She carries a wise head on her responsibility-burdened shoulders, but Helen Barclay is strident in what she sets out to achieve.
While Netball Victoria announced a second expansion team,
the Victorian Flames, Barclay was rewarded last Wednesday with selection in
Victoria’s first ANL side, the Fury.
Barclay glowed in appreciation upon hearing the news and
pointed towards the introduction of the second Victorian side as giving more
opportunity for girls in the VNL to represent their state.
“There was an extra incentive with a new team coming and
board and just more scope to being selected,” Barclay said.
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| Helen Barclay (GD) doing some of her best work. Credit: Shawn Smits |
“Particularly being one of the older players of both Monash
and the Victorian squads, it’s something I’m very proud of.”
Part of the nuts and bolts of Monash’s superb defensive
record this year alongside Georgie Davenport and Natalie Tommasini, Barclay has
gone a long to way to ensure Central’s number one ranking for goals conceded in
2013, even ahead of Championship ladder leaders Peninsula Waves.
Despite the numbers telling a different story, Barclay
believes that, in terms of consistency, this hasn’t been her strongest.
“I’ve had better years. I feel I probably haven’t reached
the levels that I wanted to be at,” Barclay said.
“That’s probably why I’m so stoked to be chosen for the
Fury, because I felt particularly my last season has been more consistent than
this one.
“Having said that there’s the whole second half of this year
to work my way back into the game.
“Georgie and I have been playing and I think we can get even
better before the season’s end.”
The formal selection process began on May 3, culminating in
weeks of strenuous squad training and fitness testing, where Tscharke said she
relished in “the opportunity to push myself with the intensity of training”.
As much of a testament it is for both Tscharke and Monash
skipper Helen Barclay – chosen for the Victorian Fury – Netball Victoria High
Performance Manager, Eloise Southby-Halbish said the high calibre of the two
teams is a testament to the level of netball in Victoria and an exciting
prospect for young netballers in the state.
“This is a very exciting year for Victorian netball,”
Southby-Halbish said.
“The selectors have found the process of selecting this
squad very challenging and believe that we have picked the most in form and
consistent performers within our premier Victorian Netball League competition.”
Asked on the differences, the transition and step-up between
Victorian training and Monash training, Barclay laughed.
“It’s definitely a step up in intensity,” Barclay.
“Which is good because I’d like to think that I can take it
back to Monash and the VNL and apply it to my own and my teammates’ games. It’s
been a great experience so far.”
Not only has Barclay had to juggle the pressures of full
time work with the commitments of netball, the baton of captaincy has been
passed down to the experienced Central defender.
It’s a title that Barclay admits to being uncertain with,
but has grown to enjoy.
“It’s been a challenge, purely because I’ve only played
under and filled the role of co-captain before,” Barclay said.
“With senior players leaving the taking over the solo gig,
they were big shoes to fill and I wasn’t sure if I was still capable of playing
good netball.
“It’s been a really positive challenge and the girls have
been really supportive, which makes it much easier and more enjoyable.”
As the skipper, Barclay was straight to the point in
reflecting on her team’s performance to date, with just over five weeks to go.
“We’re definitely not satisfied with not making finals. Our
goal all along has been to make finals and win the championship,” Barclay said.
“Having said that, we’ve had standout performances mixed in
with performances we rather forget.
“From hereon in, our goal is to really up the ante and reach
our full potential so that we’re at our best for when finals roll around.”
Monash Championship Leesa Maxfield praised Barclays’s
representative selection – as well as teammate saying it was a testament to her
durability and consistency in season 2013.
“The criteria for selection was that they had to perform at
a high standard consistently,” Maxfield said.
“That meant that any one of our girls could’ve been
selected, but it’s a tribute to Lauren and Helen who’ve been pivotal in our
ability to suffocate the top teams with our defence.
“It’s a true credit to their consistency and work ethic.”
With five rounds to go of the regular season, Barclay can’t
help but look forward to what may lie ahead with her Fury experiences.
One of those will include coming face-to-face on-court with teammate
and friend, Lauren Tscharke.
“Yeah I suppose we will cross paths, we’ll be on the right
part of the court together,” Barclay said.
“We’ve got a game scheduled in Melbourne. I don’t think
we’ll play directly on each other, which is relief.
“I think you can struggle playing on someone you already
play netball with, but I’m sure it’ll be really healthy competition when we get
out there.”
Yet for now, sitting just outside the top five and the goal
of making finals a non-negotiable, Barclay’s attention will be focussed on the
coming Wednesday night when Monash do battle against Boroondara Genesis.
The match kicks off on Wednesday, June 12 at 7pm at the
State Netball and Hockey Centre, Court 3.
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