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Sport

12 April, 2024

Ryan on the national stage

TALENTED Warrnambool netballer Eva Ryan is currently representing Victoria at the National Netball Championships.


The annual championships began at Frankston’s Jubilee Park Stadium last Tuesday, April 9 and will conclude this Sunday.

The championships provide an opportunity for developing athletes, coaches, umpires and officials from each state and territory to compete across six days, with one team from the 17 and under and 19 and under age groups crowned champions on the final day.

With representatives from every state and territory, this year’s competition will once again feature some of the country’s best up-and-coming athletes.

Ryan, who is making her state team debut, was one of 12 athletes selected for Victoria’s 17 and under side.

Since her selection, the 16 year-old has been travelling to Melbourne twice a week for training sessions, on top of playing at Parkville Netball each Tuesday.

Ryan first broke into the Netball Victoria athlete pathway representing Hampden Football Netball League in the 15 and under division at the 2022 Western Region Association Netball Championships.

She was talent identified (TID) at the event and subsequently selected in the Netball Victoria Talent Academy for the western region.

Ryan has since participated in Netball Victoria’s inaugural Elevate pathway program, designed to provide promising athletes aged 15-18 years with a controlled training environment to support improved physical preparation in the leadup to state team trials.

Athletes in the Elevate program attend up to four sessions a week across three days focusing on court work, gym, and recovery.

Ryan said both Talent Academy and Elevate were beneficial for introducing her to a higher performance standard and allowing her to meet fellow athletes from across the state.

Although traditionally a holding shooter with the Warrnambool Football Netball Club, Ryan is now wearing the goal keeper bib alongside her Vic team-mates.

Her 192cm height and ability to keep a steady head in high pressure situations, lends itself to the defensive circle where controlling adrenaline rushes is crucial.

Victoria’s 17 and under side got its national campaign off to a flying start on Tuesday, with two wins from the first two rounds (the first against the ACT 45-23 and the second against Queensland 38-31).

In round three the Vics lost to Western Australia 25-35.

Round four, played on Wednesday night, saw Victoria defeat Tasmania 38-19.

At the time the Weekly went to print, results were not known from rounds five to seven (played yesterday and today).

The national championship finals will start tomorrow (Saturday) morning.

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