All-rounder Mansell Gives Netball A Shot

Newcastle Herald

Thursday April 5, 2007

RENEE VALENTINE NETBALL

NETBALL, basketball or athletics Jessica Mansell showed great promise in all three as a junior and could pursue any one with great success in the open ranks.

She was an Australian schoolgirl representative in netball, represented her country at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in javelin and played at national age titles for basketball.

Her focus has been basketball for the past 18 months, but for now the 18-year-old has chosen netball and the Hunter Jaegers.

"Originally, I was a netballer, and then I was a netball/basketballer, then I left netball to pursue basketball, and now I'm back," Mansell said.

"When I was 16, I got an offer from the Sydney Uni Flames to play for them in the WNBL [Women's National Basketball League], and I obviously couldn't do both, so I stopped playing netball and I took up basketball.

"I love both, but I think when you get you an opportunity, whoever offers you the opportunity first, you just have to take it. You can't turn it down, and that was a really great opportunity for me at that age."

Mansell made one appearance for the Flames in the 2005-06 season, but her second season was ruined by an ankle injury.

Continued Page 61

All-round talent for Jaegers

From Page 64

The Sydneysider is likely to play with the Flames again next season but would not pass up the chance to play in the national netball league.

"Because this is the off-season for the WNBL, I had the opportunity to play ABA [Australian Basketball Association], but [Jaegers coach] Jon [Fletcher] offered me this, and I thought I may as well take it," she said.

"I went and spoke with my basketball coach, and I'm still playing with the Flames next year hopefully. It's just I'm giving this a go to see if I can finally make a decision which one I like better, because they're both at a pretty good level."

Standing at 185 centimetres, the Sydney University student adds height to the Jaegers defence.

She joined the Hunter side this month and played for them in pre-season tournaments in Brisbane and Sydney, and her potential has impressed Fletcher.

"We needed another circle defender, and Jess was a very promising player as an under-17 representative for NSW a few years ago at nationals," Fletcher said.

"We knew that she wasn't actually in the game at the present moment, so we went targeting her because we knew she had plenty of potential.

"We haven't seen a lot of her, but she's going OK at the present moment . . . I think we're just at the start of seeing what she's capable of doing in the next few months when she really settles in."

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

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