approach, NSU might just have found the key to extended success.
Find out more about North Shore United teams by visiting their Team Bios page on the Origin Energy Premier League website: https://www.nnswpremierleague.com.au/playerbios/north-shore-united-team-bios/
