Tara Murray
The Sunbury Lions have added some more experience as they prepare for a return to the Ballarat Netball League A-grade competition.
The Lions announced last week that former captain Ruth Smith was returning to the club to be part of the side under Kim Bailey.
Smith, who has played in the Victorian Netball League, previously played for the Lions including when Bailey was coach last time round.
“After a few years off from Footy Netball, Ruth returns to the club in pursuit of another premiership,” the club said on social media.
“A versatile player who can swing from the goaling circle to the mid court with ease and has a phenomenal work rate.
“A past premiership player, Ruth brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and leadership to the group.”
The Lions also announced that Elly Randall was returning to the club.
Like Smith, Randall is a premiership play at the club. She will provide plenty of experience in the defensive end.
The signings of Smith and Randall are the fourth and fifth for the Lions ahead of trials kicking off later this month.
Melbourne Vixens championship winning player Tayla Honey has been the biggest name signing for the Lions.
Honey was part of the Vixens squad for the 2019-20 seasons including the 2020 title, while she’s been a training partner in a number of other seasons.
Last year she played in the Vitality Netball Superleague in England.
Coach Kim Bailey previously said the signing of Honey was one of the biggest in the BNL competition’s history.
“It’s good to have a marquee player signed and hopefully it’ll be that encouragement to get some other players on board,” she said.
“We’re talking to a number of people and we thought Tayla would be a good fit. She lives in Keilor so it works out really well.
“I don’t think she had even thought about footy-netball until we spoke to her about it.”
Former Australian under-17 player Freya Langston joins the Lions. Bailey said Langston hadn’t played netball for a few years after injury and COVID, but they were excited about what she could do.
She will be part of the midcourt with Honey.
Sophie O’Kane, who was part of the Lions premiership team in 2013, also returns to the club.
Bailey said she will be part of the goaling end.
While the Lions have added three key pieces, central to what the Lions is doing is ensuring local players have a place to go.
The Lions are keen to get all six sides up and running next year.
The club is holding a meet the coaches night on Thursday night, before trials on November 24 and December 1.
Stacey West, who has been part of the Lions coaching panel this season, works for Netball Australia as the executive general manager of performance is part of the coaching panel along with Janine Hodgson.
Details: 0459 642 271.
