GAWLER Central’s Ellen O’Hennessy will play her 200th game for the club this Saturday as her senior three side takes on Angaston.

The 23-year-old centre has played for the Tigers for 13 years, taking home a premiership in 2015 and a handful of best and fairest awards as a junior.

However, she was surprised when she realised how quickly she’d chalked up the milestone.

“You don’t know how quickly they add up,” she said.

“I was trying to work out how long I’d been playing for, and it’s 13 years this year.

“Sometimes I still feel like I’m 13 years old and playing.

“I thought it was kind of big, then I realised Grace (Would) in my team is on 300.”

O’Hennessy grew up in a small town in Western Australia, which helped her get into netball.

“I think I copied my older sister, she was allowed to walk from school and go to netball training and I had to go straight home,” she said.

“I said I wanted to play netball then, and I followed my sister and friends around and tried to copy whatever they did.

“The only thing to do was to go and play sport after school, or do nothing.”

While she enjoyed receiving her best and fairest awards in her early playing days at the Tigers, O’Hennessy said her highlight was the grand final win over Willaston in 2015.

“I think I peaked in juniors, I got a couple of best and fairests there,” she said.

“They’re good, but I like the premiership the most.”

Admittedly, O’Hennessy said she was scared going into that grand final, but not for netball reasons.

“My little sister drove us there and she had just gotten her P-plates, she’s a shocking driver, and she tried to overtake a car and didn’t have time to do it, so my heart was beating full throttle for hours after that,” she said.

“Because of that, I didn’t really get nervous because I was thankful we were alive and we got there safely.

“It was a scary day, we played Willaston and it always means a bit more when you play them or South; it’s that Gawler rivalry.

“It was so fun that year, I don’t think it was a coincidence that we won because we were all really good friends off the court.

“We still see each other now for reunions.”