ONE of the brightest young talents in the Riverland is taking her game to the next level in 2025, following a recent state selection.
Loxton netballing superstar Summer Smith was recently selected in the South Australian 19U state side, following an outstanding campaign.
Despite suffering an injury setback throughout last year, Smith returned in time to play in the Riverland Netball Association’s A1 grand final, taking out best on court honours.
Smith said that she was relieved to be confirmed for the side, following a lengthy selection process that included a trip interstate.
“I was pretty relieved and happy, and we had such a long process this year compared to other years, largely because we had a lot of injuries in the squad, so I think they were waiting to see how everyone pulled up,” she said.
“We also had a team of 12 selected to play in a tournament earlier this year in Gippsland, in Victoria, for a weekend competition.
“That was just to see how that team goes, and gave us a chance to trial different things and pairings on the court.
“They said to us that it wasn’t the confirmed team, but it did end up being that side selected, and we ended up doing pretty well over there.
“It has been quite a long process and we’ve just been waiting and waiting, so it was quite a relief to see my name on the list.”
Smith was a key cog in Loxton’s 2024 undefeated A1 season, playing 10 games, despite a four-week hiatus between rounds six and nine.
Playing all over the court, Smith’s best position proved to be in the goal defensive area, intercepting for fun on her way to the best on court medal in the thrilling double overtime win.
“Obviously we didn’t want it to get as close as it did, but it was probably the best spectators match ever,” she said.
“I had a fracture on a bone in my foot, and I was quite disappointed, because it stopped me going to the AIS for an Australian Camp last year.
“When you go away to those camps, it’s about getting categorised by Netball Australia, and if you are categorised they see you as having potential and going onto Super Netball and then Diamonds level.
“The year before when I went to the Aus Camp, I didn’t get categorised, so that was a big focus for me, and to have that ripped away really annoyed me.
“People probably didn’t know why I was so annoyed, but I was lucky that they reviewed my footage, and I got categorised after the camp had happened.
“That meant I received a SASI scholarship for netball, so that’s where I’ve been training this year which is an all-the-time thing at the moment.
“We won the grand final which was amazing, but getting that confirmation was a big goal that I was able to tick off.”
Smith has been involved in Loxton from a very young age, growing up at Tigerland, and said there were key people included in her journey.
Yet, she credits her mum more than anyone else, who also served as a coach throughout her junior career.
It’s something that has made her a loyal Tiger, and ultimately unable to play for any of the other Riverland clubs.
“Mum helped me a fair bit, and she coached in 15Bs, and she’s been through everything, so she’s been my biggest supporter,” she said.
“I had Jackie Dahlitz as one of my 15A coaches, and she taught me about listening to my coach and everything like that.
“I can’t really see myself playing anywhere else in the Riverland, because I just love the club, and I’m grateful that I am a Tiger.
“I’ve made such good friendships and connections, even though I’m 18, I’m still making connections through sport.
“Sometimes it’s not about how well you perform, it’s about how you feel when you perform, and I just want to give back to Loxton in any way I can.”
Smith will again be playing for Premier League club Garville this season, and ultimately unable to represent Loxton, but said she will be keeping a keen eye on the Tigers’ campaign.
She believes last season’s A1 grand final is one of the best she has been involved in, showcasing the strength of the sport in the region.
“I’m interested to see how Loxton goes and how the other teams go, in terms of what new faces are around,” she said.
“The grand final had such a great atmosphere and crowd, and that’s how you want it to be in the future.
“I’m keen to see how I can go down there against the quicker, faster bodies, and the Friday night competition is strong.
“I’m loving being a lot closer to trainings each session, and I’ve actually gone from being one of the furthest athletes to one of the closest.
“The adjustment to Adelaide has been a bit different because I’m only going to SASI trainings and our load is heavily monitored, so we can only go to certain court sessions.
“I’ve been to a few Garville trainings, and I really like the girls, and it’s a really nice club to be apart of, and the league side is looking pretty strong, so I’m interested to see how we go.”