VIDEO
Today she will play for GIANTS Netball in their match against the Queensland Firebirds, and it will be her 100th national league game.
Harten first moved to the other side of the world to play in the ANZ Championship for the Canterbury Tactix, when she was just 22, where she stayed for two seasons.
She then moved to Waikato Magic for three seasons, before debuting for the Giants Netball last year in the Suncorp Super Netball competition. She talks about her career highlights to date and the importance that her current Head Coach Julie Fitzgerald has had on the progression of her career and the consistency of her game.
She said: “My career highlights would be the first games I played at each of my clubs, first game at the Tactix is when I realised I was playing in the ANZ Championships. I had dreamed of playing across the world as a little girl, my first game we lost but I was happy to be there.
“And then my first game for Magic, it was a whole new start, a new opportunity and I played against my old team so that was interesting – that move to Magic really sparked my netball career.
“Julie Fitzgerald brought my game to a whole new level, she upped my professionalism and my shooting percentages.
“Then my first game for the Giants last year, being in an Australian club for the first time was awesome. Looking around, playing in the Sydney Olympic Park as my home venue is special and those memories I will never forget.”
She has also been a vital part of the England Roses team after debuting at the age of just 18.
She said: ‘My international debut for England was in 2007 in the World Championships in Auckland when I was 18.
“That was scary, I was petrified of half of my own teammates because I looked up to them as a young child.
“I played three games in that tournament coming off the bench and that is something again I’ll never forget.
“To be playing with them and playing against some of my Australia and New Zealand idols, it took a lot of getting used to.
“It’s pressure that you learn from and I think winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games this year, it’s a combination of all that learning.
“How long you’ve been doing things, different scenarios you’ve been in, you put those into play when it matters now – learning from those past experiences.”
Ahead of this weekend’s game, we asked Harten how she would celebrate reaching this amazing milestone.
She said: “It has to be business as usual, it’s great to recognise the 100th game – as it is a great achievement individually – but all I want is just a win on the board and as many points as possible.”
Harten is now a heavyweight name in the game of netball and had a few words of wisdom for younger players starting out in the sport.
She said: “Have as much fun as possible, if you’ve got a passion then chase it. As a young girl try and play against the older ones, you might not always win and you might not always get the ball – but you will challenge yourself and as you go along you’re always going to face challenges.”
