THE postponement of the Riverina League season is just the latest setback for Sophie Fawns this year, but the Wagga netball product remains upbeat.
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The 17-year-old is part of the NSW Swifts Academy, but opportunities to train at their Sydney base have been reduced by the pandemic.
A chance to represent her state at the national titles was also taken away due to COVID for the second straight year while this month's Australian Netball Championships - which brings together the country's emerging talent - have also been cancelled.
But Fawns is confident it won't harm her development and her motivation to make it to the elite level was only enhanced by watching the Swifts win the Super Netball grand final over cross town rivals Greater Western Sydney on Saturday.
"I've got to know them over the last couple of years and I'm so proud of them for winning. Given the current situation Sydney is in it makes it even better," she said.
"I've been training for a few months (with Swifts Academy), as well as concentrating on club netball with Mangoplah (MCUE). But now we've moved into the off season a bit early just because it's very hard to get motivated in this period, especially when we didn't know whether ANC (would go ahead).
"It's hard to focus on training when you don't know if there's a purpose. They're very conscious of everyone's mental health as well, which is why they've made that decision."
Fawns was set to represent NSW as a bottom age player in the national under-19 championships, missing a few games with the Goannas to train with the team before they were cancelled.
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"I'm not sure (it will have much of an effect), I find all those girls in Sydney have been in lockdown for a while and I've still been able to play my club netball," she said.
"But (with representative netball) we're all in the same boat, and have had the same opportunity to showcase ourselves."
MCUE finished top of the Riverina League ladder as they search for a third straight flag, and Fawns has her fingers crossed they can play finals.
"We're still training, doing Zooms and our own sessions," she said.
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