Seymour’s Casey Adamson captains Collingwood to gold at Australian Netball Championships

Adamson, alongside Shepparton stars Jane Cook and Sophie Hanrahan as well as former Shepparton United defender Zoe Davies, ran out 57-55 victors over Swifts Academy in the big dance in Morayfield, Queensland.

Never short of character, the 25-year-old said her side’s run throughout the seven-day tournament was a genuine show of fight from her mercenary group.

“I think I said in my final speech that I call us a group of nobodies ― it’s essentially a group of people that probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity if Collingwood wasn’t around,” Adamson said.

“We all came together and were such an awesome team; we had such a great week off the court as well which meant that we could get our on-court together and perform like we did.

“It was an awesome week, it was a lot of netball and a lot of tired bodies at the end of the week.

“But we were the ones standing with the gold medal around our neck and I couldn’t be prouder.”

Collingwood finished second in its pool after taking four wins from its five group games played from August 21-25.

Next was the semi-final, the Magpies progressing after a 60-47 beating of West Coast Fever Reserves.

Only one game stood between Adamson and gold.

She’d featured in last year’s bronze medal match and lost, so when Collingwood trailed in the final quarter against the Swifts it took all of Adamson’s mental fortitude and leadership to swing the tide.

“It was a cracker of a game, it was really tight and I think there were a couple of changes with the lead. We went into the last quarter six goals down unfortunately,” she said.

“I play in a state league team and we always are known as the fourth-quarter specialists, so I kind of had that mentality going into the last quarter that anything is possible if we just grind it out.

“I think there was 20 seconds left and I looked at one of my teammates and just couldn’t believe that we’d actually done it.

“Just because I think a lot of people, when we were six goals down going into that last quarter, thought ‘nah that’s it’.

“It was awesome that we were able to perform really well in that last quarter and get that two-goal lead in the end and win the premiership.”

Just like that the ‘‘nobodies’’ were nobodies no more.

Adamson missed out in last year’s championships, lost the Victorian Netball League premiership match, but did not falter in the biggest occasion of them all.

There’s no time to rest with a GVL elimination final against Tatura this Saturday next up.

However, Seymour’s superstar did make sure to take a moment to cherish what she’s achieved.

“It definitely is a lot of netball and especially as you get a little bit older like I am your body feels it a bit more,” she said.

‘’But it’s just one of those weeks that you make memories that last a lifetime and I think they’ll stay with me a long time, especially since we won.“