Matisse Letherbarrow still remembers exactly how it felt to step onto a Suncorp Super Netball court for the very first time.
This weekend, she’ll do it for the 50th time.
“It means so much to me – I actually can't believe I'm here,” Letherbarrow said.
“When I look back on those games, it makes me super proud to be able to say that I’ve done it.”
Milestones have a way of finding Letherbarrow, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Her debut came alongside April Brandley’s 100th game, a moment she still holds close.
Fittingly, her 50th will be shared with Whitney Souness’ 150th National League appearance and Jane Watson’s final match.
“I love to share milestones,” she added.
“To be able to do it with some pretty incredible people along the way makes it even better.”
Letherbarrow’s introduction to Super Netball in 2020 was anything but typical.
Played during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, her debut came in front of an empty stadium - a surreal setting for a lifelong dream.
“I remember how nervous I was, I literally felt sick,” she recalled.
“It was just the GIANTS and the Firebirds, in a completely empty stadium.
“But it was super cool. I got a couple minutes on court and honestly, it was the best three or four minutes of my life.”
Sharing the moment with teammates she admired made it even more special.
“I was with my best friend Tilly (McDonell), Jo (Harten), Jamie-Lee (Price), April Brandley – so many of the OG GIANTS girls.
“They made me feel so loved. To do it alongside people like that is what dreams are made of.”
Six years on from that debut, the NSW pathway product sees a very different player when she looks back.
“I feel like they’re two very different people, but with the same heart.
“When I look back at my 18-year-old self, I see her almost like a little sister. I want to give her a hug and tell her she’s living out her dream… and that the best is still yet to come.”
It’s that perspective that has shaped her approach across her 50-game journey.
“The biggest lessons I’ve learned are to stay in the moment and to be resilient.
“It’s easy to get caught up in results and what you want to achieve, but sometimes you have to peel it back and remember this was your dream as a five-year-old.
“Not many people get to live that every day.”
Letherbarrow’s milestone comes during a challenging season for the GIANTS, but she believes it’s in those tough moments that the group’s true character has been revealed.
“It has been a season we didn’t expect.
“But the positives are the people in this team and how hard we work in uncomfortability and adversity.”
The bonds formed off the court have become a defining feature of the group.
“We’re honestly all like sisters and would do anything for each other.
“Not many people get to see what’s happening behind the scenes, but we show up every day with an incredible work ethic. We want to be better, we want to grow, and we want to be proud to be a GIANT.”
While 50 games is a significant milestone, the 24-year-old isn’t stopping to admire it for long.
Her focus is firmly on what comes next, and the growth that lies ahead.
“When I think about the next 50, I’m most excited about putting myself in uncomfortable places.
“How can I be a better player? Where can I improve?”
It’s a mindset built on continuous improvement and a refusal to settle.
“For me, it’s about never becoming complacent.
“I want to put myself in those uncomfortable positions to continue to grow and chase the dreams that I still want to achieve.”
