It seems like only yesterday that Tayla Fraser was making her Swifts debut against the West Coast Fever in Perth back in 2019.
That game was a vital away win in a season when the Swifts, after an unprecedent 11-year title drought, finally stood on the winners’ podium once again.
Fraser, a proud product of the Baulkham Hills Shire Netball Association, would go on to play in that year’s Grand Final win over the Sunshine Coast Lightning and play an even bigger role when the Club registered its seventh Premiership success in 2021.
At just 23 years of age, Fraser still finds it difficult to believe she’s a double Premiership champion with the Swifts, the Club she supported from a young age.
This weekend, against the Giants, she will bring up 50 games if she takes the court and can hardly fathom the potential milestone has come around so quickly.
“Sometimes I pinch myself, especially when I think about going to see the Swifts when I was a kid,” she says.
“There is a photo of me lining up to get Paige Hadley’s autograph and to be honest I’m still a bit in awe of her, but I feel like I have really grown and found my own way over the past couple of years.
“When you get to share a changing room with the likes of Paigey, Maddy Proud and Maddy Turner you learn a huge amount, but there is also the pressure to keep pace too.
“We have champions all over the court and there is a very high standard that we hold ourselves to. This kind of environment keeps us on our toes and drives us to be better both individually but also, and most importantly, collectively.”
Fraser represented NSW through the underage pathway before nailing down a full-time roster spot with the Swifts in 2021.
For the versatile midcourter it was the fulfilment of a dream. She is – she confesses – a self-proclaimed ‘Swifts nerd’ who takes huge pride in knowing the individual debut number of each player that has appeared for the Club in a competitive match.
“When I was growing up, I loved watching the Swifts and it was my dream to become one,” Fraser reflects.
“The names like Liz Ellis and Cath Cox were known everywhere but I also loved the teams that played back-to-back Grand Finals against the Firebirds before the league changed to Super Netball.
“Playing in NSW State Teams and the Netball NSW Waratahs, which was then the feeder team to the Swifts, you always wanted to wear that Red Dress and understood the legacy it carried.
“I always think we are just the guardians of the dress until the next generation comes through and it is a privilege to wear it each time we get the chance.”
Fraser was on form last Saturday and put in a sterling effort in NSW's last-gasp win over the Vixens. Coming on at wing defence early on in the Round 6 clash, she went toe-to-toe with Diamonds captain Liz Watson, claiming three pick-ups in the process.
“It was brilliant game to be a part of, especially when you think of the history between the Swifts and Vixens, and all of the great players both Clubs have produced,” she said.
“I know that Liz Watson and Kate Moloney are really top-class players, but I think we matched-up pretty well against them and I love working in tandem with Paigey and Proudy.
“I think it showed our ability to interchange quickly and just do the jobs that are required as the flow of a game changes.
“But we need to be more consistent. We were nine goals down at one stage and while it was impressive that we came back, it could have gone the other way.
“The Giants will be looking to bounce back after a loss to the Firebirds on Sunday, and it’s their home game this weekend. Neither Club wants to give an inch.
“If we fall behind, and they nail the Super Shots – which they do better than any team in the competition – we’ll be in big trouble.
“There will be a huge crowd at Ken Rosewall Arena on Saturday night and it would be a privilege to bring up 50 games in such a big rivalry.”
The Giants host the Swifts at 7pm on Saturday night. The game will be broadcast live on Foxtel (via Fox Sports) and Kayo.
