The teaching student spent two seasons with Ballarat club Sebastopol before returning home to Leura Oval this season.

The 21-year-old returned after netting her fourth-year teaching placement in Terang and is now shaping as a key pillar in the Magpies' finals campaign.

Lucas, now back in Ballarat as her degree draws to a close, said carpooling to games with club mates had eased the burden of travel.

"I was lucky because with my placement I was based around here for the first half of the season," she told The Standard.

"I'm travelling back now (placement is over), which I'm happy to do.

"Myself and a couple of others carpool and it's not too bad. We're all in different grades but it's great.

"I'm really glad it's all worked out."

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Lucas said her stint with Sebastopol had helped her development as a netballer.

"It's a great level of netball - probably the same as Hampden league," she said.

She said she was loving her time back in black and white and described the Magpies' season as "rewarding".

"It's been a rewarding last half of the season - it hasn't been easy to get into the top five," Lucas said.

"It's been rewarding because of the hard work we've put in. We've had some very tough and physical games."

Lucas revealed her side was relishing the chance to take on ladder-leader Cobden in the final Hampden league home-and-away round.

"We'll see if we can push them a little bit. We've played some good netball in the second half of the season so we'll see what we can do," she said.

"They're the top side so we're definitely going to have to keep that level of intensity.

"I think it's a good time to play them."

Camperdown has sewn up fifth place, and is set to meet either Warrnambool or North Warrnambool Eagles in the elimination final.

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