Alder quickly masters two sporting passions
BALANCING one professional sporting career is difficult, let alone two.
But that’s exactly how Bond University Bull Shark Ruby netballer Leigh Alder spends her weekends.
On Saturdays, Alder suits up for Coolangatta Tweed in QAFLW Aussie rules, only to swap a footy for a netball to help the Bull Sharks in their quest for netball glory.
While balancing both sporting exploits is possible for now, the 22-year-old dreads the day she might have to choose between her sporting loves.
“I really love them both so I’m not really sure what I’m going to do,” she said. “I wish I could keep doing them both forever but I might have to choose next year.”
While Alder started playing netball at the Hinterland Netball Association as a junior, she only started Aussie rules last year and this year was named in the Suns’ Winter Series squad.
“I did it because my dad’s a huge footy fan and he never had a son so why not live his dreams through me?” she joked.
After playing for previous Gold Coast netball entity Golden South Jags last year, the mid-court dynamo this year suits up for the Bull Sharks Ruby side who have won two games so far this year.
“We’re a very young team so we’ve taken a while to settle in,” she said. “There’s been a lot more opportunities and it feels like I’m playing at a really high level.”
Bond’s top team play USC tonight (5.30pm) in the Sapphire Series at the Queensland State Netball Centre followed by the Ruby game at 7.20pm.