Giants Netballer, Kiera Austin in Broken Hill
28/11/2020
Up and coming star of the netball world, Giants Netballer Kiera Austin was in Broken Hill this week as part of Macquarie University’s Roadshow program.
In her third year with the Giants Netball team, Kiera was recognised with two awards at the 2020 Giants Gala Dinner after a stand out individual season. She was recognised by her teammates for the Nissan Players’ Player Award, as well as becoming the youngest player to be awarded the HCF Most Valuable Player. Austin was also named in the Australian Diamonds Squad at the end of the Suncorp Super Netball season.
“It’s hard to sum up this year as a whole, we went to Queensland for a hub we were there for two months playing our games we compacted it into eight weeks so we were playing weekend games and mid-week games so I think it was a new season for everyone and we didn’t really know how to approach it,” said Kiera.
“We definitely took a lot of learnings, I wouldn’t say it was the best performance from us as a team so definitely heaps to learn from that point of view, but it was my third year in the Giants and my first year getting a lot more court time and really stamping my authority I guess on both goal attack and wing attack, so I’ve had an awesome season and I’ve learnt so much but I was very much looking forward to some rest time.”
This season also saw Kiera elevated into the Australian Diamonds, she hopes one day soon she’ll get to play and represent the country. “I’m definitely my own worst critic, I haven’t actually debuted for the Diamonds yet so it’s something that I’m itching to do,” she said.
“Obviously COVID has put that all on hold but I’m hoping that they have a Constellation Cup early February and it would be nice if the borders open my family could come and watch if I got the opportunity to play but it’s kind of that next level for me and something that I didn’t think ever possible for myself.”
Kiera travelled to the Far West with Macquarie University, with whom she studies Medical Science. On Wednesday she hosted a training session at Willyama High School and a ‘Shoot an Educational and Sporting Goal’ session at the Broken Hill Netball Association, while on Thursday morning she was part of a breakfast meeting at the Trades Hall.
“We’re here to connect with the rural community of Broken Hill and to the Indigenous communities as well, we want to get more people going to university and getting them involved in that tertiary education and really encourage them to let them know that opportunities are available for them and that it doesn’t have to stop at high school,” she said.
“But it’s been great coming to see you guys all out in Broken Hill, I did have to Google where Broken Hill was that’s how naive I am, but we’re only here for a short period of time but it’s been so good to meet the community and they’re all so enthusiastic as well.”
Kiera chose to study whilst playing elite level netball because she always loved studying and having something outside of her sport. She said as a female athlete it’s not enough to be good at a sport and play, “I’m very lucky that I do get paid to play netball and it pays the bills but I’m still only 23-years-old so I don’t have to save for a house or that kind of stuff, but when I do get to that point that I want to be having a family and settling down, starting my career I can’t just fall back on savings or fall into a job that just is more likely for the men in AFL and NRL teams.
“I’ve always wanted to do something more and I really love science and medicine, my Mum is a nurse at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney so I really loved it and it’s definitely something I want to have up my sleeve when I finish, I always want to be more than just netball,” she said.
Studying at university and maintaining playing sport is possible and Kiera said she hopes students can take inspiration for athletes who do just that. “There’s quite a few athletes especially in the AFL Giants team that we’re affiliated with that are from quite regional communities… I think it’s quite easy for students to fall into the thought that they are quite far away and there is that extra challenge, but… it’s that extra challenge that is going to make the results so much more worth it and their stories are going to be so much more inspirational to other girls and boys growing up, to really reach for the sky and the sky is the limit, there is nothing holding them back.
“I want everyone in Broken Hill to know how appreciative of them I am for welcoming me and all the crew at Macquarie Uni, I’ve been hearing how stoked they are for me to be coming here but I have learnt so much already and I’ve only been here for half a day,” she said. “But I didn’t even know that School of the Air did things with even more remote communities and getting them in on Zoom and stuff, there’s just so much I don’t know as a city gal so I’m learning just as much from you guys as you’re learning from me I guess.”
