Sharni Layton warned to not to assume elite netball skills would guarantee AFLW success

AUSTRALIAN netball coach Lisa Alexander has warned ex-Diamonds star Sharni Layton not to expect her AFLW move to come easily.

AUSTRALIAN netball coach Lisa Alexander has warned ex-Diamonds star Sharni Layton not to expect her AFLW move to come easily.

Alexander wished Layton luck after the hard-nosed defender retired from netball and signed with AFLW club Collingwood for the upcoming season. But the Diamonds mentor said she told the two-time netball world championship winner not to expect an armchair ride into her new sport.

Alexander told Layton not to assume her elite netball skills would guarantee success, saying that would be disrespectful to AFL players.

“She let me know first,” Alexander said of 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Layton’s AFLW defection.

“I did say to her she needs to take it seriously to prepare for it.

“I think we need to show a bit more respect to AFL players who have developed their skills over a number of years.

“It takes a while for an athlete to transition over to another sport.”

Alexander said the early signs were good with Layton hiring a private skills coach before joining Collingwood training for the third overall AFLW season. Layton, 30, signed as a rookie following in the footsteps of Ash Brazill who moved from Collingwood’s netball team to their AFLW club last year.

“She is doing the right things, getting kicking coaching but she will need to prepare her body well,” Alexander said.

“But she understands that and she will give it a real red hot go. We will see how it pans out.”

Originally published as Sharni Layton warned to not to assume elite netball skills would guarantee AFLW success