TWELVE months ago, Bronte Deary played a half of netball in White Hills' thrilling two-goal grand final win over Colbinabbin.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This season she was determined to play a more prominent role as the Demons pushed for back-to-back flags.
On Saturday, Deary achieved that goal by being a starter and four-quarter player in her club's 10-goal triumph against the Grasshoppers at Huntly.
She was also one of her side's best performers in line-up loaded with star power.
Deary has made the wing defence position her own and was rewarded with seven Esther Cheatley Medal league best and fairest votes in a team, where best and fairest votes were hard-won, with so many Demons players polling votes.
The defensive midcourter, who arrived at Scott Street from Kangaroo Flat three seasons ago, now has two A-grade premiership medallions.
With the Demons dominating the senior ranks with four premierships in total on Saturday, it's a fair bet there could be more to come.
After largely playing a role off the bench last season, Deary was steadfast in her desire to improve her work-rate going into the 2019 season.
"Looking back on it, last year I wasn't fit enough ... it just worked better that I would come off the bench on to the court," she said.
"I came on and played the second half (of the grand final) last year, this year I was fortunate to play the whole game, except for the last few minutes.
"Loz (coach Lauren Bowles) is really big on fitness and I knew the hard work was something I had to put in and I did put in and it has paid off."
That extra-work stood Deary and her premiership team-mates in good stead on Saturday, mindful that a nine-goal three-quarter lead might not be enough against another champion side in Colbinabbin.
"You can't ever count them out until the final siren goes," she said.
"They are super-competitive and have come back before when we've been 10-goals up.
"That last quarter we knew we couldn't take the foot off the pedal and to the girls' credit we pushed it out to the end."
I knew the hard work was something I had to put in and I did put in and it has paid off.
- Bronte Deary
After playing all her juniors at Kangaroo Flat and three seasons alternating between A-reserve and A-grade with the Roos, Deary declared the switch to White Hills 'the best thing I've ever done'.
"We say it all the time, there's 36 of us (senior players) at White Hills and we are team-mates on the court and great friends off it," she said.
"It's just an amazing club, so tight-knit. I couldn't find a better place to be."
Deary is only one of several former Kangaroo Flat players to have played in premierships with the Demons in recent times, along with Danni Wee-Hee, Yasmin Colley, Sarah Fern, and of course dual A-grade premiership coach Bowles.
"Loz is one of the most positive, caring and good-hearted people I've ever met - she wold do anything for this club and the players," Deary said.
"She has our respect and that shows on the court.
"Any decision she makes we back her 100 per cent."
READ MORE: