Meet the Super Netball aspirant who is playing for free in pursuit of her lifelong dream

Sacha McDonald has travelled the globe in the hope of furthering her netball career. Now a teaching degree is funding what might be her final push at cracking Super Netball.

Sacha McDonald was unsure whether she wanted to continue pursuing elite-level netball when she returned home from a two-year stint playing in England two years ago.

The former Melbourne Vixens-listed rookie travelled to the other side of the world to further her on-court opportunities – with a dose of life experience on the side.

After two years with the London Pulse in England’s Super League in 2022 and 2023, the goaler returned home to Australia unsure what her next netball move was as she turned her attention off-court to completing her teaching degree.

McDonald, the younger sister of AFL players Tom and Oscar, decided to continue playing for Casey in the Victorian Netball League and her decision to do so has kept the door to Super Netball open this year.

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The 25-year-old has been named as captain of the new Mavericks’ Reserves team in the Super Netball Reserves competition, which is set to begin this week.

McDonald’s appointment as reserves’ captain comes two weeks after she was called up as injury cover for Melbourne Mavericks’ goaler Sasha Glasgow against the Giants.

Sacha McDonald in action for the Victorian Fury. Picture: Getty

“I didn’t even think I would make the (Mavs Reserves) squad originally, let alone be part of the leadership group.

“I did two seasons for London Pulse in 2022 and 23 before coming home and kind of made the decision then that I was going to step back from serious netball I suppose.

“I was tossing up whether I would play VNL or not, but I had my roots at Casey and a few connections there encouraged me to play and in the end it was a good decision to make.

“It all works out for a reason I suppose in the end.”

In the Vixens’ training environment for several years before her move to England, McDonald did not make a regular season Super Netball debut on court.

Super Netball hopeful Sacha McDonald. Picture: Getty

While she joked she had now “been around the blocks for a while” and her body was telling her she was a “bit old”, McDonald is not giving up on her Super Netball ambitions.

“It’s an interesting question and something I did not think I would be still pondering,” McDonald said.

“Since it has come back up, it is something I have had to consider a little bit more whether it is something I have to strive for.

“I have a good relationship with netball at the moment and with the opportunities that are coming, I think I am just going to take them as they come and work hard and if that results in something, good and if it doesn’t then I am really proud that I have come to this relationship with netball in the end.

Sacha McDonald is determined to make her dream a reality. Picture: Netball Victoria/Grant Treeby

“I am just going to see where it takes me and I am really loving it at the moment, so I will take any opportunities with two hands at this stage.”

McDonald is now juggling netball while working full-time as a secondary science teacher in biology and chemistry.

She admitted the balancing act could be challenging at times, but the sacrifice was worthwhile.

“I think it’s publicly known that it (the reserves) is not a salary based thing at all, it’s all up to the athlete,” McDonald said.

“At this stage I have been able to balance full-time work and the netball commitments, so that has been really positive.

“It obviously gets busy at times and it is just one of the things you have to do when you are playing that high-performance netball, but not quite professional.

“It is something that we have always had to juggle as training partners and players in the ANL and ANC, but at the moment being able to do full-time work has made it a lot easier.

“It is not the easiest thing coming home and training up to six days a week some weeks and having full-time work as well, it is not always the easiest thing.

“But there is a lot of reward for having those things outside of work and I really do enjoy it.

“When I was considering whether I kept playing netball, (the question) was always ‘Was it worth it in my life?’ and at this stage it clearly is.

“I’m still playing and I’m enjoying it so that is kind of the thing that you have to weigh up at the end of the day.”

Originally published as Meet the Super Netball aspirant who is playing for free in pursuit of her lifelong dream