Smith happy back on the farm

Young Southland netballer Ashleigh Smith is loving life back on the farm after a frustrating trans-Tasman campaign with the Canterbury Tactix.

The 18-year-old shooter shifted north late last year to play in the ANZ Championship and study agriculture at Lincoln University after finishing her schooling at St Peter's College in Gore.

Smith said her game had benefited immensely training every day as a semi-professional netballer and working with Tactix coaches Helen Mahon-Stroud and Julie Seymour.

Her debut ANZ Championship season had not been easy, though, with Tactix winning just one game and Smith only seeing 15 minutes of court-time. Late in the season, scans also revealed she had suffered a stress fracture in her right foot. The injury put Smith out of action for two months and she had only recently got back out on court.

"I had a few niggles and ignored it. Now that it's better, I didn't realise how bad it really was. I should've stopped."

Moving from the small Eastern Southland locality of Kaiwera to the bright lights of Christchurch at such a young age and leaving behind family and friends was also tough, Smith admitted.

"Up there, I was the new kid and I've never been like that before. Down here, you walk into the stadium and know people. It's the family you miss."

Smith has decided to put her studies in Canterbury on hold and head back home to play national championship netball for Southland. She has swapped the lecture theatre for the farm and is working on her neighbour's property at Kaiwera as a farmhand.

"I'm doing a bit of casual work and I'm loving it," she smiled.

Smith – who played for the New Zealand secondary schools side last year – has not yet been offered a contact for next year with Tactix.

Some other players might mope about in the same situation, but not the easygoing Smith.

She just wants to get back into the swing of things again after her injury and do well for her home province in the NPC.

"I'm not making any definite plans at this stage," she said

"Another (ANZ Championship) contract would be the best thing. The (New Zealand) under-21s is also my aim, to get into that team and tour."

Southland began their NPC season with a heartbreaking one-goal loss to Auckland-Waitakere last weekend and Smith said her team were determined to rebound from that disappointment when taking on Wellington at Stadium Southland on Saturday night.

"They've got the names. We just need to go strong like we did with Auckland and get up on them."

Smith has been part of Southland's successful side, which won the NPC title in 2008 and finished second last year, and said they were confident of doing well again.

"Everyone has the names, but a team of champions, isn't a champion team. I reckon Southland's got the goods. Everyone comes together and does their own job. That's how it works."

Saturday's game begins at 7pm.

- © Fairfax NZ News