Former Australian Diamond and Collingwood Magpies defender, April Brandley, has joined the GIANTS as a nominated training partner for the 2020 season.
Brandley will be the first to return from the baby boom that has occurred within netball over the past 12 months.
The star defender announced at the end of the 2019 season that she would be stepping away from the game in 2020 to become a mother.
After playing out the 2019 semi-final 16 weeks pregnant, Brandley and her partner Jason welcomed son Clay in February of this year.
Returning to New South Wales to be with family, the 30-year-old mum of one was invited to join the GIANTS’ training after the COVID-19 break to help boost numbers.
Head Coach Julie Fitzgerald said the club is thrilled to have April and her family join us for 2020.
“April is a NSW girl who came through our pathway, so it’s great to have her back home,” Fitzgerald said.
“We invited her along to training to help cover some gaps we had with injuries, illness and unavailability and both April and I were surprised with how well she returned to the environment.
“With Teigan O’Shannassy ruled out for the near future with acute glandular fever and training partner Toni Anderson unable to commit to the Queensland hub, we sat down with April to discuss her ambitions to return to the game and the likelihood of relocating her new family north for period of time.
“She’s got a wealth of experience from her years with the Diamonds and throughout her elite career within the ANZ Championship and more recently SSN.”
The new recruit said she is excited to be joining the GIANTS.
“Everything has sort of happened a lot of sooner than expected, but I’m certainly keen to get back into it all,” said Brandley.
“You never know how you are going to go in meeting the demands of mum life, but Clay’s been great and the support from my partner Jason has allowed me to return to what I love doing.”
Brandley made her international debut in 2013 and was a consistent member of the Diamonds squad from 2016 up until the most recent Netball World Cup in Liverpool last year.
The 185cm agile defender started her career in NSW with the Swifts and has since had stints with the West Coast Fever and the Collingwood Magpies.
GIANTS will confirm their extended travel squad later today.
