A Firebirds import is determined to play Super Netball, but isn’t feeling the pressure to live up to a former legend

New Firebirds import Imogen Allison has been determined to play Super Netball for years. Now she’s tracked thousands of kilometres to put in the work and is planning how to fill the gap left by a legend.

Imogen Allison says she has no intention of attempting to fill the huge shoes of Firebirds legend Kim Ravaillion.

But if her hit-and-run pre-Christmas training stint is any indication, the England Roses midcourter arrives in Brisbane with the same passion and determination as the former Birdies skipper.

Allison has racked up thousands of kilometres in the sky over the past few months, completing tours to Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica with the Roses.

In the past three months alone, Allison has flown more than 72,000km as part of an England team that has taken on the world’s top nations and moved to no.2 in the world rankings itself following a purple patch of success.

“The last two, three months have been quite hectic. I think we did maybe 10 flights over September and October, and then (home and away) for Jamaica, and then over here,” Allison said.

Imogen Allison joins the Firebirds for season 2025. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

But Super Netball’s latest import was determined to squeeze a pre-season training stint in with her new club ahead of the Christmas break before returning to England for a Roses training camp and Netball Nations Cup commitments in February.

The 26-year-old was so determined to get down to work with her new club that she stepped straight off a flight last Thursday and was training on Friday in intense heat almost 30C more than temperatures she was experiencing at home in Manchester just a couple of days earlier.

The excitement had still not worn off on Monday — her official first day at work — when Allison was like a kid on the first day of school, meeting and greeting teammates she had watched playing on TV but not otherwise crossed paths with.

“For me, growing as a player and getting as many experiences as possible is huge — and I think that the only way you grow is taking them on and giving it a go,” Allison said of jumping at the chance to head to Australia.

“I’ve watched SSN (Super Netball) for years, and I’ve always aspired to come over if I got the chance but I knew there would be a lot of hard work before that.

“When I heard from Firebirds, I thought: ‘What? The team with such incredible history?’ I was really excited to be able to come over.”

The Firebirds do have an incredible history.

But they have not been able to translate their early national league successes to the Super Netball arena and heading into season nine of the competition, have only made finals once - back in 2018.

Missing the finals again in 2024, in what was a miserable year for a club that sacked its coach with five games still to play, and will head into next season with significant roster change, ratchets the pressure up again.

But Allison does not see the circumstances as a burden.

“I definitely don’t feel any pressure,” she said.

“It’s a huge opportunity for me and I think the team are great the way they get around you.

“With a team like this, you feel less pressure because you’re a team, you don’t feel like a solo person coming in and having to try and do above and beyond what you maybe can.

“I can come in, find my feet and then excel from there. It’s more exciting than anything.

“Maybe I’ll feel a bit more scared when the season rolls around but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

Allison was determined to get to Australia before Christmas. Picture: Netball Queensland

Allison doesn’t feel the pressure of filling the champion sized gap from Kim Ravaillion. Picture: Maya Thompson/Getty Images

Allison plays at both wing defence and centre, the same positions covered by now-retired former captain and ex Diamond Ravaillion.

But she’ll tread her own path.

“Rav’s legacy is insane, it’s incredible,” Allison said of the player who helped the Firebirds to back-to-back Trans-Tasman league premierships in 2015 and 2016.

“To look up to that, I definitely do. But I’m not filling her shoes necessarily.

“We’re very different players as well, it’s a different style.

“She’s a legend of the game, a legend of Firebirds. If anything, I’ll just try and learn from what she brought to this team.”

If Allison can help lead the Queenslanders back to the promised land though, she’ll earn legendary status of her own.

Originally published as A Firebirds import is determined to play Super Netball, but isn’t feeling the pressure to live up to a former legend