The NSW Swifts defender prides herself on her ability to stand an assortment of shooting styles and body types and she will get just that over the next month in Suncorp Super Netball and the World Cup.
Klau has been one of the standout goal keepers this season and is coming off an impressive shutdown of Australia Diamonds captain Caitlin Bassett in the second half of her team’s Round 8 win against Giants Netball.
A week earlier she spent a quarter running at goal defence against tall and agile goaler Gretel Tippett and in Round 9 she faces another moving target in Adelaide Thunderbirds shooter Sasha Glasgow.
The array of threats will be a prelude to what she can expect from Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and others on the Diamonds’ side of the draw at the World Cup in Liverpool.
“I like to challenge myself against versatile shooters,” Klau said.
“A lot of defenders struggle going from taller shooters to smaller, moving ones. I like to think I can play different types and I really enjoy that challenge.”
While quick to point out she does not model her game on any player, Klau admires Collingwood’s champion defender Geva Mentor.
“Geva’s amazing, the best in the world,” Klau said.
“She reads the game so well, has so many years’ experience and can conquer any challenge.”
While not yet in the stratosphere of four-time premiership winner and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Mentor, Klau has taken enormous steps in recent years.
The 24-year-old former South Australian was part of a young, unheralded group, including Maddy Proud, Helen Housby and Sam Wallace, who formed at the Swifts in 2017.
Fast forward two years and Klau can look confidently at any match-up. The University of Sydney Master of Occupational Therapy student is tall, relentless, disciplined and constantly improving her footwork and ability to seize opportunities.
She and her former housemate and South Australian age-group teammate Maddy Turner were ball-winning matchwinners against the Giants.
“Maddy and I have a lot of history together. The running joke is that we have telepathy,” Klau said.
“But it’s not only us. This group has been together three or four years now and we’ve built relationships that are really helping us on court.”
Now that the hooting and hollering from the emotional high of their win against the Giants has subsided, the Swifts must re-set to tackle the Thunderbirds in Adelaide.
The battle between the top of the table Swifts and Adelaide (second-last) will be the Sydney team’s last opportunity to make a statement before the World Cup break in domestic competition.
“It’s important that we use the momentum and energy that we’ve built,” Klau said.
“We can’t be complacent because the Thunderbirds are still a threat.”
