Then just 15, the star young goal shooter took on and conquered one of the premier defensive units in one of the state's best football-netball league competitions.

On a day marked by wind and rain and particularly tough conditions for shooters, Barkmeyer coolly converted 49 of 56 shot attempts, to help the Roos to a convincing 56-47 premiership win.

Her efforts not only won her the honour as best on court, but a reputation for being calm and collected under pressure and as a genuine big-game performer.

Expect those attributes to again come to the fore should the now 20-year-old hit the court in Melbourne Vixens' season opener against West Coast Fever on Saturday afternoon.

For someone who thrives on the big stage, Barkmeyer won't get any greater introduction to Super Netball than in a rematch between last season's grand finalists.

The Vixens, who defeated the Fever 66-64 in a thriller last October, will enter the season with a vastly new-look following the retirements of Bendigo's Caitlin Thwaites and Tegan Philip and a season-ending injury to co-captain Liz Watson

In their place have come former Fever goal attack Kaylia Stanton, 2020 squad member Allie Smith and a new Bendigonian Barkmeyer, who spent 2020 as a development player, albeit outside the Queensland hub.

As Saturday approached, Barkmeyer remained tight-lipped on her own role against the Fever, who will enter the season on the backfoot with a 12-point penalty due to salary cap breaches in 2018 and 2019.

"I've had a chat with the coaches and it's a matter of when I do get the opportunity, of me going out there and doing what I've been doing at training and what the team has been working on," she said.

"If everyone else does their own job and role, everything should fall into place and we will have a great game.

"Obviously there are two retirees out of the attack end, so Kaylia and I have done lots of work on building those connections.

"Bringing (midcourter) Hannah Mundy into the squad only this week, we have lots of depth in our squad.

"I think we'll feel confident each week that whoever gets their opportunity out on the court, we know they will perform the role."

For a player, who has lived and breathed netball throughout her teenage years, Barkmeyer found a COVID-interrupted 2020, away from the playing court and away from the Vixens squad, a bitter pill to swallow.

But as she prepares for her national league debut, the experience has only strengthened her resolve and heightened the expectations and excitement.

"There are some nerves there, but I think the long pre-season, combined with missing netball last year (in Melbourne), has just made us all that more excited to get back on the court and play some netball at home in front of our Melbourne crowd," she said.

"There were a lot of (Vixens) athletes, staff and families, who couldn't be up in Queensland, so we all just watched it at home.

"You do a put a lot of time and effort into the sport, so to not be able to go out there and be able to put it out on the court was quite tough.

"Obviously the girls being away and winning it last year made it a bit easier, but to be back playing in front of our home crowd is something we are really looking forward to."

Having become accustomed to performing in big games, Barkmeyer, who was also best on court in Geelong Cougars' 19-and-under VNL premiership win in 2017, said her own advice to self would be 'to play my own natural game, enjoy it and suck it all in'.

"It's been a really long pre-season, but then again it has come around really fast. It doesn't seem that long ago that we were thinking it was two more months before round one, now it's one sleep," she said.

"It's been quite tough and coming into an elite environment it's a big step up from what I am used to.

"But I have enjoyed having the coaches and some of the girls who I have always looked up to as my team-mates, it's pretty cool. I'm learning lots from them."

Pleasingly for netball fans back in Bendigo, Barkmeyer will never lose sight of her roots and has revelled in her two former clubs, Kangaroo Flat and Elmore's respective bright starts to 2021.

The Vixens-Fever clash will be televised on Channel 9 from 3pm.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: