By Marcus Uhe
The accolades keep coming for Pakenham netball prodigy Eliza Molino, whose strong showing at the recent National Netball Championships has earned her selection in the Australian 17-Under Pathway Squad.
The defender and vice-captain for the Lions’ A-grade side captained Victoria at the championships and impressed the selection panel; consisting of Netball Australia’s Pathway Head Coach Anita Keelan, Chair of Selectors Michelle Wilkins and selector Jacqui Illman.
It’s an environment that won’t be unfamiliar to the rising star, having also been selected in the squad in 2022.
“I’m super proud and amazed that I got it again,” Molino said.
“I’m looking forward to meeting up with girls that I’m still friends with.
“I still talk to people from other states, so getting in-touch with them there and seeing them there will be great.
“Being out there with people who are at the same level as me, playing at the higher intensity, all the coaches have great experience.
“They want to make us better players and get us further, so we can go as far as we can.”
At the recent Championships in Darwin, Molino’s Victorian side finished fourth, and she beamed with pride over their ability to match it with the benchmark of the competition.
“We started off the week strong, we drew with New South Wales who were reigning premiers from last year and then we went downhill at the end,” she said.
“But we fought back, we only lost by a couple in our semi-final to New South Wales and then lost by a couple in our Bronze medal match.
“It was just amazing the calibre of players up there.
“It was very high intensity and with captaining my team as well; the experience to take those girls out on court every game and guiding them through everything and having the support of the coaches was incredible.”
The squad will gather for a training camp in Canberra in July, which the young star said she could not wait for.
This year the camp will carry extra incentive, with Australia to field a team in the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games FAST5 Netball competition in August in the Caribbean.
Molino, who’s ambition is to wear the green and gold, would love to secure a spot on the plane, all part of her journey which, hopefully, can include the home 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria.
With that being said, she’s eager to take the court with her fellow Lions in 2023, having missed their round one clash with Narre Warren.
“I got experience last year in A-grade as a 16-year-old, so I was very surprised about that, and then (I’ve been) taking every opportunity,” she said.
“It’s such a family culture down here, everyone’s like a second family to everyone.
“Being down here and being able to bring my experience and guide everyone.
“We’ve got a young A-grade team so being able to bring my experience, especially because Catie (Cooke) is out for most of the year, our captain, and then Emma (Jones) has got a broken finger.
“It’ll be good to just be there and to guide the girls.”
