By Molly Taylor
IT WILL be a busy season for back-to-back Western Border Netball Association best and fairest Tenille Gray as she commits to playing with both East Gambier and South Adelaide in 2021.
Gray will be based in Adelaide where she will train with the Netball SA Premier League side, which also features in Friday night clashes, before planning to travel to the region each Saturday to play with her beloved Bulldogs.
Gray said moved to the big smoke for a change of scenery but was approached by several netball clubs, deciding to use the offer to boost her sporting profile.
“East Gambier is my first priority so if it is too much and I get sore, I will just cut it back a bit,” Gray said.
“I think it’s because I feel as though we are going to have a strong team down here next year.
“I think also because I have also been playing here forever and we have worked very hard to try and rebuild.”
Gray said when Emily Hunter announced she was again on-board as playing coach and recruiting rumours started circling, she knew she had to don the red and black next year.
“Two years ago we came very close to winning the grand final, so getting Em was a really big add into the team,” she said.
“We started years ago when we were all still in juniors so we know we work well together.
“My plan is for the year after, I will give the Premier League competition a proper crack and I’ll be fully committed.
“So in a way, it’s a nice in for me too, because it will allow me to get my foot in the door.”
Gray said her strong passion for netball was the main reason she would attempt to play at two clubs simultaneously.
“There are a lot of people who have told me that I’m crazy for travelling back just for netball, but the footballers do it all the time,” she said.
“I think you do have to be pretty passionate about it if you are going to travel back every weekend.
“It will be a bit busy and full on, but I’m excited.”
Gray said she always wanted to move to Adelaide, but after completing high school in 2017 and a gap year, it just never happened.
“I suppose if you play sport and want to take it to the next level, I guess you do have to move away,” she said.
“It has always been something I have expected that I would do.
“In the end, I didn’t even decide to move for sport, I was just moving for a bit of a change and a new place to go. I suppose it has opened up my eyes to what I can do.”
With preseason fast approaching, Gray said she had been keeping fit despite the Western Border Netball Association cancelling its 2020 season, routinely scheduled into F45 Mount Gambier training sessions as well as regularly running.
Gray plans to do some casual and part-time work in Adelaide while also studying.
