CENTER PASS
Rumbalara Defensive Dynamo Tiarna Steel Unveils Game-Winning Tactics
Celebrate a triumph on the court with Tiarna Steel, Rumbalara A-grade defensive star, as she recounts her birthday victory against Moama and shares the strategic maneuvers that led to their stunning comeback. In a game where second chances are as rare as a perfect shot, Tiana unveils the midcourt's critical interventions and the curious tactical shifts that shaped the match's outcome. With anticipation bubbling for the next showdown against Congupna , this episode captures the pulse of a team charged with post-training fervor and ready to conquer the court.
Embark on a netball narrative that traces Tiarna's journey from the playgrounds of Mooroopna Park Primary to the high-intensity environment of the Murray League. We shed light on the guiding influence of mentors like Kate Eddy, Yana Brunia, and the unexpected growth spurt that switched Tiana from shooter to defender. Get an inside look at Rumbalara evolving team dynamics—where Jess Bamblett's lift isn't just a defensive tactic, but a symbol of their on-court camaraderie—and how the infusion of fresh talent like Emily, Sarah, and Jessie Barnes-Hill is stoking the embers of a team poised for greatness.
Celebrate a triumph on the court with Tiarna Steel, Rumbalara A-grade defensive star, as she recounts her birthday victory against Moama and shares the strategic maneuvers that led to their stunning comeback. In a game where second chances are as rare as a perfect shot, Tiana unveils the midcourt's critical interventions and the curious tactical shifts that shaped the match's outcome. With anticipation bubbling for the next showdown against Congupna , this episode captures the pulse of a team charged with post-training fervor and ready to conquer the court.
Embark on a netball narrative that traces Tiarna's journey from the playgrounds of Mooroopna Park Primary to the high-intensity environment of the Murray League. We shed light on the guiding influence of mentors like Kate Eddy, Yana Brunia, and the unexpected growth spurt that switched Tiana from shooter to defender. Get an inside look at Rumbalara evolving team dynamics—where Jess Bamblett's lift isn't just a defensive tactic, but a symbol of their on-court camaraderie—and how the infusion of fresh talent like Emily, Sarah, and Jessie Barnes-Hill is stoking the embers of a team poised for greatness.
hey, welcome back. It's brett here with another episode of shooting from the circle where we take a look at the rumbler a grade-grade side and their journey through the Murray League this year. And today we have got a very special guest on an interview on the phone. She lives in Melbourne, she's one part of the dynamic duo who play in defence for Rumballara being very, very solid, and that is Tiana Steele. So thank you, Tiana, for your time today. Good thanks. So what's been going on? How did you feel last week after the win against Moama?
Speaker 2:Yeah, good.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It was a good feeling to win against my old side.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you did play for Moama, so obviously too it was your birthday. So how did that all go?
Speaker 2:Yeah good, it felt good Even as a team, we come together and mold it, and that's really all we were looking for yeah.
Speaker 1:So with that, what was the talk at quarter time? Because obviously Moama came out and shot the first four goals in the first quarter and you were down by six goals at quarter time. Because obviously Moama came out and shot the first four goals in the first quarter and you were down by six goals at quarter time. So what did Jess tell you at quarter time? What was the feeling? Were you up and about still?
Speaker 2:I think we were up and about. We weren't feeling deflated. It was obviously a big hit not being, you know, not scoring off of our centres. I think we threw away about four of them which they converted from in the first quarter. However, the talk at quarter time and whatnot was basically just stay composed, play our own game and keep possession of our centre passes, which we did.
Speaker 1:So talking about that. So obviously for the next three quarters, you won the next three quarters, but I felt myself that your mid-court actually started to dominate. So, Sarah, Emily, Kai and Madika, with those rolling subs, you started to dominate the mid-court. Did you feel that coming into halftime?
Speaker 2:Yeah, our midcourt is definitely stronger coming into this year than last year and I feel like we just moulded. Everyone had a role to play and everyone played it well. Yeah, especially in the midcourt. And having the rolling subs come in, that was a good thing as well, just for a bit of fresh legs and whatnot.
Speaker 1:So coming into three-quarter time you were up by six, obviously down by six at quarter time. Three-quarter time you come off the court at up by six goals. What was the feeling? Did you think you had it won or did you just want to keep with the process?
Speaker 2:I don't think any of us even really checked the score, to be honest. I know I don't think any of us even really checked the score. To be honest, I know I didn't. I didn't look at the score once for the rest of the game. But, yeah, I think the score didn't matter. We just kept playing the way we played and we tried not to slack off and, yeah, just kept consistent with our game, keep possession of our centers, anything you know turnovers, whatever they were just a bonus.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So, coming into that last quarter, they shot the first four goals. You were only up by six. They shot the first four goals and I noticed at one stage there you sort of looked back at Jess and you had a bit of a surprise look on your face, thinking oh shit, here we go. What's going on here? What turned it around after those first four goals for you to sort of settle yourselves? And because I know, yeah, midcourt, all of a sudden they it seems like everyone had a switch and they just clicked and went shit. Individually, we need, we know what we need to do and your midcourt sort of you know emily and sarah and I sort of thought I think for me it looked like they just went shit. We need more drive, we need to work harder. What was the feeling after those first four goals were shot on you in the last quarter?
Speaker 2:I think from the defence end we sat comfortable, we got too comfortable, and obviously a different goal was on in the third quarter and then in the last quarter Brysey came back on which turned it up for Moama, and I think the look I gave Jess was just a matter of come on. We need to not settle here and, yeah, I think, mainly not forcing the ball in, because that's where a lot of our errors were coming from. Obviously, jessie Barnes and Sophie being large targets, you know tall girls, we were just kind of bombing it into them and putting them under a lot of pressure, so we just had to take it back a bit and go back to short and sharp netball.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so talking about putting on another shooter, what did you think? Coming onto the end of the third quarter and noticing that Drizy wasn't on she's pinnacle for Moama and obviously you know her coming off what did you think? Did you think, oh, we can capitalize here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think obviously Moama made a mistake by taking Drazi off. That was obviously their downfall, because Drazi is a playmaker, she makes the goal in circle and when they did take her off, me and Jess took it as an opportunity to obviously knuckle down a little bit harder. Yeah, yeah, strasi is a good player and she plays it well. She does her role well. So taking her off they lost that connection and we used that to our advantage in the defensive end.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so yeah. So at the end of the game, yeah, he's won by six goals. You know eight goals actually. So yeah, pretty phenomenal feeling. Now coming into this week, you've got Kingupna. I think they're a new side, new coaches. What's the feeling around the netball club at the moment with the A-grade? You had training last night. How was training? And what's the feeling coming into this weekend's game against Gungapna?
Speaker 2:Training last night we didn't really. We just mainly focused on our own players. We didn't mention who we were playing and whatnot once. We were just worried about our own game and we focused a lot on our attacking end and our second phase off the centre. Us defenders worked out. You know how we're going to play and what we're going to do and it worked well at training, so we're just going to capitalise on that and progress with the defensive press slash ball that we've got going on at the moment and yeah.
Speaker 1:So how do you reckon you'll go this weekend Like, yeah, as I said, new club coming up, I don't know who's. I know Ash Ray's not playing, but do you know anyone that's there? I know Taylor Durden. She's pretty solid in defence for them, but do you think you know like it's going to be a tight game? It's going to be a, you know.
Speaker 2:I think with Congutna we can't underestimate them. We did that last year in one of the games that we did play against Congutna and we were essentially 20 goals down because we took them for granted a little bit. So they're the type of team that you can't underestimate their ability because they won't go away. They are pests. They will keep fighting, and fighting, and fighting until the very end. I don't yeah, we can't underestimate them and come into it with the mentality that we're going to win.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all right. Well, so that's a bit about the team and everything else. I just want to ask a couple of questions about you so, with your netball career where you started. I just want to ask a couple of questions about you so, with your netball career where you started. So can you share with us your earliest memories of playing netball as a junior, like when did you start, how old were you, where?
Speaker 2:did you start? I started, I think, as an 11-year-old girl, because I never thought about playing netball before. It wasn't really my forte. I tried basketball. I didn't really like it. I played school netball for my primary school, which was Marootna Park Primary. A couple of my friends were playing, so I just jumped in and started playing with them and, yeah, I haven't really stopped since.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so from your juniors, obviously you played at Marootna. Did you play all your juniors at Marootna?
Speaker 2:Like, what was the progression to where you are now at Rumbalara? So I started at Mooroopna Park Primary doing juniors. When I hit high school I played for Mooroopna. I wouldn't even know if it was a football netball club back then, it was just Mooroopna, because at the time juniors weren't a thing like under-11s, 13s, 15s wasn't actually like a GB thing, weren't a thing like under-11s, 13s, 15s wasn't actually like a GB thing. So we played at SNA, which is the Shepparton Netball Association, on a Saturday morning, played there for a year.
Speaker 2:I did pretty well, I suppose, as an under-13 girl. And then from there I played under-15s at Wanganui High School For 15,. I think I was too young to play TV at 14, but when I turned 15, I went ahead and played under-17s at Shepparton United and I played all my juniors there as well as playing for Wanganui as well, up until I was 17 at Shepparton United and Wanganui. And then I took a year off from Shepparton United as an 18-year-old and then I started playing footy. And then I went back to playing netball when I was 19, and I went to Shepparton Swans and that's where I started playing senior netball, started A grade at 19 at Shepp Swans, stayed there for six years, left Swans just after COVID went to Moama, and then I've been at Rumba for two seasons, so that's pretty much club and local netball.
Speaker 1:So obviously you've played a few clubs, you've had some few coaches in, so what particular coaches or mentors that have played a significant role in guiding you through your netball journey? So, from your junior time to now, what coaches stick in your mind to have gotten you to where you are now?
Speaker 2:What coaches stick in your mind to have gotten you to where you are now? So definitely at Shepparton United I was coached by Kate Eddy and she was the best coach I have ever had to this day. She really gave me a foundation with my netball. So, coming from school netball and everything like that and then hitting gv, it's quite a big, a big jump, um, and yeah, kate eddie just built the foundation for all of us girls to progress and and become great netballers. So definitely kate eddie for juniors.
Speaker 2:And then when I hit senior years, it was definitely yana brunia. She's yana reardon now, but yeah, yana brunia definitely took me under her wing when I was at Shep Swans and she also gave me a really good foundation on where to start with seeing netball and helped me progress. And also, in saying that we had Dylan Nexit at Shepard and Swans as well, um, for a couple of years there and he also gave me a lot of insight, a lot of experience and he's very smart, yeah it was good to have Dylan and Yana around during my senior years, like obviously just starting out, because yeah, they really helped guide you and they were really great mentors.
Speaker 1:Cool. So you obviously played rep netball as well with SNA through, I think Kate Eddy was your coach through SNA and Tanya Orchard and Austin, so you've had some pretty good coaches um guide you along the way and, um, yeah, probably, probably, uh instigated where you are now. Um, so what, what's what? Do you think the differences are moving up? So say, you've gone from Golden Valley League to Murray League. What's the differences in play styles that you've found since you've gone to Murray League? Because at the moment I think Murray League is very strong because you've got a lot of ex-GVL netballers coming over to there. So how did you find it when you came from GV to Murray League?
Speaker 2:So how did you find it? When you came from GV to Murray League, the transition was, you know, wasn't like there was no really significant change. You know the standard of netball is still quite high. Like playing GV, you still had those teams that were not as successful compared to those that aren't. It's the same in Murray League. You know you do have a few teams there that aren't successful, but you know they still push on through. And then there are the teams that you know are successful but the standard of netball I'd say is quite, quite similar. Um, yeah, there's, there's not real much difference. I found, obviously, playing murray league for the last three years that I'm a lot more comfortable in murray league. There's not that much pressure in Murray League to perform as there is in GB.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so also, too, your playing style. So obviously when you started off you were a shooter and you sort of went into goal defence. So how has your playing style evolved since juniors to where you are now? Have you always played the way you played, or have you changed the way you've had to play?
Speaker 2:During my junior years I was a goaller. However, I was a pretty late bloomer in regards to height, so when I hit that GV standard I was too short to actually play goal shooter, so I was chucked into a wing defence position and it is the hardest position to play on the court and from there I just obviously have shortened up. I've gotten a little bit taller, a little bit more agile, a little bit more athletic and, yeah, that's pretty much how I became a defender after playing goals for so many years.
Speaker 1:So are you a body-on-body defender, or are you a floater, or a bit of both?
Speaker 2:Yeah, a bit of both. It depends on who I'm with in the ring and what my defensive partners look like. In saying that, like wing defence and obviously, the goalkeeper, it's more beneficial to play space than we play space. It's more beneficial to play space than we play space. It's more beneficial to play body than we play body, but it will just depend on who I'm with in the ring on the day.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So looking back, I mean back through your journey, through netball what advice would you give your younger self to embark back on the netball journey? So if you can give your younger self some any advice about netball or whatever, what would it be?
Speaker 2:I don't know, that's a hard one. I guess it's just keep going, keep doing what you're doing as a young girl. It is deflating, you know, hearing you're not good enough for this, you're not good enough for that, you're not tall enough for that, and it's more. It is deflating and it does deflate your confidence a little bit, but it's a matter of okay. Well, I'll show you why I'm good, you know. I'll show you why I deserve to be here. Or I'll show you why I'm good, you know, I'll show you why I deserve to be here or I'll show you why I play the position I play?
Speaker 2:Yeah, rather than just being deflated about it, you just keep pushing on because, yeah, someone will see the talent.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, yeah, good advice. So how do you so? Just to end it off, yeah, obviously you're Rumbelara now. So, coming to Rumbelara from Shep Swans, yeah, you've come up against. Look, yeah, she's a living legend at Rumbelara and Jess Bamblett in Keeper. How have you adapted to her style? Or have you just pretty much the first game just went? Yep, we've clicked. And how does that work? Have you just got to talk to each other a lot, or you just know what's going on?
Speaker 2:I think Jess and I obviously playing with the likes of Erin from Erin Francis from Swans, she was actually like a very good mentor for me, just to play how I play. She didn't try and change my style, she worked with me, we worked together. So, yeah, when I've obviously adapted to Erin's style and I've come over to Rumba and Jess and I work obviously together very, very well, but Jess adapts to what I'm doing. We balance each other out. Yeah, I've never played with anyone like Jess who can read me the way that she reads me and she actually gives me the opportunity to play the nipple that I'd like to play and do the things that I do, because I know that I've got a solid goalkeeper behind me that's going to do her job as well yeah, because.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because last year you pretty much won the defensive end for the Murray League, so obviously you conceded the less goals for the year, so obviously your defense is solid. So between the two of you you certainly know how to work things out and everything else. Now just a couple of things talking about that. In the last two years you've got to this thing where, if you're defending, jess will pick you up and put you into the sky. How did that come about?
Speaker 2:Actually, I have no idea. I think that comes from New Zealand, did it obviously way back in the day in netball? But it actually came from an ex-rumba player, the two sisters, leah, and it's either Leah and Adels or Leah and Maggie. I know they all bloody, look the same to me, but those girls actually started it and when I've come in I'm not even sure how it started. But I was just defending one day and as I've jumped, jess just threw me in the air and it works. So, yeah, obviously being able to do that is a benefit and it works when it does work, and when it doesn't, it doesn't. So we just adapt.
Speaker 1:So talking a bit about Rumban now with the team, just to end it all off. So you've got pretty much a new side this year. As you said, your midcourt is very strong and your shooting style. So talk about your new midcourt recruits in Emily and Sarah. And obviously, yeah, the biggest name I feel to come out of GV to go into Murray League is Jessie Barnes-Hill. Yeah, she's just an absolute living legend herself in the GV. So talk about those three recruits, especially the two that have come down from Melbourne in that centre circle.
Speaker 2:Jessie Barnes brings a lot of experience. She just brings a side of us all that we didn't obviously know we had. She makes us dig deep. She's a very vocal person. To be honest. It actually feels good playing with her rather than against her, like I had for the last three years when I was at Swans. But yeah, bringing Jessie in just brings a lot of experience. Yeah, she just makes us play a certain way.
Speaker 2:I don't know, I don't know what it is. She just has this vibe about her that just makes us want to go hard and you know, do the one percenters and do the second efforts and and um emily and sarah they bring, they're fresh, they're fit, they're agile, they're athletic. Um, emily actually can play goals as well as midcourt, but I think she's found a new position in center um with us and her and sarah they play together down here in melbourne and um they just mold together. So when them two are in an in Melbourne and they just mould together. So when them two are in an attacking end together, they just know where each other's going to be and go and they read each other quite well. Emily also being a goaller, it helps her feed into Sophie and Jess, because she knows where they're going and what they're doing.
Speaker 1:So do you think with that? Just on a final note, so you've got Nakai Bamblett there. Like last year. She's only young, 17, 18. She was a little bit fresh, a bit raw last year and I've noticed the last two games since you've had these more experienced players come into that circle and I know what they do. She's certainly picked her game up on the weekend against Moama she was very, very good. Do you think, having those two in there and they know what they're doing? And you've got an excellent mid-court line that they're just dragging her along and she's looking and learning how they're going?
Speaker 2:I think, yeah, last year, kai being so young, she didn't have. I'm going to say, like a leader, we didn't have. I'm going to say, like a leader, we didn't have a leadership role in the midcourt and they were obviously quite young and Kai Kai couldn't oh, what's the word? Like she is so young that she wouldn't take, like she didn't have the initiative to take on that leadership role just yet. She needed to be nurtured a little bit into the role in midcourt and I think, again with Jessie Barnes just bringing that level-headed vibe, the two recruits Emily and Sarah and even.
Speaker 2:Madika being in there as well. Now that Kai's got a bit of a leadership role people to look up to, it's definitely helped her game a lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you're talking about Madika. So she came on and played last week. Absolutely, that last quarter was just fantastic from her. So obviously she's played at Rambalara before. So what's her asset coming into the game? So playing wing attack and in the circle as well, in the centre. So, yeah, how do you think she will go?
Speaker 2:Madika is very I love the way she plays. She's very hard, she goes for the ball. She's got a lot of grunt about her. She doesn't give up. She's just someone that's so tenacious in everything that she does and, yeah, bringing her in it just brings that little bit of fire in the midcourt that we lacked last year. And she's very experienced as well. Obviously she's played at Rumba before she plays footy, so she does have that grunt about her as well. She's a great asset to the team and I think, yeah, that mid-court role by her it's, yeah, it's great, so all right.
Speaker 1:So yeah, as I said, so you've got Kengapna this weekend. Obviously, you know another hard game, but looking forward, moving forward. You know there are a couple of strong sides within the Murray League. Who are the sides that you you know that you look at too and go okay, we're going to have to work a lot harder, we're going to have to work things. Who are the sides that are probably the sides that you need to get over? Obviously, you got over Moama on the weekend because they were one of them.
Speaker 2:They're big game players, but who are the other sides that you need to watch and try and get over. So yeah, moama was definitely one of them. Yeah, tony, like Tongala, they're obviously up there. They won the flag last year. I'm not too sure about Danilo Quinn. I did hear some players had left, some players stayed, so I'm not too sure about Danilo Quinn. I've after gone down by one goal to Nathalia. Them two sides, nathalia and Denny. They're probably the two sides as well. So yeah, I think them three or four would be the ones that we'll really have to get down to the nitty-gritty and just worry about our own game.
Speaker 2:Not too much worry about what they're doing, but just play our game the way we play it and adapt as the game goes on.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, tiana, for that. That's a great interview. Yeah, her and Jess Bamlett, absolute brain in that defensive circle, and this weekend playing King Guttman. I'm not real sure about Kingutna, I haven't heard anything much about them. They beat Numerica last week and they got beaten by Moela the week before. So they're one and one. They'll want to come out hard on Saturday, tomorrow and prove to everyone that they can put it up to probably the more elite side.
Speaker 1:So in Rumba, danny, those sort of things. So, first off, they've got Rumbler. Tomorrow they're going to have to bring their A game or AAA game because Rumbler have got fantastic players across the court. So, as I said, you've got Jess Bamblett and Tiana, who we just interviewed, in that defensive circle. So Jess Bamblett, goalkeeper, tiana, goal defense. Then you move into the midcourt. You've got Madika, kai, emily and Sarah in that midcourt and last week against Moama they were just absolutely fantastic. That last quarter pressure was on. Moama shot the first four goals and then all of a sudden, bang, they got into it.
Speaker 1:And then what can you say about that shooting circle? You're looking at Jessie Barnes-Hill and you're looking at Sarah. You're looking at Soph Ackie. So Soph Ackerson. She's very, very sublime. Like she doesn't get a lot of recognition she should, because she is a fantastic shooter. But she does her job, she plays a role, she supports um the goal, attack um being a goal shooter. And yeah, this weekend I'm not sure how can gutner are going to defend them. Yeah, these two are tall shooters. They demand the ball. Jessie Barns Hill demands the ball. She demands two people playing on her, which then leaves Soph open. They've both got GV experience. They've both won premierships. Yeah, it is going to be a very tough game for Guttner this weekend. They're going to have their work cut out for them. I mean new coaches with Wendy Sidebottom and her daughter. They know the job that they've got.
Speaker 1:And yeah, rumbelara also do, because last year I mean we're talking a different side this year for Rumbelara, but last year I think second game or third game Kingutton were up nearly by 20 goals at one stage and Rumbelara pegged it back. So, kingutton, they were very tenacious. They won't go away. You've got Morgan Zotti in the centre circle for them. They know what they've got to do, but I honestly feel that they're going to be coming up against, you know, a Rumbelara side that's very strong, that who believe in each other. And you know they've only played two games. But, as I said across the board, rumbelara are going to be strong. It's going to be Rumbelara by, I'd say, at least 24 goals.
Speaker 1:It's not going to be a good weekend for King Guttman and A-Grade. They'll do their best, but I don't think they've got the caliber of player to match who Rumballara have got at the moment. But in saying that, we don't really know too much about King Guttman. But anyway, I will do a preview or a review of that game on Sunday. It's going to be a cracker game but again, as I said, the Kalarara player, that Rambalara got across that nipple court. I think it's two-folds better than what Kengutna's is and they'll come away with the chocolates Rumbelaro by 24 goals. Anyway, that is me, brett. I'm out and enjoy this podcast and thank you for listening. Bye, bye, bye, we'll see you next time.