The Aussie that shot to success

Natalie Avellino has made a significant impact on Southland netball since first arriving in Invercargill in 2004. As she prepares to relocate to Australia, Avellino talked to SouthlandSport editor Nathan Burdon about her time in the south.

At the end of 2003, I was asked if I was interested in playing for the Southern Sting in 2004. I knew who the Sting were, but wasn’t sure where they were located.

I talked to family and wanted to put a terrible season of netball in Australia behind me. I thought ‘‘why not?’’.

I was supposed to be a reserve shooter behind Tania Dalton and Donna Loffhagen (nee Wilkins), but a serious knee injury to Tania in Wellington provided me with an opportunity. The season ended with so many positives – I met my partner Terry, was player of the game in the semifinal and won a premiership against the Flames.

That whole experience was amazing – the build up, the community, the ‘‘Stand Up for the Champions’’ theme song. Wow, what an experience, one that I will always treasure.

I went back to Sydney after the final planning to return in 2005, but Norma Plummer wanted me in the Aussie squad, and to be eligible I needed to play in Australia.

I returned to the Sting in 2006 and 2007; not getting too much court time but enjoying the opportunities and the finish of the National Bank Cup, especially beating the Force in the final.

How fortunate I was to be involved with so many talented netballers, each had so much passion for the Sting and Southland, despite many living outside of Southland.

In 2008, we won the national provincial tournament for the first time in 49 years.

This was a very special moment for Southland netball. I was player/coach and wanted to give the players the opportunity to take the court and play at the highest level. I found it hard to play the final, but I was surrounded by very passionate, talented young Southlanders, many who have now played at ANZ Championship level.

I felt very proud to be a Southlander. I could see how much it meant to the girls, and the community, to win at the top level. It was probably at this moment that I felt I was accepted into the Southland community and that they had adopted me as one of their own.

My arrival in 2006, as sports co-ordinator at Southland Girls’ High School, was exciting. Many thought I would last a year, but for 12 years I have enjoyed being around some very talented students, both academically and on the sporting field.

In 2011, the opportunity to coach the senior A team came up. We had a great team. Some are still playing and I often play and coach against them. In 2013, following the birth of our daughter Emme in Sydney, I returned to coach the senior A team to fifth place at nationals, the first time Girls’ High had qualified for a long time.

School netball in New Zealand is intense. Many teams are made up of players on scholarships and I was very proud of Girls’ High, who were true blue Southlanders.

From 2013, until now, we have played in all but one nationals campaign and played in games televised on Sky, putting our girls and school on the map.

My 12 years in Southland, and at Southland Girls’, has been very rewarding. The support from the community and Southland Girls’ school staff, students, parents and media has been amazing. To accept an Aussie and treat me so well makes it so hard to leave. There are too many people to thank individually, and I don’t want to leave anyone out.

I hope one day that one of the girls I have coached gets the opportunity to play for the Silver Ferns. Three girls I have coached are Black Fern or Touch Black representatives and I am very proud that I have had some involvement in their life.

My time as co-coach (2012) and assistant coach (2013) at the Steel was certainly interesting. Having been encouraged to apply for the position, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that next level. I loved being involved at the elite level, working with the girls and seeing it from the other side of the court. Having been pushed from this position I was a little disheartened and lost the passion to coach netball at the elite level.

Despite being an Aussie I was fortunate to be given an opportunity to be assistant coach of New Zealand secondary schools in 2011, working with current Mystics coach Helene Wilson, and, in 2012, the Fast 5 Ferns working with Wai Taumaunu and Debbie Fuller.

Being exposed to those environments was very exciting. I had played against Wai and got to see the respect that people have for her, as well as working with New Zealand’s best players. I was the lucky one.

You can imagine the ribbing that I got wearing the fern, it certainly was tough coaching against Australia.

Many would know that I am a hard task master and that I say it as it is. I have high expectations and this was no different with coaching schoolgirls. I believed in giving them all a go, to give them the confidence in their own ability.

I cannot thank Southland enough for giving me so many opportunities; to play, coach, work and visit some of the beautiful spots that there are here. The passion for netball blew me away when I first arrived. The many people that would chat with me and wish me well, or congratulate me on Southland’s historic NPC win and the success at Southland Girls’, has made me very proud to be a Southlander.

The Sting reunion match just highlighted the love that Southland has for netball. What an amazing weekend we had, meeting some former Sting players who I never knew, reconnecting with others and remembering our dear friend Tania Dalton – what a special fun loving person she was.

It is time to go home and spend time with my family, but I will be returning, so don’t be surprised if you see me around.

‘‘To accept an Aussie and treat me so well makes it so hard to leave.’’ Former Southern Steel co-coach Natalie Avellino