The teenager has an impressive sporting resume for someone her age as she vies for a spot in the World Championship team after winning gold with the Australian Gems under-19 team at the FIBA Oceania Pacific Youth Championships. 

“It’s my lifelong dream to be an Opal,” she said.

“But in saying that, I really don’t have any expectations in terms of how far I might go with basketball.

“All I can do is train and play my hardest and the results will speak for themselves.”

Ongoing basketball commitments have forced Montana to adopt an alternative study arrangement for her VCE studies, but it hasn’t stopped her from learning everything there is to know about her sport.

She holds certificate I and II qualifications in speed and biomechanics, and is completing her final year of high school via distance education.

It is a testament to her maturity, which she attributed to her many years in the Albury-Wodonga Lady Bandits system.

“I’ve spent years playing in open sides, so for a long time I was the youngest player on the team,” Farrah-Seaton said.

“I never wanted to be thought of as the ‘baby’ of the side, so you do your best to make an adult impression.

“Knowing the biomechanics is so important, I’m conscious of the things that could cause injuries, as well as improving my warm-up and recovery routines.

“The Opals coach, Brendan Joyce, worked with us at the last national training camp and they are placing such high value on players who take care of themselves properly.”

A champion swimmer when she was younger, Farrah-Seaton found the camaraderie of the basketball court more to her liking.

“I enjoyed the team aspect of basketball a lot, you get to build up relationships with a lot of different people, and I think the competitiveness of it suits me as well.

“Basketball is a great sport in the way you have to support your teammates.”

Farrah-Seaton’s mother, Michelle, has been with her every step of the way through her burgeoning career, and she cited her late grandfather, Edmond Farrah, as another guiding light.

“I’m so thankful for the support I’ve had from my family,” she said.

“Mum has been such a great influence on me, she coached me from a young age and has always been taking me to tournaments, doing a lot of driving.

“She used to play herself, she played alongside Lauren Jackson, so it’s pretty amazing to have that family connection there.

“I remember seeing photos of her hanging around the courts.

“My grandfather was always there when I was a lot younger, he would give me such honest, valuable advice.

“It’s pretty amazing to know that my family has some heritage in the sport, I’m really thankful for all that they’ve given me.” 

Jackson has also been a mentor to Farrah-Seaton, with the up-and-comer soaking in every piece of advice the champion player has to offer.

“Lauren was everyone’s idol growing up here,” she said.

“To grow up watching this person who came from the country and dominated on the world stage was incredibly inspiring.

“It goes to show the depth of talent that can come out of regional areas, I think that’s something that gets underestimated from time to time.”

Farrah-Seaton’s own talent is far from unnoticed, however, making her way into the Lady Bandits squad at just 15.

After spending plenty of time with Border basketball identities Tony Hill, James Ballinger and the late Allen McCowan, Farrah-Seaton is looking forward to a new challenge under incoming coach Michael Brookens.

“Michael has been fantastic so far, he’s been pushing us hard, which is what we need,” she said.

“I’m proud of the girls as well, no one has given up, everyone is determined to come back stronger and prove that not only do we belong in this league, but we can dominate in this league.”

The dual Pacific championships gold medallist is looking to make a much bigger impact at the world championships in Russia later this year before coming home to complete her VCE exams.

“The Opals and the Boomers have been consistently performing on the world stage for such a long time, I think they could do something very special,” she said.

“I look at them and it’s just so exciting to think that it could be me out there as well.”