For Taylor Donelan, Anzac Day is when her time as an A-grade netballer all began.
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The Wodonga Raiders' goal shooter made her debut in the annual clash against Wodonga Bulldogs back in 2021 after receiving the nerve-racking call up.
"I was terrified," Donelan reflected.
"It was pretty intimidating coming up against Bulldogs for your first game on Anzac Day and having to prove yourself to everyone.
"But it was such a good game and I had so much support from all the girls, and Jodie (House) made it really easy for me to get on the court."
Now entering her fourth Anzac Day encounter, while her confidence as a senior player has grown, she admits nerves still linger ahead of the occasion.
"It's definitely still a little bit scary, but it's a lot easier than it used to be," she said.
Wodonga midcourter Ellie Ainsworth is also well accustomed to Anzac Day as she enters her third time taking to the court.
"The energy around the day is unreal, and the fact that we get to do it every year is awesome," she said.
"We definitely talk about it at training, the importance of the day and what it's all about."
Last season's grand finalists enter as the favourites having not dropped a game this season, while the Bulldogs secured a confidence boosting round two victory against Myrtleford.
"Having a win in round two, I don't think we've done that in a long time," Ainsworth said.
"To start the season like that, it gave us all a bit of confidence that we can match it with the top teams.
"We're really excited to come up against Raiders. They've been a really good team the last couple of years and it will be a big challenge for us, but we'll be ready to go."
At just 21, Ainsworth is among the oldest players in Wodonga's young side, with fellow youngsters Kristy Whitehead and Lily McKimmie set to make their A-grade Anzac debuts this weekend.
After a tough run in the first two games following ankle concerns and minor head knock, Donelan is hoping her luck will turn around for the remainder of the season.
"I'm all good now, but hopefully there's not a third thing that gets me," she said.
"Everyone's been saying that everything runs in threes.
"We've had a few girls, myself included, injured, and few others sick, and I feel like we haven't been able to go out there with our full potential yet.
"I think we'll be at our peak and ready to go on Thursday."
The Raiders and Bulldogs will meet at 5pm at Birallee Park, while North Albury and Albury will also take to the court on Anzac Day at 4pm at the Albury Sportsground.
Both the Tigers and Hoppers have achieved one win so far, with the Hoppers unlucky to fall short by some narrow margins this season.
