By Henry Milic
From regional South Australia to leaving her mark on the world stage, Georgie Horjus continues to be an inspiration for young netballers across the country as she looks to represent Australia for a second time in the Fast5 Netball World Series.
The 21-year-old is fresh of her first premiership season with the Adelaide Thunderbirds and is now joined in New Zealand by five of her 2023 teammates as Australia look to claim back-to-back titles.
“I think we have all been rewarded for our hard work this year with the Thunderbirds and it’s really special to have lots of faces that you know here,” Horjus said.
“It’s really cool, and I feel comfortable with the team.”
A country kid doing big things
Hailing from Kangaroo Island, Horjus first started playing netball at a young age, representing the Parndana Netball Club, before moving to Adelaide at just 18 years old to compete in The Hospital Research Foundation Group Premier League where she represented Contax Netball Club.
Rising through the Netball SA Pathway, Horjus represented the Southern Netball Academy at the Academy Games and South Australia at the National Championships.
Horjus is now recognised among the best wing attacks in the country, but admits the journey was not without its challenges.
“I think coming from Kangaroo Island was a challenge at times, having to commute to Adelaide, being four hours and a boat trip away was really challenging but it was what I needed to do,” Horjus said.
“I was really lucky that I had such a supportive family and friends that helped me out.”
“It’s really important to take any opportunity you can, sometimes you don’t get as many opportunities as city kids, but I think it’s important to get yourself seen, take every opportunity even if you are nervous, always take it on.”
Fast5 focused
Horjus has dedicated her whole life to perfecting her craft and it has undoubtedly earnt her a spot in Australia’s Fast5 team for a second year running.
On the back of last year’s experience in the Fast5 format, Horjus said she is excited to return to New Zealand and implement her game.
“I think it does suit my game, just by playing both goal attack and wing attack I can combine those two in the Fast5 game, so I think that is really cool and I’m excited to shoot goals which is something I really enjoy.”
“I love that you get so much space and that the game is all about tactics… it’s really fast, so I enjoy that aspect,” Horjus said.
In a year that has seen Australia win the Quad Series, Netball World Cup, Constellation Cup and the South Africa Series, there is only one more trophy left to acquire before the year’s end.
“We always want to win but I think we will have a few strategies under our belts,” Horjus said.
“We’ll need to decide whether we use the two-point shot at times or the one-point, and I think we will learn that and get it nailed down in the next few days, but the goal is definitely to win,” Horjus said.
The Fast5 Netball World Series kicks off this Saturday, November 11 in Christchurch, New Zealand. All matches will be broadcast live via 7Plus.
See the full fixture below:
