Giants gun Kim Green’s 200th game milestone in Super Netball against Vixens
It was a less than memorable start to a remarkable career but it was five or so minutes that Giants midcourt star Kim Green will never forget.
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It was a less than memorable start to a remarkable career but it was five or so minutes Kim Green will never forget.
Now 17 years after she got her first touch of national league netball Green is preparing for her 200th game milestone in Super Netball this weekend - making her the third most capped netballer playing at the elite level in Australia behind Vixens shooters Natalie Medhurst 221 and Caitlin Thwaites 201.
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The Sydney netballer admits it won’t take much for her to make more of an impact for the Giants against Melbourne Vixens in round two than she did as a 16-year-old in her first major netball league game.
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“It was for the Swifts and I was playing wing defence after everyone got shuffled because Briony Akle (now Swifts coach) did her ankle,” Green said..
“I had three cheese and bacon rolls in my belly because I’d just trained. I never expected to play. I used to just sit there and eat like I was at the movies.
“I couldn’t believe it when I got sent on. I said to mum later, ‘how good is this, I got one tip’, and she said ‘yep, but that’s all you did’.
“I didn’t care. I had my one cap. I was on top of the world.
Now 199 caps later Green is the veteran of the best domestic netball competition in the world, a former long-serving Diamonds with world championships and Commonwealth Games medal to her name.
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But rather than contemplating retirement any time soon, Green has actually signed a recent deal with the Giants which could see her play another three seasons with the Sydney club.
“I don’t necessarily have a best moment. This is just the best job in the world for me,” Green said.
“If you ever get a sniff of this opportunity take it with both hands.
“I wake up every morning with the feeling that I can’t wait to go to work.”
Green says during her 17 seasons the professionalism of the competition is one major change along with the speed of elite netball and the shape of players.
“I feel like the body shape has changed a lot just based on the quad size of players now,” she said.
“The speed has also picked up and it’s physically difficult.
“Now you get hit and it’s part of the game. People just pick themselves up and get on with it. It’s great.”
The Giants will be hoping to make it a big celebration for Green with a win over the Melbourne Vixens.
SUPER NETBALL ROUND TWO
May 4: 3pm Firebirds v Magpies, QSNC, Brisbane
May 4: 11am Fever v Lightning, RAC Arena, Perth
May 5: 3pm, Swifts v Thunderbirds, Quaycentre, Sydney.
May 5: 5pm, Vixens v Giants, Melbourne Arena, Melbourne
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