Amy Sligar didn't arrive at her milestone game this weekend with the countdown consistently on her mind. But as she reflects, the significance is undeniable.
In a sport where even a single appearance is hard earned – and a season is only 14 games long – reaching 50 games is something special. Something she is proud to now call her own after celebrating so many of her teammates’ milestones already.
“I wasn’t really too aware of it, but it’s super exciting,” Sligar admits.
“Everyone always says just to play one is a big achievement, so to do it 50 times is really cool.”
The journey to 50 hasn’t been linear. In some ways, it feels like it’s taken time – built on patience, learning and gradual growth. In others, it feels like it’s passed in a flash.
“If I look back to when I first started, I feel like I was so young and I had a lot to learn,” she said.
“And so I feel like in that way it feels like it’s kind of come quite slowly because I feel like I’m a completely different player and person. But at the same time, time has just flown by and I think it feels like just yesterday that I started.
“And I guess each of the 49 games to date and each season I’ve played probably look really different, and I’ve played really different roles in that, and I feel like I’ve learned something from all of that and it’s shaped me into who I am right now as a player.”
Sligar’s debut came in round two, 2021, with the youngster just one of the club’s four training partners.
“I remember that feeling on that day of my first game, I was so nervous,” she recalls.
“I knew that morning that I was starting and I had the whole day to think about it, but it was honestly a dream come true.
“And I really was almost content, if that was all I ever got, that I was happy because I think you just grow up really wanting to play professional netball and I did that.”
But rather than satisfying her ambition, it ignited something deeper.
“And then to get the contract the following year again was another dream come true,” she continues.
“I think probably my first game, it lit the fire more than anything. I knew that’s what I wanted to be doing and I knew that I wanted to be a professional athlete. So I think it was almost a blessing in disguise, I guess, to remind myself of why I’m doing this and keep working hard.
“And yeah, I guess hard work and luck met at the right time – and that was a few years ago and I’m still here 50 games later.”
Along the way, Sligar’s performances have earned recognition beyond club level, including a Diamonds camp invitation and Team of the Year honours in 2025. While she admits she doesn’t always stop to reflect, those moments reinforce her sense of purpose.
“I mean, they are amazing, and I feel like I don’t probably stop and reflect as much as I should, so this is probably a nice reminder to do that,” she says.
“But I grew up obsessed with netball, I loved netball, I loved watching the Diamonds, and that’s all I ever wanted to do. So I guess to have a small taste of that and go to camp has just reminded me again, this is exactly what I want to be doing.
“I love it so much and I have the best job in the world.
“It’s not always glamorous, there’s always tough times and it’s a lot of hard work, but they’re nice little reminders that it’s all worth it.”
That perspective has been particularly important during a challenging start to the season for the GIANTS. While results haven’t gone their way, Sligar points to the group’s resilience and consistency in effort.
“I think it’s obviously challenging, and no one likes to go out and lose, especially a group of professional, highly competitive athletes,” she said.
“But I think the way we’ve been showing up each week is actually really inspiring and really positive. We’re super motivated and we’re searching for ways to get better.
“And I think that’s been my biggest reflection of all this time, is that the results have been really challenging, but our focus has never shifted. We’re still working just as hard as we were six months ago.”
“I know that there will be a time that the hard work will pay off, I just hope that is sooner rather than later.
“I’ve got so much belief in the group and I think we all do. It’s just that consistency and making sure that self-belief – we know what we can do. It’s about putting it out there for 60 minutes.”
Through it all, Sligar remains grounded in her appreciation for the opportunity each week brings.
“Any time I get to put on the dress and walk out with ten of my best mates and play the game that I love is a privilege,” she says. “I never take it for granted. I try to remind myself of how lucky I am to have this job, because it really is the best job in the world.”
