Brieanan Reichman, 14, is chasing success at this weekend’s state netball championships as part of the Western Region 15 and under squad.
BRIEANAN Reichman can’t remember watching her mother play netball.
But the 14-year-old knows she had the talent to go far in the sport and hopes she has inherited at least a fraction of it.
Brieanan is part of a Western Region 15 and under squad which is chasing success at the Netball Victoria state championships in Melbourne this weekend.
The North Warrnambool Eagle will make her debut at the titles and wants to match the feats of her late mother from 17 years ago.
Emma Delaney-Reichman was a part of Western Region’s first title-winning side, a talent-laden 19 and under group which clinched the Mobil Country Cup in 1995.
The successful day, which also included a senior title, marked a historic moment for netball in the south-west.
Delaney-Reichman went on to forge a decorated career at Mortlake and Koroit, where she played in a premiership, before she died in 2001, aged 25.
Brieanan was too young to remember her mother playing netball.
But she remains an inspiration, both on the court and off it.
“She was a fantastic netballer. She was going to do so well in life and achieve so much,” Brieanan said.
“She’s the biggest influence in my life.
“She played all around the court, but I heard she played most in defence, goal defence.”
Those who knew Delaney-Reichman say there are uncanny similarities between her and her daughter.
But while Delaney-Reichman made her name as an athletic defender, her daughter is creating her own reputation as a wing attack.
She helped the 15 and under Eagles finish their season in third place and played a key role as Hampden won the LOUD championships 15 and under title in June.
“We worked well as a group of girls and we had a really good coach in Kate (Lindsay),” Brieanan said.
“We did have some pretty tough teams that we came up against, but it’s probably a higher level (this weekend).
“There should be more teams involved because we play 16 games through two days. That’s not including finals.
“I reckon we should go pretty well.”
Western Region will send three squads to the state championships at Melbourne’s State Netball Hockey Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
The seniors, coached by South Warrnambool mentor Gill Herrmann, are out to defend their breakthrough title won last year.
The 15 and unders, coached by Kate Lindsay and Fran Bell, and the 17 and unders, coached by Chris Van Kempen, hope to go better than their semi-final appearances 12 months ago.
