FORMERLY a junior player at Hummocks Watchman Netball Club, Tayla Williams was announced as one of four official training partners for the Adelaide Thunderbirds earlier this month.
Williams, 19, is originally from Balaklava, but has since moved closer to the city as she spreads her wings with South Australia’s premier outfit.
“It kind of all started from regionals back at home,” Williams said.
“In footy you have zone teams, in netball you have regional competitions – where Clare, Gladstone and Adelaide Plains all combine.
“From there they kind of just picked a top-10 players from those competitions, so I was selected in that, and from that camp I was told to go try out for state.
“It was something I’d never done, and never thought of doing, so I went and trialled there and got selected, and that’s where it started.”
From there, Williams was selected in the Australian junior squad, which meant she would receive a scholarship with the South Australian Sports Institute, and that’s where she met Thunderbirds coach Tania Obst.
“The first time Tania spoke to me was a massive shock,” she said.
“I was in rehab with my knee injury, I hadn’t played for a year, but obviously that proves how much she pays attention to that South Australian pathway she’s helped build.
“That was a privilege to be able to be involved… last year I got to train with people like Maria Folau and Chelsea Pitman, who have been around for a long time and achieved a lot of incredible things.
“Being able to train and play alongside them is a bit of a ‘pinch me’ moment.”
Even after spending over a year training alongside the Thunderbirds in an unofficial capacity, Williams said it was still a shock to take the next step.
“I didn’t expect it, and it’s incredibly humbling to be recognised as one of those four girls,” she said.
“It was so daunting, because these are girls I’ve looked up to and watched on the tele for so long, whereas now they’re almost like my friends… they’re a great group of girls.”
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