Netball
23 June, 2024
Rising star Mitchell aiming high
Stawell netballer Ayva Mitchell is having an outstanding year, not only for the Warriors in A-grade and under-15 but also in league representative matches for the Wimmera Football Netball League, which earned her a spot to trial for the 2025 Netball Victoria Talent Academy.
At just 15 years of age, Mitchell made her A-grade debut on Good Friday, scoring 10 goals in Stawell's 26-goal win over Ararat.
Since then, she earned her spot as a goal shooter and has scored an additional 125 goals, which included a season-high 32 against the Warrack Eagles in round seven. She narrowly sits outside the top 10 for the season, shooting at 86.53%.
In the 15-and-under, she has scored 224 goals in eight games, with a shooting accuracy of 82.35%, amassing 33, 36, and 35 in the last three weeks. She leads the goal-shooting by quite a margin over Horsham's Hannah Gabbe.
What is also impressive is that while she played in attack in the under-15s in 2023, she played in defence in B-grade, so moving to attack in A-grade was a massive step, one she has taken with both hands.
Warriors' A-grade coach, Jemma Clarkson, said that Mitchell plays with maturity beyond her years.
"She is growing as a player and is mature on the court in her game as a whole. Her accuracy in front of goals is brilliant, and she is practising all the time, working hard, and doing everything that is asked of her," Clarkson said.
"She takes on the guidance given to her, listens well, and tries really hard to implement it, and she is growing every week.
"It's a different game up in the senior grades, and it's not about height or how fast you are, but rather how smart you are, and she is displaying that on the court and showing what a great netballer she will be in the future and I am proud of the way she is going about her netball."
Ayva Mitchell represented the WFNL under-15 squad at Mildura on May 25. They finished runner-up to Central Victoria, 11-16.
The team made the state titles, which were held on June 16 at the State Netball Centre in Melbourne, with 19 regions around Victoria competing, where they won two games and drew one.
Netball Victoria conducts Talent Identification (TID) during Netball Victoria competitions and tournaments. Mitchell was recognised in those tournaments to trial for the academy, which will be held on November 9 at the Bendigo Stadium.
Ayva Mitchell was surprised she was selected to try out for the talent academy.
"I went to the Interleague in Mildura for the Association Championships and had to put numbers on my legs so that I could be identified as the scouts were there, and if they pick you out, you get an E-mail, and I was surprised I was selected," Mitchell said.
"I think it's going to be a really good opportunity to develop my skills and see how far I can actually go, and I am looking forward to it."
Mitchell trains extensively during the week. On Thursday nights, she trains for an hour and 15 minutes with the under-15s and then another hour and a half with the A-grade. On Wednesday nights, she trains for two hours for the interleague team; on Tuesday nights, she does fitness for an hour.
Mitchell said she was unsure what to expect in A-grade at the start of the season but enjoys every moment.
"Coming to the A-grade as a 15-year-old, I wasn't sure what it would be like as I am much younger, and I just treated it like another game of netball, and the season is going well," Mitchell said.
"A-grade is a lot more fatiguing as it's so much quicker, and you have to be switched on, and everybody moves faster than juniors.
"Without playing seniors, I would be way less experienced, but I have gained much experience this season. I like the thinking side of things.
"It's all well and good if you can play, but with the strategy, they can pick out what you are doing more, and you just need to think more."
Mitchell has identified what she can improve on.
"I need to improve on my movement in the ring. I feel like my holding is getting much better than it was at the start of the season," Mitchell said.
Mitchell's versatility was needed in their round eight match against the Southern Mallee Thunder, where she played the last quarter in defence.
"I like defence as there is a lot less pressure than shooting, whereas in defence if you don't stop the goal, it's not your fault, and if you get an intercept, that's great as it's a different type of play you do, and I love playing at both ends," Mitchell said.
As for the future, Mitchell is enjoying her netball and hopes it can lead to something more.
"Obviously, I want to see how far I can go, as it would be amazing to get further, but if I don't, that's okay, as I will be happy either way."