NOT even a knee injury that kept him out of action for two months could stop Jayden Cowling from showing his true colours on the netball court this year.
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The 18-year-old from Kangaroo Flat has just been selected in the Victorian Cyclones under-20 team to play at the national men’s and mixed netball championships in April.
It is the fifth consecutive year Cowling has been chosen in a state men's side and comes after he proudly donned the green and gold against the Kiwis in October.
His Australian under-19 squad easily won all three of their Trans-Tasman Test matches, with Cowling returning from injury to be on target as goal attack and goal shooter, and occasionally fill the wing attack role.
“I dislocated my knee badly last year and needed surgery, then did it again this year and needed to have two months off to rest it,”he said.
“I was lucky enough to be ready in time to play against New Zealand.
“We played well and won all three games and the margins were a bit bigger than we expected.”
Cowling, who has just finished VCE at Bendigo Senior Secondary College, made his international netball debut back in 2012.
The younger brother of Kangaroo Flat champion Lauren Cowling, he became involved in netball while still in primary school.
“I just love the pace of men’s netball and how it is very physical and aerial. I also enjoy umpiring and I have been around the Kangaroo Flat Football Netball Club for many years now,” he said.
Cowling plays club netball in the Melbourne-based M-League for men. He has twice represented Victoria at under-17s and this is his third time in the under-20 squad.
He travels down to state training on Sundays to prepare for the Australian titles, which will be held at the new Netball Central centre at Sydney’s Olympic Park from April 5-11.
“My goal is to stay injury-free for the next 12 months, play well at the nationals in April and hopefully get selected for the Australian team that will be involved in more internationals in 2015.”