RISING THROUGH THE RANKS

NEWTOWN goal defender Jacqui Newton is not yet 21 but she is already making a mark on the netball world. Now, her hard work for the Eagles and VNL team City West Falcons is paying off, with the talented youngster earning a spot as a training partner with

THE long hours spent travelling to, training for and playing netball are starting to pay off for Jacqui Newton.

Newtown’s gun goal defender (pictured), who has taken the GFNL by storm this season in partnership with Eagles stalwart Amy Wirth, was recently named as a training partner for the Melbourne Vixens.

The 20-year-old, who is originally from Wodonga and won the Ovens and Murray Agrade league best-and-fairest at 17, has made national squads and state sides before, so she is no stranger to receiving grand accolades.

But her latest achievement puts her in the frame to be playing at the highest level soon.

Newton said this was clearly the biggest step yet towards achieving that goal. “It’s very exciting,” she said. “I found out a couple of weeks ago and had a call from their high-performance manager. I went in and obviously wanted to be on board so I’m really excited to be starting.

“There is a chance (of playing in 2018), it is quite slim, but I’ll take any opportunities I can get.

“This season just passed they had an injury in the midcourt and in the defensive end, so two girls travelled around with the Vixens and put the dress on a couple of times. They didn’t actually get the opportunity to take the court because the Vixens have their starting seven but they were still there on the bench.

“Just to have that opportunity, I’ll take anything I can get.”

Next year looms as the most significant of Newton’s fastrising career.

She will play for the Victorian Fury in the ANL for the first time, be training with the Vixens and is likely to continue in her current roles for Newtown and VNL team City West Falcons.

The added mix of the Commonwealth Games in 2018 could also increase Newton’s chances of playing for the Vixens, but her concentration at the moment is on maintaining a solid fitness base for the start of pre-season training in November.

“The Commonwealth Games finishes and then two weeks later the season starts, so it will be go, go, go for that period around March and April,” she said.

“With the season starting later it will overlap with VNL and ANL a lot, so it’s looking like a busy year but I’m very excited.

“The more I get to train it just gives me more opportunities. And the Vixens are such a talented team, I think they had five named in the Australian squad, so when they are lifted up it pushes me up as well . . . so you just take what you can get.”

The talented youngster arrived at the Eagles with big expectations but has proven time and again she can handle herself in big games.

With finals around the corner — for Newtown and the Falcons — Newton said there was no doubt playing GFNL in 2017 had helped enhance her game.

“I love playing at Newtown, especially with the Falcons girls and defending with Amy Wirth this year has been really fun,” she said.

“It is some extra match play that I get during the week and I played a few games last year but unfortunately couldn’t qualify for finals as I had an AIS camp and I missed out by one game.

“Jason Woolley is my coach at the Falcons and at Newtown, so we have a pretty good coach/player thing going on.

“He knows how I play and he has watched Amy play for a while now so we have jelled really well, she is awesome to play with so I’m pretty lucky.”

“Just to have that opportunity, I’ll take anything I can get.” JACQUI NEWTON