The 31-year-old, who grew up in Naringal East, has been playing netball with Nirranda for almost two decades and on Saturday, April 13^th will play her 200^th senior game for the club in the A-reserve clash against Panmure.

She has been a Blue since she was 13-years-old and would have notched the milestone quicker had it not been for a ruptured ACL, a fractured elbow in 2021 and surgeries last year that forced her to miss six games.

The wait has made the reliable shooter more excited for the occasion.

"It's been a longtime coming to be honest so to finally actually make it is pretty special," she told The Standard.

"It's something I'm pretty proud of to be honest."

Contemporary Nirranda is a powerhouse of the Warrnambool and District league, winning four of the past six senior football premierships, including the past two and three of the past four A grade netball flags, also the past two.

Throw in the 2022 reserves football triumph and last year's A-reserve netball trophy and you have a pretty successful club.

That wasn't always the case however as Young can attest.

She has been fortunate to feature in three flags - under 17s in 2009, A-reserve in 2019 and 2023 - but endured a lean period without success for many years.

"I think people sometimes think that Nirranda's always been successful but unfortunately we haven't," she said.

"There was multiple years (juniors and seniors) where we didn't win a game or we might have won one or two.

"Back in those early days, netball as well, we used to get pumped by a lot. We just keep turning up so it's pretty amazing to finally get here."

Young, who received best-on-court honours in the 2023 A-reserve premiership, has been a regular in that side for years after playing A grade at the beginning of her senior career.

She holds no misgivings after losing her spot to a star shooting recruit, who would go on to win the league best and fairest in 2021 and play in three flags with the Blues (2018, 2022, 2023), one of which she was coach (2018).

"Steph Townsend came in so I've been pushed back into A reserve," she said.

"She's a wonderful netballer so I'll definitely step down for her."

To stick around a club so long, it helps to enjoy the off-court environment as much as the on-court.

Young said its the friendships she's made at Nirranda she appreciates most.

"My best friends play out there, my fiance Brady Kew is now out there, I got him across from Panmure so that was pretty good," she said.

"And my family's been there, it's all we've ever known and I wouldn't want to go anywhere else. It's just a great family club and everyone's so welcoming and friendly and there's nowhere else you'd really rather be to be honest."

Young, who works as a nurse at Terang hospital, concedes the 2024 campaign could be her last.

She would love end with another premiership.

"I reckon this might be my last one to be honest, We'll see how the body holds up," she said.

"I'll take each week as it comes to be honest but we'll see what September holds.

"That would be pretty amazing to finish on a high."