Three year's ago Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic defender Georgia Tong thought an elite netball career might have passed her by.
Ellie Bird and Georgia Tong compete in the air. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2020
Growing up in Auckland, Tong had to compete for court time with the likes of former Silver Ferns' Temalisi Fakahokotau and Phoenix Karaka.
Tong moved to Hamilton at the end of 2017 to be closer to her partner and that's when a door opened.
"No one really knew who I was. I hadn't really played any rep netball up in Auckland and my club coach at the time knew the Beko coach, who is now assistant coach of the Magic, Mary-Jane Araroa," Tong said.
"She gave me a shot but had never seen me before. I only had one trial, the girls had already been in the squad for about three months and then they named me in 2018 originally as a training partner for an injured player for six weeks ...eventually they gave me a Beko agreement."
The next season Tong was promoted to captain.
Last year Tong made the jump to ANZ Premiership netball for the Magic and earned her way into a starter's spot.
In October last year she joined the Silver Ferns' development squad as injury cover during a wider Ferns' training camp before playing for NZA in the Cadbury Series.
Tong was also invited to last month's Silver Ferns' camp.
She said it has all come as a bit of a surprise.
"I focussed on my studies, that's the main reason why ...or that's the main reason I told myself that I didn't make any teams but I would always trial for them. Sometimes I just wouldn't get in or I would be on the bench to someone like Temalisi or Phoenix because I was in the same age group as those girls.
"I think the change of scenery was good and I had finished my studies so my priorities were different and I was kind of just giving it one last kind of go because I was 23."
Being part of last October's camp meant she had a one on one with Silver Ferns' coach Dame Noeline Taurua.
"It was pretty unreal. I found out on the Thursday beforehand that I was going to the camp so I was kind of still in the shock mode and then on the second day we had one on ones.
"I was sitting in the room I don't think I even took in anything she said because I was just sitting there thinking 'I'm having a one on one with Noeline' it's just crazy. She just looks at the game a different way and I just have learnt so much in such a short space of time just from being around her for not even combined a week."
While Tong said she's not someone who set herself the goal of playing for the Silver Ferns' as a youngster, being so close to the action has made it seem more attainable.
"On the first day obviously I was very nervous and excited and then you have match play and you realise that you just spent the whole season playing against these players and you're good enough to be there. So it kind of makes it seem more achievable but also it's exciting when you're in that level to be able to see all the improvements that you can make it makes you realise that there is so much more that I can improve on ...I don't want to rush that but obviously I wouldn't say no, definitely."
Temalisi Fakahokotau will team up with Georgia Tong and Erena Mikaere in the Magic defence end. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Tong said netball had never felt like work to her.
"I just genuinely love playing so I think that helps because I was up in Auckland playing club, playing social, playing anything I could. I was literally doing netball every day so I definitely think that the passion helped."
She's also someone who's always liked training and managed to make the 16.3 yo-yo cut off at last month's camp.
"I'm quite petite so I guess that kind of helps because it's harder if you're taller to make the fitness guidelines and all that kind of stuff but that's definitely helped me."
This year she will team up with her former Shore Rovers club team-mate, Temalisi Fakahokotau.
The former Fern is heading to the Magic after four year's at the Mainland Tactix.
"We've played together a little bit before but also back then we were the same position so we weren't often on court at the same time. So it's cool, I know her so it's great to be able to play with her this season."
With the experienced Erena Mikaere also in the side, the Magic have three defenders who predominantly play goal keep.
But Tong is very open to spending more time at goal defence and wing defence.
"I've always wanted to be more versatile. I think I've just always been in teams where there hasn't been another goal keep and because that's the position I've kind of I guess cracked it in because I play it differently to a lot of other goal keeps because I'm not the tallest.
Georgia Tong and Ellie Bird, Magic v Tactix, ANZ Premiership Netball, 2 August 2020. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2020
"But most recently at the Silver Ferns' camps and stuff I've been trying my luck out further so I would definitely be open to goal defence and wing defence. I guess we'll kind of just see what combo works best and we have a lot of versatility at the Magic in that no one really knows what way we're going to play."
If it hadn't been for her opportunity in the Beko league, which has only existed since 2016, the 26-year-old thinks she could have fallen through the cracks.
"Especially as an older player because it's hard because like there used to be nationals and I was in the squad for nationals one year and then had to pull out because of study. So that's like a week long tournament it's quite hard for someone who's a bit older and has other commitments so I think Beko made it easier to fit in school or study or work or whatever you had to fit in.
"And it also gives you a little bit of a taste of the commitment you would have to take if you were to take that next step up whereas those one week tournaments don't give you that."
Tong also believes the high calibre of club netball in Auckland set her up well.
"I was still getting quite high level coaching, playing with players like Temalisi when she'd come back from Ferns and stuff like that so that definitely helped but yeah I do think I owe a lot of my success to Beko."
At six foot (183cm) Tong isn't that tall for a circle defender.
Magic goal keep Georgia Tong and Pulse Goal Shoot Ameliaranne Ekenasio fight for the ball. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2020
She makes up for it with a good standing jump and an ability to confuse the space.
"At this level against the likes of Grace Nweke who also has a really good standing jump, you kind of have to get more in the feeders head rather than compete one on one with her so using that skill when I can but obviously you can't always rely on that."
Soon she'll be training with one of the world's premier goal shoots, with Australian Diamonds' captain Caitlin Bassett joining the Magic.
"It's unbelievable, what better way to learn how to play tall shooters than to play against Caitlin. I think that she'll also bring a winning mentality to our team, a fresh perspective, and she's played in so many different teams and had so much success that I think it will be really good for our zone."
