BALLARAT Sovereigns young recruit Tayla Honey will represent Australia in August this year after being selected as part of the 20-and-under squad set to take on New Zealand and England.
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“We’re very happy to see her selected in the national side and it goes to show our policy of recruiting young is paying off.”
- Bill Mundy - Sovereigns chairman
The 19-year-old will travel to Canberra for a week-long training camp with the group beginning on August 8 before taking to the court in the international series.
It is the second time Honey will represent Australia after being selected as part of the 19-and-under squad in 2015.
Honey said she was looking forward to the exposure at an international level as well as spending more time at the Australian Institute of Sport.
“Last year we spent four days at the AIS but this year we get a week-long intensive training course which will be awesome.”
Originally from Keilor Downs in Melbourne’s west, the teenager was one of eight Victorians selected in the 24-strong squad.
The camp and the tri-nation competition will act as a springboard for the Netball World Youth Cup to be held in Botswana in July 2017.
The current squad will be halved to 12 ahead of the campaign in Africa, and Honey is aware she will have her work cut out to make the final team.
“There’s definitely a lot of great athletes in the squad and there are plenty of great contenders for those places.”
The centre court player was lured to the Sovereigns for the 2016 season from fellow Victorian Netball League club City West Falcons, along with young goaler Amelia Brock.
Sovereigns chairman Bill Mundy said Honey’s selection had provided a boost of confidence in the club’s decision to recruit young players to their championship side.
“The critical thing is her pace around the centre of the court and her ability to transition to attack and then quickly back to defence,” Mundy said.
“We’re very happy to see her selected in the national side and it goes to show our policy of recruiting young is paying off.”
Honey’s call-up to the national squad allows her to follow in the footsteps of her high-profile mother Di Honey who played centre court for Australia in the 1980’s and is the current assistant coach of ANZ Championship side the Melbourne Vixens.