Amayah on target for great career

EACH day Amayah Lampton shoots up to 100 goals a day.

It is a relentless netball work ethic that has the nineyear-old on the path to stardom.

Amayah’s abilities have landed her a scholarship with Townsville Grammar, where she is set to become the school’s youngest division one player in its history.

It was watching her mum, Sonya, play that was the catalyst for Amayah to take to the court when she was five and now she finds herself playing for the Phoenix in the 11 and 12-year-old Pearl Division.

With hopes to be the next Maria Folau, the young goal shooter has the drive to match it with the best and emulate her idol.

“(Folau) is a great shooter. I practice long bombs but I haven’t had a chance to try it in games yet,” Amayah said.

“I was playing against nine and 10-year-olds and I wanted to play against stronger girls so I could get better.”

Sonya, who captains the Phoenix premier league side, moved from her former club Burdekin to give her daughter the opportunity to play at a higher level – with a special exemption from Townsville

Netball. It is not just the young gun’s athleticism that has impressed her mum but her “netball brain” that enables her to read plays far better than expected for someone at her tender age.

Whenever Sonya goes to her premier league fixtures Amayah can be seen practising her shots, much to the amazement of onlookers at Townsville Stadium.

“Someone came up to her after a game I was playing and said she was going to be a star some day. (But) she knows nothing comes for free so she works very hard,” Sonya said.

“I don’t see any other player at her level yet, but we’ll see coming through. They’re looking for the next indigenous Diamonds player and I do hope that’s my daughter one day.

“She definitely has the work ethic, she just has to get that height.”