The Sovereigns have sought experienced leadership for their first Victorian Netball League campaign – and experience is what Cynna Kydd says she has best to offer the club.
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The former Australian representative will captain Ballarat Sovereigns’ inaugural championships division team.
Seasoned state league campaigner Lauren Atkinson is Kydd’s deputy.
Kydd said they were the “oldies” of the marquee team – Kydd is 33, Atkinson 32 – among a band of young, emerging players in the senior squad, but the honour of captaincy was still unexpected.
“It’s definitely exciting and I’m glad to be part of a club that is inventing itself,” Kydd said.
“... Tash (Head coach Natasha Chokljat) has put together a youthful team and we’re going to be more up and down than shock trail- blazers, but the thought is the club will improve on strong foundations.”
Kydd and Atkinson, with division one captain and vice-captain Danni Davidson and Sarah Milton, were announced as leaders at training on Wednesday night.
Their unveiling, on the same night players received their new kits, comes days out from the club’s back-to-back VNL opening matches in Melbourne this weekend.
Kydd said the final pre-season training session suddenly made everything real for the players – this is a new club, a new-look state league outfit led by a decorated coaching panel, and players could hardly wait to get on court and show their games.
This season will be Kydd’s first foray into the VNL since 2010, when she was a championship division premiership player with Hume City Falcons.
“It’s not nerves – more enthusiasm and massive excitement I’m feeling to play at that level again,” Kydd said. “It’s a real step up from footy netty again.”
The Springbank playing-coach knows what it takes to play netball at the highest levels.
She is a 2003 world championship player, a former Melbourne Kestrels captain and Melbourne Phoenix goaler, who won the 2004 Australian top domestic competition’s Most Valuable Player award.
Kydd retired from professional netball to England before moving to the Ballarat region.
She stepped back on court last year with Springbank, her second season as the A-grade coach, and dominated in the circle, both demanding the ball and directing players. Kydd won the Central Highlands’ top netball best and fairest honours.
Sovereigns offer Kydd a new challenge.
Kydd said the team was an unknown quantity in the VNL – something that could work in the team’s favour for early wins.
Sovereigns open their season against Peninsula Waves on Saturday and Yarra Valley on Sunday.
They will feature in their first home fixture against City West Falcons in Ballarat on February 21.
