North Warrnambool Eagles sign netballer Kate O'Meara for 2024

Kate O'Meara will rejoin Hampden league outfit North Warrnambool Eagles in 2024, fresh off three dominant campaigns in the Central Highlands competition.

O'Meara was crowned the league's best from 2021-23 after standout performances for Rokewood-Corindhap's midcourt.

The Cudgee-based player travelled to Ballarat during her stint and now feels the time is right to play closer to home again.

"We always lived in Warrnambool and were travelling up to Ballarat to play," O'Meara told The Standard.

"When I left North in 2019 (my partner Sam Worden) was up in Ballarat for university at ACU.

"COVID hit and then I was travelling up to see him and I thought I'd play up there and that turned into three years."

O'Meara, 26, said she was excited to team up with long-time friends at the Eagles again.

"It feels like a natural progression in my netball with where I'm at," she said.

"I think coming home to a club I am a life member at just felt like the right choice.

"I'm coming back a little bit more mature and with a bit more knowledge about netball, I think it's going to be an exciting opportunity to see the growth of the club going forward."

O'Meara is a theatre nurse at Southwest Healthcare in Warrnambool and juggles shift work.

"With nursing, we have to be OCD-organised so I do my roster a fair way in advance and then a few late nights and shift swaps and we got it done," she said of travelling the two hours to Ballarat.

"Ten minutes down the road (at Bushfield next year) is just going to be a dream."

The midcourter, who will be assistant to new coach Mandy van Rooy, said her success at Rokewood-Corindhap was "humbling".

"A product of my netball was just how happy I was up there and how amazing that club was and I am very thankful for the opportunities they gave me up there," she said.

"Any individual award is nice to win but at the end of the day in a team sport the satisfaction comes more from seeing 11 girls succeed across the line together."

O'Meara's sister Sarah will also return to North Warrnambool Eagles after a season away.

"I dragged her up there with me to Ballarat - I needed someone to carpool with me and Sam," she laughed.

"She's coming back as well and is going to be coaching the A1 at North."

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