STAR Kangaroo Flat goal shooter Ruby Barkmeyer believes she has returned a better player following her experience overseas with the School Sport Australia netball team.
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Barkmeyer was one of the standouts in the 12-girl Australian team, which won a silver medal at the Digicel Punjas International Secondary Schools Netball Challenge in Fiji last month.
The international tournament featured national sides from five countries, including New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji.
Barkmeyer, who was the winner of the 2016 BFNL netball rising star award in the same season she was adjudged best on court in Kangaroo Flat's premiership win, said her week in Fiji was remarkable and rewarding.
"We got to play some great netball matches and I learned a lot as well," she said.
"We were beaten in the grand final by a great team in New Zealand.
"They beat us in the (minor) rounds by a few goals and then in the grand final by 10, which were our only two losses."
This was no even contest, with the Australians entering the tournament with a 16-and-under side, while their Kiwi challengers line-up was comprised of under-19 players.
The experience was nothing out-of-the-ordinary for Barkmeyer, who fronts up against older and much more experienced players each week in the BFNL and also for her under-19 VNL team Geelong Cougars.
She hopes its not her last representative team selection this year.
"I'll trial for the 17-and-under state team later this year and from there we'll see where things go," Barkmeyer said.
"It's been a busy year, playing two games every Saturday for the school (Geelong Grammar) and Kangaroo Flat.
"On Wednesday nights I play VNL for the Cougars and we're sitting a game clear in top at the moment."
An urgent-priority for now is helping getting Kangaroo Flat's season back-on-track.
The reigning premiers have lost three straight games and now sit two wins behind Eaglehawk in fifth place on the ladder, with three teams - Maryborough, Strathfieldsaye and South Bendigo - just one win behind the Roos.
Barkmeyer admitted the Roos had taken time to adjust to the off-season loss of star defenders Zoe Davies, who made the move to Eaglehawk, and Alicia McGlashon, and an early season injury to new defender Ingrid Hopkins.
But things appear to be on the up, with McGlashon making a return to the Roos line-up for last Saturday's game against Golden Square.
"(Alicia) will be great when she gets back to full-training and full-fitness," she said.
"She'll be big help with her talk."
Barkmeyer was confident there was still plenty of improvement in her own game and was grateful for the continued support of her Cougars under-19s coach Mel Savage and Kangaroo Flat coach Janelle Hobbs.