After two seasons playing in Queensland’s Ruby Series, Briony Pratt (pictured left above) has returned to South Australia with a new career and a new outlook on netball.
The Woods Panthers athlete moved to Queensland in 2018 to pursue her dream of becoming a paramedic and after two years of study has landed her dream job back in Adelaide.
“It was a big decision to move to Brisbane, but it was the best one for me at the time,” Briony said.
“QUT in Brisbane is one of two universities with a graduate entry which would give me full first year credit due to my medical science degree.
“It was really sad to leave my team mates at the time.”
Keen to make friends in a new city, the dynamic mid-courter signed up with QUT Netball Club.
A coach with state league affiliations spotted her at QUT trials and connected her with the Ruby and Sapphire Series club, Brisbane South Wildcats.
Having missed trials, she began as a training partner but was promoted to the team when another player dropped out.
“It was such a different system there but I loved playing with the girls and learning a different way of doing things,” Briony said.
“I’m never one to take the easy option, so I played for Wildcats on Tuesday nights and still played with QUT on Saturdays.
“I met so many amazing people, including my flat mate, who I became close friends with and she helped me settle into Brisbane.”
After finishing her degree at the end of 2019, Briony was offered a graduate position with the SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) and QUT’s loss quickly became Woods Panthers gain.
“I was one of only two people in my course who graduated with a job, so I am incredibly grateful,” Briony said.
“When I had a feeling that I wanted to move home this year, I reached out to Judi Andrewartha (Woods Premier League coach) and she was keen to include me in some way.
“I was added to the squad as a training partner and have now worked my way into the squad again.”
Prepared for the challenge of shift work, Briony is keen to maintain as much balance as possible between work and netball.
“Work has to come first with me, but I really wanted to be transparent and open with my coaches and my teammates,” Briony said.
“As soon as the season draw came out, I drew up a calendar with the season, our training schedule and my work shifts, which I sent through to the coaches so they could plan.
As a paramedic during COVID-19, taking extra precautions around health and safety was paramount for Briony.
“It was hard in the beginning, because as a paramedic, I need to be more mindful of isolating because of an increased risk of exposure,” Briony said.
“But I’m now back at training with the girls and it has been fantastic to all connect and start locking some things in before the season starts.
“We are a young squad, but I think that brings a level of enthusiasm and self-belief that we can take on any other team in the league.”
Woods Panthers take on Metro Jets this Friday night, July 24, for Round Three of the Netball SA 2020 Premier League season.
The match will also be live streamed on the Netball SA Premier League Facebook Page, thanks to Spacequake.
