Fourteen-year-old Molly McLaren combining Big V basketball, Hampden league top-grade netball

At 14 she's already settling into life as a senior player. In two sports no less.

She's made her Hampden league open netball debut for Koroit and suited up for Warrnambool Mermaids in the Big V division one basketball competition in recent weeks.

"It's been so busy," McLaren told The Standard.

"On Thursday nights it goes two netball trainings and then Mermaids' (training) and we have a dinner there too so we get home a 10.30pm.

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"Then there's school the next morning and you have to get up for the bus, or mum might drive us in sometimes."

The backyard practice with dad Chris - a multiple Koroit premiership player and current senior football coach - mum Sarah and sister Lucy, 12, are also a regular occurrence.

"We always go out and have a shot and play around the world or just one-on-one," Molly said.

The hard work is paying dividends. The Koroit-based teenager is already making her mark in both open netball and Big V basketball.

McLaren starred for the Mermaids in their most recent game, draining five three-pointers on her way to 15 points.

"It was unbelievable. I didn't think it was going to happen but I just go (with the flow) of the game," she recalled.

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Her basketball shooting transfers to the netball court too and enables her to feel comfortable shooting from long-range.

"If there's a better option then I'll pass it but if there's an open shot then I'll probably take it," McLaren said.

She is playing as a shooting guard for the Mermaids but coach Lee Primmer is training her to play the point guard role too.

"I watch it (basketball) on TV if Lee tells me to," she said.

"If there's a point guard he wants me to watch I'll see what he or she would do in the game and I'd try and do it in our game."

Playing for the Mermaids at state league level at such a young age is a dream come true for the well-spoken teenager.

Fellow teenagers Mia Mills, Matilda Sewell, Cigi Luol and Paiyton Noonan are among the team's next generation.

"I was always hoping to play. I always went to watch and wished I could do it," McLaren said.

"Lee was my coach last year for under 16s and he wanted to get a young age group coming up into Mermaids and a couple of us got an offer to come and play which is great.

"It is great having a young team and then some more experience coming down to teach us.

"Our average age is 16 and they (the older players) teach us so many things; they're like big sisters."

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The competitiveness, mateship and constant learning attracted McLaren to both sports. She has high hopes, particularly with basketball.

"I want to do what Louise Brown did, go to college and play with other teammates,"

McLaren said. Short-term plans include trying out for Vic Country's under 16 team.

"It's an opportunity to step up your game. There's new coaches too who all teach you different things," she said.

Koroit plays Terang Mortlake at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon and Warrnambool Mermaids host Warrandyte Venom at the Arc from 7pm.

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