IT'S been a year of change for Bendigo young gun Mia McCrann-Peters on the netball court.
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And while change can sometimes be daunting, the 21-year-old goaler insists there have been no regrets, only positives.
McCrann-Peters entered 2024 with two new netball homes, after joining Victorian Netball League newcomers the Bendigo Strikers after a pair of seasons with Melbourne University Lightning.
Ensuring an entirely fresh canvas, she made the move to BFNL club Golden Square, following a thrilling year with LVFNL club Marong in 2023, which ended only one goal short of a grand final appearance.
The changes have brought out the best in McCrann-Peters, who has matured as a player, and gotten stronger with each outing, particularly at VNL level.
She saved her best for the 23-and-under Strikers' third and final home game of the season last Sunday against the Western Warriors, starring in a thrilling two-goal victory.
While she led all Strikers scorers with 23 goals at 85.19 per cent accuracy, it was McCrann-Peters' composure and clutch shooting at the end of the game that won the most plaudits from coach Jayden Cowling.
Ahead by one goal - the same margin they beat the Warriors by earlier in the season - the Strikers managed to hold onto the ball for nearly a minute, before McCrann-Peters cooly slotted her final goal of the match with four seconds to play, sealing a stirring hometown victory.
There was no shortage of incentive for the Strikers in the dying stages with 1200 people in attendance at Red Energy Arena.
McCrann-Peters said they had been keen to impress.
"It was such an incredible crowd - we're very lucky," she said.
"The girls love it. I thought the crowd really pushed us to get to our end goal, which was a win.
"There were a few nerves, but for us, seeing as though we are young, it's an opportunity for us to show other young people in the crowd that there is a chance for them to get to this level one day"
The win was the Strikers' fourth of the season from 18 games, a decent return in their first season considering only a handful of players, including McCrann-Peters, on their inaugural roster boasted previous VNL experience.
While there has been some bumps along the way, including some bigger losses against some of the league's more established powerhouses, McCrann-Peters insisted progress was continually being made.
"A lot of the teams we've played have played together for years, from development, to what was 19-and-under and div one and is now 23-and-under," she said.
"It's really about those small, basic things in netball and working together.
"(On Sunday) we executed our basics - the short, sharp stuff.
"Working together is what gets us to our goal."
One of the most pleasing takeaways from the season for McCrann-Peters has been the camaraderie among the Strikers' goalers, who come from three competing BFNL clubs.
She said a definite bond had developed between herself, Gisborne's Torie Skrijel and Kangaroo Flat's Chloe Langley and had continued to strengthen as the year had progressed.
"We love it. There's a little bit of competitiveness with each other," she said.
"But getting to come in and play and work together, it brings the fun into it.
"I'm sure it's bringing the best out of all of us. It's been very enjoyable."
With four games to play, starting with the Geelong Cougars in Ballarat this Sunday, McCrann-Peters believed it was imperative the Strikers finish the season off with as much momentum as possible.
Regardless of their final win-loss record, the young sharpshooter was certain the foundations for future 23-and-under success had been laid by the Strikers committee, under the guidance of first-year coach Cowling.
"It would be great to get a few more wins on the board," McCrann-Peters said.
"Pushing some of those top sides, to the point where they question themselves a bit, has been fun."
Away from the Strikers, McCrann-Peters is hellbent on playing a key role in Golden Square's resurgence in BFNL netball.
Winless in 2022 and 2023, the Bulldogs have won two games this season, had their chances in a few others and been generally far more competitive against the league's three heavyweight teams than in recent years.
They will enter their round 11 clash at Strathfieldsaye in sixth place, still with a chance to reach finals, two wins behind the fourth-placed Storm and fifth-placed Eaglehawk (both on 4-4).
McCrann-Peters, who was restricted to only half a game in last week's loss against Eaglehawk due to her Strikers commitments the following day, said there had been promising signs this season from the Bulldogs, despite injuries along the way to their skipper Cass Humphrey and defensive standout Amelia Mundy.
"It's a brand-new team and we're still trying to find our connection and style of play," she said.
"We've got two wins on the board so far. From not winning a game in nearly three years, that has been good for us.
"I'm confident there are more wins ahead for us this year."
