Changing of the guard?
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It's one way to describe the overhaul the Orange Netball Association (ONA) opens side has gone through.
Lily Mitchell was the only name from the 2023 Senior State Titles who laced up the joggers in 2024 with a fresh and inexperienced side taking to the courts in Campbelltown on June 8-10.
In fact, incoming coach Samantha Dunlop didn't get the job until March and was hit with a player crisis a mere month out from the carnival, needing to call upon the likes of Alirah Watton from Coonabarabran to top up the squad.
"We had a very challenging lead up," she said.
"It's a completely different side to last year, including a coach.
"I realised at State League, which was at the end of March, that they didn't have a coach so I just kind of put my hand up for that.
"Probably four weeks ago we had 11 players, it was looking like a really balanced team and then in the three weeks leading up to state titles we lost four players, so we were down to seven and then we managed to recruit a couple in the last week.
"Basically, there were players that were meeting each other for the first time the day before competition started."
Results reflected the reality of the situation with Orange finishing last and not winning a game, their sole point coming from a draw with Liverpool in the final match.
Dunlop said the side couldn't get bogged down in results, instead focusing on improving and building for 2025, when they will be in division two.
"Coming into a situation like that, you kind of need to adjust your expectations and your goal," she said.
"So the team got together on Friday night, and I just made sure to really address that because expectations can really kill you through a weekend.
"My goal was that the team would continue to improve over the weekend, which they absolutely did.
"We had a couple of significant injuries on the first day, but both of those players played on hurt."
Teams soon noted Orange's losses and started playing weakened sides, something Dunlop said they came to regret as the carnival wore on.
"You could see that teams with deep benches were starting with their B side," she said.
"It was quite gratifying to see that teams were making changes really early.
"They had an expectation that we were going to be much weaker, and I think every team except Newcastle made adjustments and started putting their stronger players on against us.
"So I think we surprised a few there."
You can find a huge gallery from the three days of action taken by members of the netball community above.
