Best in season and finals, Walsh doesn't stop; Harmer Saints' top for the year

No stranger to polling high at vote counts, this is her second football win to go alongside her four A grade netball wins.

Walsh was a key player through not only the regular season but finals too, also earning herself the best in finals award.

She said this season felt like a real team effort, with everyone pulling their weight.

"I think it's always a team effort, there's so many great players in our team, I think we all work very hard each week and that's reflected in our weekly awards," Walsh said.

"I think we all work hard every week and that's reflected in our weekly awards, so it was a nice surprise on Saturday, anyone could have taken it.

"It's definitely a privilege, especially when you play with great girls like likes of Lucy Anderson, Bridie [Gregurke], Skye [Hamblin], Abbey Hamblin, Anna Sase, Kaitlin Logan, you don't take it for granted, that's for sure, it's a privilege."

Falling just short of a third straight premiership this season, Walsh said the group have a new drive to perform even better next year.

She credited coaches Luke Walsh and Alice Anderson with leading the playing group to want and be their best.

Taking each week as it came, she enjoyed the challenges this season brought, and is hoping for an even better one next year.

"Obviously it was not the fairy tale ending but I'm still very proud of the girls, I think it was a great season and lots of successes to take from it and learning too," Walsh said.

"There's definitely some fire in our bellies."

Straight into the netball season, Walsh didn't stop between sports, and said she plans on taking the field again next year when the time comes.

She was pushed up forward, then injury puller her back to the midfield, but Sarah Harmer impressed for North Wagga all season.

Pleased with how her side gelled this season, Harmer enjoyed stepping up to provide a mentoring to young additions.

"I feel like we clicked a lot better than last year," she said.

"We had a few girls come back after having babies which was great to see some old faces, but to see some new faces that have had experience and some under 16s, which haven't had the experience with the seniors was great.

"I love having all the 16-year-olds, help coach them and then to bring them up, it's just awesome to see, we're just like one big family."

After winning just one game in 2023, North Wagga played finals this season.

Harmer attributed the improvement to year-on-year development, and tagged 2025 as another big year for the club.

"Having already had that year last year where we were developing, this year everyone's come back already had that development, so we could catch better kick better, we're working through as a team learning the next set of skills that we had to learn," she said.

"Then next year, we already have two years experience together, so we can just be even better."

Harmer said she would like to see young players continuing to filter into the team from the youth girls competition.

Admitting the side isn't the youngest in the league, nurturing young talent alongside the current senior group will be essential to the club's longevity.

"We need those younger ones to feel confident enough to become the leaders," Harmer said.

"Then they can come up and bring the next group up and keep the sport alive really, because if we fizzle out and there's no one to pull up, then the sports starts to fizzle out and we don't get that enjoyment anymore."