Collingwood recruit Sharni Layton working hard to prove herself ahead of maiden AFLW season

Collingwood recruit Sharni Layton is loving life as she prepares for her first AFLW season. The former Aussie netball star on her battle to master a new sport — and her battle to stay on top off the field.

Layton's pre-season with the Pies is tracking well. (Pic: @CollingwoodFCW)

Sharni Layton is ready to be let “off the leash”.

After spending her netball career restricted to what she refers to as her 10m box, the former Australian goal keeper turned AFLW rookie is relishing the chance to tackle the wide open spaces of the footy field.

But first, the Collingwood code-hopper admits her running needs a bit of work.

Layton has been working with a running coach to refine her style to prepare her for the extra distance she is going to need to be able to cover in football.

“Obviously there’s a lot more running than netball,” said Layton, who began her pre-season training with the Magpies last week.

Sharni Layton (left) on the stretch for the Magpies during this year’s Super Netball season. Pic: Getty Images

“In netball, I was in my 10m box and it was a lot of change of direction. I’ve always had an unco running style, but I could kind of hide it a little bit in netball.

“I know that I’m going to look so uncoordinated out on the football field. Even my mate Chlo (Chloe Molloy) was laughing at me the other night saying ‘Hasn’t anyone ever tried to teach you to run properly?’

“It’s just my biomechanics and how my hips and knees are. I’ve had my running training … but I just look funny and I’m OK with that.

“I’m just trying to get more efficient with it so that I can get my body — being so tall — to travel further, quicker.

“So I’m off the leash, but it’s whether I can keep running or not.’’

Building up her running tank is just one of the new challenges the former star defender faces as she adjusts to her new sporting career.

Having made her name as a circle defender in netball, Layton revealed she had been swung into attack for drills at the start of the pre-season.

But there’s a whole new set of skills for the 30-year-old to master.

“Learning how to kick properly, how to handball, I’m such a freshie. I’ve got so much to learn but that’s what I’m loving most about it,’’ Layton said.

Layton after her final Super Netball home game for the Magpies. Pic: Getty Images

“It’s really hard and I’m far from being a pro at it and I’m happy to admit that. I’ve just got to make sure that I keep coming in here and keep doing extra sessions.’’

Layton retired from netball at the end of the 2018 Super Netball season after a career that included 46 international caps, world title wins with the Diamonds in 2011 and 2015 and Commonwealth Games gold in 2014.

The decision to call time on netball followed a testing 12 months when she took a leave from the sport in late 2017 to deal with what she referred to as a “mental health injury”.

Layton said she was in a much better space now and has credited a fresh environment and challenge with helping her to continue to heal.

“It’s something you always need to keep and eye on, but I’m definitely in a much better place now than what I was last year,’’ Layton said.

“I just went through so much self development last year in taking that time off. A lot of people think that’s the reason I quit netball. I didn’t quit netball because I was in a bad place, I’d had a lot of therapy and got myself into a really good place. But in taking that time off, I knew that I didn’t want to go back to netball.

Layton's pre-season with the Pies is tracking well. (Pic: @CollingwoodFCW)

“I feel I am in a really good place at the moment … learning new things and being in this environment is really helping with that.

“But if you stop going to the gym and then go for a run, you are probably going to get injured. So for me, it’s always making sure that even when I’m feeling good I still need to go see my therapist to stay on top of it because I’m such a fast thinking person, it can get on top of me quite quickly.’’

Layton said she would be pushing herself to be ready for Round 1, but was aware of where she was coming from.

“I’m pushing myself hard to get there, but we’ll just take it as it comes,’’ she said.

“I played netball for 25 years and this is my first year of playing football.

“I’m not going out there to be the best footballer, but I’m going out there to be the best footballer that I can be in whatever time it is.

“Fingers crossed not, but if I’m terrible and they’re like ‘Sharns, this just isn’t for you’, I’ll be like ‘no worries’.

“But all going well I would love to play for a couple of years.’’

Originally published as Collingwood recruit Sharni Layton working hard to prove herself ahead of maiden AFLW season