A former Ovens and Murray netballer has been drafted to Adelaide.
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Lauren O’Shea signed with the Crows under the free agency rules, which caters for athletes not selected in Wednesday’s AFL Draft.
“It’s just amazing, it wasn’t that long ago we were talking about the possibility of a women’s competition,” O’Shea said.
“It’s hard to believe we’ll all be a part of history.”
O’Shea was born in Yarrawonga, but played the majority of her junior netball with Tungamah.
After time at Mulwala and Yarrawonga, O’Shea joined Lavington.
“Lauren had an enormous work ethic, and was such a team player,” Lavington president Tamara Mathews said.
“I remember one season where Lauren spent a lot of time on the bench in B grade, particularly in finals.
“But she worked really hard and started the next year in the B grade team.
“The following year she was in A grade.”
O’Shea says that off-season changed her approach.
“I had to get fitter, so I sought out a personal trainer in Adam Butler and worked with him until I moved to Darwin in 2012,” she said.
O’Shea went on to play around 100 A grade games with Lavington.
“I loved it there, I didn’t move anywhere because of my love for netball,” she said.
But O’Shea eventually wanted a change and moved to the Top End.
“I played a season of netball and then asked the girls, ‘what do you do now’?,” she said.
“Eventually I was convinced to have a game, and I remember the first game I played, I was chasing a girl and I caught up to her and then thought, ‘what do I do now’?”
“I could catch alright and kick a bit because I had brothers.”
The 32-year has played in Waratah’s four successive premierships.
O’Shea is 177 centimetres, and plays either in the ruck or as a key defender.
“Lauren is an extremely versatile player and a great decision maker who always has a team-first attitude,” Adelaide coach Bec Goddard said.