JUST when he thought he couldn't cram any more netball into his overflowing schedule, along has come arguably Jayden Cowling's highest netball honour to date.
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The Bendigo Strikers 23-and-under coach and recent men's national championships gold medallist has found himself in the running for a spot on the men's national team - known as the Australian Kelpies.
Cowling is one of 10 Victorian invitees to next month's Kelpies selection camp at the Australian Institute of Sport.
He is joined by fellow Bendgonian and Strikers 23-and-under training partner Will Whiteacre, a national championships silver medallist in the 20-and-unders.
A squad of 28 players from across Australia will make the trip to Canberra, which will eventually be pruned to a final team of 12.
Cowling, who has represented Australia before at under-age level, but never at senior level, admitted his selection in the squad had come as a huge shock.
"It's a massive honour to be named in the Kelpies squad - I definitely wasn't expecting it," he said.
"To be honest, this wasn't on my radar at all after nationals.
"When I got the phone call, I was rapt. I was actually quite emotional - I really couldn't believe it.
"I've been lucky enough to play for Australia in 17s and 20s and 23s, but haven't yet cracked into the open squad.
"Getting to watch them play on TV the last couple of years has really given me the fire in the belly.
"It's really exciting to just be named in the squad and to be heading to the AIS for the first time.
"What an amazing opportunity it will be to train and play against the best in Australia."
Cowling earned his selection with a standout performance at last month's national men's and mixed national championships in Brisbane, where he was an integral part of Victoria's open men's title win over New South Wales.
The Vics won 44-37.
It was one of four title victories for the Victorians at the tournament.
They also won the men's reserve, 23-and-under and 17-and-under divisions.
Cowling, who is again coaching BFNL powerhouse Kangaroo Flat this season, praised the call-up of a sprinkling of athletes from state 23-and-under and 20-and-under teams into the Kelpies squad, giving the younger players valuable exposure to the national open team program.
"It's great seeing young players like Will Whiteacre, who is a Strikers training partner, getting a shot with the national squad," he said.
The selections of Cowling and Whiteacre have boosted the number of players in national squads with ties to the Bendigo Strikers VNL club to five.
A training partner with the 23-and-under team, Ollie Ryan is in Sydney this weekend trialling with the national 17-and-under male squad, while inaugural 23-and-under players Harriet Gall and Mackenzie O'Dwyer were last month picked in the national 19-and-under and 17-and-under squads.
Cowling hailed the Strikers' five national squad selections as a tremendous result for a Victorian Netball League club in the first year of its existence.
The Kelpies selection camp will run from May 22 to 26.
