Despite her vast experience as one of New Zealand's best defenders, Jane Watson is hoping she'll get a little bit nervous when she steps out for the Tactix this weekend.
Watson will bring up her 100th game for the Tactix on Sunday, coincidentally against the Southern Steel, who she spent three seasons playing for in between her two stints in Canterbury.
"It's been a long time coming but it's been really special," Watson told media today.
"Canterbury is my home and I think that's a big part of who I am... the time I did have with the Steel was amazing and that was the time for a change which I needed as a person but to come back and have so much growth in myself and as a franchise has been really awesome."
There's been a large amount of growth for Watson in the past 12 months alone, returning to netball last December with the Silver Ferns after becoming a first-time mother to daughter Tia last May.
Watson attended the Silver Ferns' national training camp on a restricted workload but impressed coach Dame Noeline Taurua so much that she was named in the 14-strong squad for January's Quad Series in South Africa where she played significant minutes, although her play wasn't up to her own high standard.
"It's been hard coming back. I think I'm happy with where I am now - when I went away with the Silver Ferns in January [for the Quad Series], it was a big tester," she said.
"It was my first game time against Aussie, England and South Africa so it was massive for me and I was very nervous but knowing I've come a long way since then is really pleasing."
Watson, alongside Silver Ferns teammate Karin Burger, has been crucial to the third-placed Tactix's 4-2 start to the season, sitting in the top five for both deflections and intercepts after the first five rounds of competition.
The 33-year-old credited part of that to her decision to come back solely as a defender and not as captain of the side.
"I didn't want to have everything, I just needed to sort myself out and know that I had a lot of work to do on myself to get back to where I needed to be before I could be of help to others," she said.
"But there's still a long way to go to where I'd like to be."
The same can be said for the Tactix who were regular bottom-dwellers in Watson's first years of professional play.
Watson eventually shifted south to the Steel and went on to win a Premiership with the franchise in 2017 before coming back to the Tactix the following year and helping the side to two successive grand final appearances in 2020 and 2021 where they came up short to the Pulse.
"The Tactix had been bottom of the table for a very long time and I think they didn't quite have a high performance environment and I think that's something that I really wanted to try and help implement by coming back.
"I think we've achieved a lot since... so many people have had an input into it and I think even the people in the past have added value to the legacy as well."
Now Watson will add to her own legacy this Sunday when she runs out for her beloved region for a 100th time.
"I hope I get nervous to be honest because I like the bit of adrenaline," she said.
"I think I'll get a little bit emotional with my family there. I'm not normally an emotional person but when my family are involved, I think I will be."
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