Kiera Austin, from the Australian Diamonds and Melbourne Vixens teams, shares lessons from her journey in netball. From her early days as a centre to becoming an elite shooter, Kiera shares candid insights into her career, including overcoming a significant ACL injury. Kiera offers valuable advice for young athletes on managing nerves, the importance of self-talk, and transitioning positions within the game. This inspiring conversation provides a glimpse into the mindset of one of netball’s brightest talents.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you found netball and what other sports you played along the way?

I started playing netball quite young, around 6 years old. I was the younger sister and wanted to do everything my older sister did. So when she played netball from around 7 years old, I followed at 6. I used to play soccer as well and swim. But netball was the one I enjoyed the most.

At what age did you have to specifically select and focus on netball?

It was probably when I was getting towards 14 or 15 and I could play representative netball at the time. It was a bigger commitment than just social netball on Saturdays. So that was the point where I had to really make that decision and choose netball. I think I broke my dad’s heart when I stopped playing soccer but I think he’s on board now.

What was that decision-making process like? Was it a tough one for you or were you led into rep netball?

I think I always felt I was good at netball. When you feel good at something, you’re kind of just drawn to the game. It was a tough one. My first year of rep netball, I didn’t play a whole lot. It was what they called it a 30% player. We had this big tournament at the end of the training year and I only played 30% of the games. I didn’t know if the following year I wanted to go through that again. Obviously, when you’re a young player, you want to be playing as much as you can. I think the fact that I did still choose to go back to netball, even though I didn’t have a very enjoyable experience in that first year, showed how passionate I was. I think making that choice was easy and I just didn’t look back from there.

Were you always a shooter or how did that position come about? 

I started out as a centre. When I was that 30% player, I was playing in the midcourt. I loved centre – running around, having my hand on the ball at every opportunity. But it wasn’t until I was probably 15 when my coaches told me I was too tall and too lazy to play centre. It’s so true, I’m quite tall for a netballer. But it wasn’t until I was 15 that I went into the goal attack role, and I hated it at the time, but I’m grateful that happened because I wouldn’t be where I am today if I was still playing centre.

What has been one of your top highlights in your netball career?

When I think about my entire journey, I’d have to say my favourite memory would be the World Cup Grand Final last year. I had my dad, partner and sister fly over to Cape Town to watch me play. The previous year at the Commonwealth Games, I didn’t play a whole lot – my role was to come on here and there. But I had a bigger role in the World Cup and felt more confident in my abilities going into the Grand Final. To beat England over there in front of my family was just a feeling I won’t be able to replicate easily.

You’re known for being a very composed player on court. What contributes to that level of calmness?

It’s funny because that calm look has got me in trouble in the past – it looks like I don’t care! But I’m an analytical brain and always observing things. When I’m on court, I’m just trying to process everything at a million miles an hour. It’s my concentration face. I wouldn’t say I’m completely calm though, I do feel chaotic at times trying to decide the next move. But with experience and playing as often as we do, the catch, throw, turn and shoot mentality becomes your natural process.

Do you feel the same level of pressure when you’re playing for the Vixens compared to the Diamonds? Is there anything different you do pre-game to make sure you’re on the ball and ready to go?

I wouldn’t say that the pressure is different. I still have those pre-game nerves before any game that I play. I’ve played so many SSN games now, but back when I first debuted, I remember coming off at half-time and my hands were shaking. I thought when I’d go, they would stop shaking and they didn’t. So those nerves have kind of come under control a little bit, but you still get so excited to step out on the court for a Diamonds match or for an SSN match.

We’re so lucky to be able to do what we do. Every opportunity you get to play at no matter what level is an experience in itself.

So I don’t necessarily get more nervous for a certain game than others. Some people are superstitious, I don’t have anything, but there certainly is a routine that you have going into each game.

When working with young athletes struggling with confidence, what do you recommend for managing nerves?

The best way to learn and grow is by making mistakes. You wouldn’t improve if you didn’t try something new that didn’t work out initially. Everyone gets nerves, so find what helps you cope – deep breaths, talking to a teammate, etc. But don’t be afraid of mistakes.

How has self-talk impacted your game?

As an athlete, you get a lot of feedback from coaches, teammates, family, spectators. There are lots of avenues you receive criticism from that you can dwell on. So self-talk helps focus on what you really need to do and not take too much on board. It’s a uniquely difficult position being constantly critiqued, so self-talk keeps me stay grounded on what’s important.

Can you tell us a little bit about your recovery from your ACL injury in 2021?

I did my ACL in round one of 2021 – I did a real doozy. I wasn’t surprised that I did it, I wasn’t feeling very mentally fit and quite fatigued at the time despite just debuting for the Diamonds. I should have been elated but felt the opposite – I didn’t feel like I was managing the load very well.

When I ended up doing my ACL, I wasn’t surprised at all. I don’t remember being in a whole lot of pain but I remember calling my family straight away and calling my dad who is my number one fan. It was the first long-term injury I’d ever experienced. But I look back on it fondly now because it taught me a lot about my body. It was a long recovery process, but it forced me to do things I didn’t think I ever would. So, looking back, I’m weirdly grateful that it happened.

Have setbacks like your ACL injury impacted you beyond just your rehab and return to sport?

Massively, I probably didn’t realise how much of a commodity my body was until I had that injury. When you’re young you just jump out of bed and go and do all these incredible things but it wasn’t; until I couldn’t walk or hold anything that I fully appreciated my body. I learned to look after it, respect it, and give it time to heal properly. That was a big learning curve.

I also learned that netball wasn’t my whole world. I think we get this idea that, you know, I’m Kiera the netballer, but I’ve always wanted to be something more than that.

I was studying my university degree more full-time when injured and got the best marks I’ve ever got. So I got to have passion in something else and really enjoyed that time doing something different, rather than my world just revolving around rehabbing to get back on court.

I learned how incredible my support network is too. I had so many people reach out, give me little gifts, my junior clubs would come check in on me. It was beautiful to see the netball community rally around me during that time. I do also appreciate how hard it is for someone to go through it and will always want to know how that person is going if they do happen to go through a serious injury.

How did you feel getting back into the Diamonds squad so quickly after returning from your ACL injury?

I was certainly very nervous. I knew when I ruptured my ACL that the Commonwealth Games were the following year and I was really keen to get back for that. It was one of the first things my partner said – he calculated there were around 400 days until the Comm Games and said I only needed a year to get back, which probably wasn’t what I needed to hear right after the injury before even having surgery!

But I was so driven to get back into that squad, having only been on one tour before my injury. I just wanted it more and more. So I put my head down and started working really hard. I think I came back in about 10 and a half months, which if I didn’t have that major goal, I probably would have taken a little longer.

But I had no regrets because when I came back, I was just so excited to be playing again that anything else that happened was a bonus. I was proud of how I bounced back, regardless of whether I made the team or not.

Did your competitiveness come naturally to you from a young age or did you have to foster it?

I think there was a little part inbuilt in me from growing up and always competing with my sister for everything as siblings do. But it certainly grew over the years playing in different competitions and netball pathways where there was always something new and more enticing to strive for.

The more you play and get to this elite level, that competitive nature only grows stronger. I’ve played in a lot of big SSN games but never won a premiership, so that’s something that’s still really driving that passion and that competitive nature in me.

Who have been key mentors who guided you along your journey?

I’ve been blessed to have so many influence my journey. I’m still close friends with former teammates like Susan Pettitt, Sam Pullman and Caitlin Bassett. But it is probably the friendships away from court that really shaped how I developed as a person. I loved how they checked in on me, their values, all of that off-court stuff.

I’ve played with so many different girls and they all bring something so unique. That’s why I ended up playing a team sport – getting to learn from all those different personalities.

It’s clear from your playbook reviews on your coaching profile that you are very gifted and passionate at coaching. What are the most important things you’ve learned from coaching?

Having received so much from the sport, there’s always a part of me that wants to give back. Netball is a sport I’ll be in love with for life – my sister and I will always end up watching it together. So when you can coach someone younger and see them implement what you’ve suggested, it’s such a rewarding feeling even if it’s a tiny impact on their journey.

That’s what keeps driving me to want to keep coaching – getting to positively influence people the way I was influenced.

You’ve played with some incredible players over your journey. What are some of the most impactful things you’ve learned from peers and applied to your own game?

I have been under the wing of Steph Wood when she was at the Diamonds for quite a bit and I loved her smarts. I loved learning from her calmness and ability to keep things simple on court by not overcomplicating things mentally. Less is more sometimes. She also taught me how to step back shoot.

I love that I get to train against defenders like Jo Weston at the Vixens who is a serial pest and training against players like her is the only way I’m going to get better as an attacker. They are two that stand out to me off the bat, but every single teammate that I’ve had has had some sort of impact on me.

Book a session with Jo Weston here

Let’s chat about your life outside of netball. I know that your mum is a nurse, and as a nurse, she has influenced and been the source of inspiration for you enrolling in your medical science degree. Can you tell us a little bit more about this and why that was the path you went down?

I’ve always heard mum coming home and talking about the patients that she looked after and their inspiring stories. So, it only seemed natural for me to end up kind of in the same field. I really enjoyed the degree I did in my medical science. I just finished it last year.

The scary part now is finding out what to do after that, but it’s certainly helped me understand where I want to go. I loved genetics at Uni, but I also loved learning about the female body, especially with athletes, and there’s not a whole bunch of education around it. That’s given me a path to follow, and now I’ve just got to take those next steps.

Can you elaborate on your interest in women’s health, fertility and having a family or planning family whilst in sport?

It’s something that’s not very well educated and I’ve had friends and family members that have gone through infertility and it’s almost like a silent journey that people take. There’s still, I guess, taboo around it and a stigma and a real kind of raw vulnerability around it. I think as an athlete, you’re prone to that a little bit more. We don’t start thinking about planning a family until you retire. And when you retire, you might be in your 30s, which presents its own issues in itself. So I think I wish I had a sort of education piece or had a conversation about what options there are, and I think there is space for that in the future.

What would you say are the top three tips that you’d like to share with young athletes?

One: don’t be afraid to make mistakes. We touched on that earlier, but you learn so much from mistakes.

Two: don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Maddy Proud used to always say, ‘this is your comfort zone and then this is where the magic happens’.

But, I think the most important thing is to make sure that you’re enjoying yourself and you’re having fun. There’s no point in doing something you’re not passionate about. If you don’t find something enjoyable anymore, it’s about going back and finding your spark.

How you have improved your accuracy in shooting and are any drills or tips that you recommend for shooters to improve?

The only way is by practicing, and not just going to a post and shooting without any sort of stimulus. You have to have a goal in mind every time you go there, whether that’s doing setback shots the whole time or doing shots that are a little bit further out. You can even run a few shuttles and then shoot when you’re fatigued. Ultimately the best way to increase your accuracy is just by practice. We love repetition.

And finally, what is your Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final prediction this year?

Obviously the Vixens and the West Coast Fever

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