Conti’s clashing commitments not double trouble
DUAL sports star Monique Conti says a potential clash in schedules won’t stop her from chasing her dreams.
A star point guard for WNBL team Melbourne Boomers and a gifted forward at AFLW club Western Bulldogs, Conti said she was prepared to juggle elite sports for as long as she could.
That includes this sum- mer, when the codes clash.
“It’s tough, it always has been, but it’s nothing I haven’t done before,” said Conti, who will suit up for the Boomers against the Univer- sity of Canberra Capitals at Geelong Arena tonight.
“I’ve got a lot of support at the Boomers and my AFLW team as well. They help me out with everything and make sure I’m balancing out my load at important times. It’s doable.”
The WNBL finals will start in mid-January, with the AFLW set to kick off in early February, creating a potential double-up for Conti.
“This season there will be a lot more (crossover) be- cause the WNBL season is a lot longer and the AFLW season starts sooner,” Conti said.
“There will be an overlap, but it’s nothing that I can’t work around.
“I might be playing WNBL finals, which is our goal, while we’re training for the AFLW.
“I’m not sure if I’ll play yet, but I’m sure I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
For now, Conti is solely focused on basketball and making amends for a 10-point loss to Bendigo.
“Losing in Round 1 wasn’t the best feeling,” Conti said.
“But it gives us all motivation to bounce back and we’re a lot hungrier for a win.
“The four Opals (players) only came in recently, so it was never going to be smooth sailing, especially so early in the season.
“We saw where we need to improve and we’ve worked hard on the training court to get there. I think we’ll see a bit of improvement over the next few games.”