Giants captain Jo Harten praises Orange crowd after pre-season win

The Giants Netball captain played a starring role on Saturday night as they romped home 78-47 victors over the Adelaide Thunderbirds in front of a packed PCYC crowd.

Speaking after the game, Harten talked about the importance of making the game accessible to all.

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"I think if netballers at the grassroots level all over NSW can actually see people that have reached the top and are at that elite level, then it spurs them on," she said.

"I think we really enjoyed coming out to places like Orange because it gives us a sense of community that we probably don't quite get in Sydney. It's kind of special these moments."

This was the first time in 18 months that the Giants had been able to play in front of any kind of NSW crowd and Harten is hopeful they have inspired a new crop of fans.

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"Everyone's been saying 'turn Orange Orange' and why not," she said.

"We've obviously got that jovial link, but like I said, it's really important to keep these connections with the community but I want it to work both ways.

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"I want a bus load of kids from Orange to come watch one of our games and I think we should be opening up our sport not just to the big cities but to everyone in the country."

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