She may have taken a year out to welcome her first child but Maddy Proud is keener than ever to hit the court running in the Red Dress of the NSW Swifts.
The double Swifts Premiership champion and Club Centurion is currently in the UK where her partner – cricketer Daniel Hughes – is playing for Sussex, but she’s gearing up for the long-haul flight home with daughter Lily in tow.
And, as all parents will attest to, children are great levelers – even for professional sportspeople.
“Lily has given me a new perspective on everything,” Proud says.
“Daniel has come home from cricket matches and said ‘the best thing is coming home to Lily because she doesn’t care if I got any runs or not’ and I can’t wait for it to be my turn.
“While hopefully I’m performing on the court it just makes everything better when you get to come home to a little one who loves you no matter what.
“It’s also made me appreciate how lucky I am to do something I love for a living so it’s going to be extra special getting to do that with Lily in the stands.”
Getting to showcase what Mum does best is just one of the reasons Proud is so eager to get back on court. She’s also fallen victim to a case of good old-fashioned F.O.M.O.
“It was bittersweet watching from afar this year,” Proud concedes.
“Obviously, I would’ve loved to be with the group but it was best for our family to be all together over in the UK. Luckily the late-night feeds meant I was still able to watch every game and had a lot of contact with the team throughout the season.
“The girls started like a steam train and it was so great to watch them string together so many wins early on.
“While the end of the season wasn’t what we would’ve hoped for there are so many great signs that make me so excited heading into season 2026.”
There are plenty of reason for Swifts fans to be hopeful next year, however, Proud will have to run a midcourt without her long-time sister-in-arms, Paige Hadley. The Diamonds superstar recently announced that she is welcoming her own first child in early 2026 and Proud couldn’t be happier for her dear friend.
“I’m so excited for Paige and (her partner) Jordan and can’t wait for them to be parents,” she says.
“Paigey will be the best mum and it’s going to be amazing having our little ones so close in age. It shows how much the sport is progressing in allowing players to have babies, be mums but also still be able to play.”
In fact, while on maternity leave, Proud found a support network in some fellow netballers who were also taking time out to start families. Those players included former Swifts champion and England star Natalie Metcalf (nee Haythornthwaite) and Melbourne Vixens defender Emily Mannix.
“The ‘mum’ community is just the best,” Proud says. “I’ve had a lot of support from so many different people and it is just incredible how much mums support one another. I’ve had a lot of chats with Emily Mannix as she had little Mabel at the start of the year and we’ve been talking about getting back into things next season so she’s been great.
“Obviously having Romelda (Aiken-George) in the Swifts team with Gigi a few seasons ago showed me what it was like having a baby around the team and Diddy has been the ultimate inspiration for being a netballer and a mother.
“I’ve also caught up with Nat Metcalf while in the UK and with her Miller only being a few weeks older than Lily it has been amazing to be able to go through this journey together.
“There have also been some super mums from other sports and just mums in general who have been so great to offer advice and help out. One of my best friends, Ali Miller, moved to Queensland to play for the Firebirds with her son Talanoa and she has been the best since the day I told her I was pregnant.”
Proud hopes to be there in a similar way for Hadley next year, and while she will undoubtedly miss the Diamonds vice-captain in the middle, there are plenty of other reasons for the Adeliade native to get very excited about what lies in store. Most notably the two Graces and the return of a Swifts champion.
“I can’t wait to be able to feed the ball into Grace Nweke and Grace Whyte who have been really impressive this year.
“And then have the band back together with Tay Fray back in red. I have played and won a lot with Tay and I know she’s Swifts to the core so having her back is a huge boost.
“They say absence can make the heart grow fonder and there are so many exciting things happening at the Swifts that I believe 2026 can be the best yet!”
