From a primary schools’ competition in Broken Hill to the goal circle under the bright lights of Ken Rosewall Arena, it’s been a journey shared between GIANTS young guns Sophie Dwyer and Matisse Letherbarrow.
The pair were 11 years old and in year six when they first met and shared the court for the MacKillop region at the NSW Primary School Sports Association tournament in country NSW.
A few years later their paths would cross again through the NSW pathways before beginning their Suncorp Super Netball careers together at the GIANTS.
For the past two weeks, Dwyer and Letherbarrow, both 21, have stepped up for their team and contributed to two critical wins over the Collingwood Magpies and Sunshine Coast Lightning.
The victory over Collingwood at John Cain Arena was the first time the pair have played a full game together for SSN premiership points and taken the win.
Letherbarrow has come into the side, for injured skipper Jo Harten, and thrived at goal shooter. She describes being alongside Dwyer as calming.
“We’ve played so many games with one another so we know each other’s game inside out. Coming in to fill in for Joey has given me so much confidence because I feel like I haven’t had all these extra nerves or thoughts because I can come in and do my role and Soph will back me 100 per cent,” she says.
“She knows how I play and what I do. Having Soph at the front of me, there’s no nerves because we just go on and do our thing together. It’s a really comforting feeling.”
Dwyer has been mentored by Harten and takes pride in imparting some of her experience while supporting Letherbarrow.
“I know Matisse is most dangerous when she’s feeling confident and I know what it felt like when I was playing my first few full games with Jo and how much she influenced me, made me feel at ease and like I could just play with freedom so I wanted to make sure Matisse felt like that,” she explains.
“When she turns and shoots from anywhere and she’s strong on her takes she’s so dominant in that circle. I know how much Jo’s helped me and I just want to do that for Matisse because we all have belief in her that she can definitely be a starting seven player, play out full minutes on court and be really dominant and strong for us.
“Even though we are the same age, I have the belief in her and as long as she has that in herself she will be so fine and she has been so fine the last couple of games, really dominating and being such a strong option for us in that circle.”
The GIANTS host the Firebirds in First Nations Round this Sunday afternoon at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Written by sports journalist and GIANTS Netball ambasador, Megan Hustwaite.
