Kate Burley has taken a different path to the national side than most. At 26, some would say she's a "late bloomer".
And Burley would agree with them.
"I'm not one of the young ones here. I think that's quite special for me because I've had a little bit of a process over the past few years just putting in that extra work." Burley told 1News.
She's been named in the squad to take on Australia in the Constellation Cup. Coach Dame Noeline Taurua has 14 players to choose from, which will be cut to 12 for games.
A potential debut against the world champions still hasn't sunk in for Burley.
"It would be surreal to have the opportunity to play against Australia and to represent the country," she said.
"I'm just trying to focus on getting there and putting my best foot forward at training."
Burley has put in the hard yards by training on her own, though Taurua said it hasn't gone unnoticed.
"She's been training really hard," Taurua said.
"It's been interesting to see her come into this mix and she doesn't look like somebody that's just come in. So once again it's about the timing for us to be able to get her out on court."
At 180 centimetres Burley may not be as tall as her opponents, but she can certainly jump.
"I made it one of my strengths, using my lack of height to create ball for me to go for. But I love it, I love the challenge coming up against taller shooters." Burley said.
Since the inception of the ANZ Premiership in 2017 Burley has played for the Stars, Mystics and Steel and will return to the Stars in 2024. She's also studied throughout, recently graduating with a Bachelor of Science.
"It's always been important for me to have something going on in the background and just making sure I can prepare myself for life after netball."
The opening Constellation Cup test begins at 9:30pm tonight in Melbourne.
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