By James Buckley
Armed with another player of the year trophy, departing NSW Swift Sharni Layton says she's ready to embrace the relentless pressure associated with playing for Collingwood.
The world's best defender collected the ANZ Championships' top award for a second-straight year this week, further emphasising the gaping void she'll leave in the Swifts' goal circle after landing her dream move to the Magpies for next year's inaugural National Netball League.
Layton is one of six Australian Diamonds to have been lured to Collingwood for the eight-team competition, and Australia's largest sporting club looms large as the team to beat in 2017.
She joins April Brandley, Ash Brazill, Kim Ravaillion, Madison Robinson and Caitlin Thwaites on what's arguably the most formidable playing list ever assembled in Australia.
Switch: Sharni Layton will play for Collingwood next year.Credit:Penny Stephens
Fresh from being named Australian captain in place of the pregnant Laura Geitz, Layton hoped to take her game to yet another level in the high-octane Collingwood environment.
"We'll take any pressure that comes our way," Layton said. "At the end of the day, pressure is a good thing. You've got to do your best to perform and put your best out there on court.
"No matter what is happening with speculation outside, we'll be doing the job that we know we need to do if we want to get the premiership at the end of the year."
Layton was an obvious target for Collingwood when the Magpies launched earlier this year as one of three new clubs on the Australian netball landscape.
The 28-year-old worked in Collingwood's membership department in 2008 and has long supported the club in the AFL.
"Yeah I don't mind my footy," Layton said. "It's a dream come true. We had our launch day in October and walking into the club it was like a real pinch-yourself moment.
"I walked back in and saw familiar faces and it felt like home. It didn't feel like I was going to a new team funnily enough but then we put on the black and white and we had our launch and we got to sing the club theme song, I was in Pies heaven."
Layton's on-court heroics led the Swifts to this year's ANZ Championship decider against the Queensland Firebirds, who beat NSW by two points in a thrilling double-overtime final.
She picked off a league-high 66 intercepts, reeled in 33 defensive rebounds and recorded 106 deflections on her way to the player-of-the-year award.
"It's a real honour, the fact that's it's your teammates and the players that vote for it, it's really heart warming that they voted for me," Layton said.
"When you receive awards like that, you don't perform by yourself out on the netball court, and I've been fortunate enough especially over the last few years to be surrounded by incredible players.
"When I've got experience around me, in particular Kim Green and Laura Langman who, when they put that much pressure on the ball out in front of you, it makes it easier to read.
"When they keep the ball up high, that gives me the ability to do a really great job at goal keeper. It's by far no means an individual award."
Roselee Jencke of the Firebirds was named coach of the year, while Michelle Phippard was the pick of the umpires.
James Buckley writes on AFL for The Sydney Morning Herald.