Tegan McNamara, pictured in 2014 playing a one-off game for Cobden, has joined the club on a full-time basis for the 2016 season.
COBDEN’S netball stocks have been further bolstered by the addition of South Colac premiership star Tegan McNamara.
McNamara will play under her sister Nadine, who has taken on the Hampden league club’s senior coaching position for the 2016 season.
Tegan McNamara, 20, was a key in helping South Colac taste its maiden Colac district A Grade flag this season.
The impressive goaler shot a game-high 45 goals in the decider against Colac Imperials to finish with 372 goals in an injury-affected 2015, after an injured knee hampered part of her season.
McNamara, who just completed her second year of studying paramedicine at university, said a desire to join Nadine in her first stint of senior coaching prompted a move to Cobden.
“I’m super excited,” she said.
“I can’t wait to play with Nads, now she’s coaching it’ll be good to see that side of her and watch her go through that, because I know she’s really looking forward to that as much as I am looking forward to playing at a new place.
“We’re really, really good friends and we love playing together, plus it could potentially be one of the last years I could play with her, because who knows what will happen once I finish uni and get a job.”
The McNamara sisters have been a key to South’s recent success in the CDFLNA.
Nadine claimed the association’s best-and-fairest in 2014 and finished runner-up in 2009, 2012 and 2013, while earning Team of the Year honours on multiple occasions.
She also represented the Colac district alongside Tegan at interleague level.
Tegan said it was a tough decision to leave the Roos.
She praised South mentor Nicole Mitchell’s impact on her netball career and said being part of the club’s first A Grade premiership was a career highlight.
“I don’t think it was ever an easy decision to leave,” McNamara said.
“South’s been the best club and where I’ve grown up and always played.
“Nic’s made me a better netballer along with all the other people there, so it definitely wasn’t an easy decision,” she said.
“But winning the grand final, we got what we chased after all those years, and it was exactly what we thought it would be and more.
“I’ll never forget that, but it was probably the right time to move on and try something else.”
McNamara, who played a one-off game with Nadine at Cobden in 2014, said the move to the highly-rated Hampden league presented a new challenge.
“It is a step up I guess,” she said.
“I’m not sure what to really expect, playing against people I don’t know much about, and what the other teams are like.”
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