Much has changed since a wide-eyed Ally O'Connor made her open-grade debut for South Warrnambool as a 14-year-old a decade ago.
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The champion netballer, who will play game 100 for the Roosters on Saturday, July 13, was a talented prospect who came off the bench in 2014 for her maiden appearance, filling an unfamiliar defensive role for coach Leah Kermeen.
In the 10 years since, she has developed into a bonafide midcourt star of the Hampden league, winning two Dot Jenkins Medals and a number of club best and fairests.
The Roosters have also evolved in that time, enduring some lean years before a drought-breaking premiership in 2022, backed up the following year with another flag.
One thing that hasn't changed from O'Connor's debut appearance is that her older sister Gen will be on-court alongside her for game 100.
The sisters are the only players remaining from that initial side and O'Connor couldn't be more grateful they get to share the moment together.
"I love that it's happened this year when my sister's playing with me," she told The Standard.
"So I find that so special and all the family's back at the club now so it's nice."
Gen returned to the Roosters in the off-season after nine seasons away and has slotted in nicely at the ladder-leading club.
O'Connor has relished playing alongside her sibling once again.
"It's been the best," she said.
"We've always said to each other that we wanted to come back and play together.
"She's got herself super fit this year and to have her in the team playing alongside her (has been great).
"We always say whenever we're on the court we look to each other to pass the ball. I think we've just always got that connection. So I love playing with her."
The 2022 campaign is the only season since debuting the Geelong-based O'Connor hasn't played with the Roosters.
The 24-year-old spent that year - which saw the Roosters win their first open-grade flag in 32 years - with Geelong league club Bell Park.
Reflecting on her 99 games so far, O'Connor has many highlights, individual and team, to choose from but said playing in last year's grand final win was a standout.
She is able to appreciate the success more after experiencing down times at the club.
"I've always said South's been so good to me," she said.
"We've been through those lows, we went through seasons without winning so when we were getting better it was really special.
"Then the fact that we've been able to break that huge drought and continue to have that success is unreal."
O'Connor, who is a key member of Victorian Netball League side Geelong Cougars during the week, could easily be playing for a team closer to home.
She says its the club and the people its comprised of who make the weekly commute worthwhile.
"I know everyone says it but the people at the club are just so special," she said.
"We've got such incredible leaders, we've got such incredible women at our club that I respect so much.
"Being around the camaraderie of the team, I know we say it a lot but we're actually really, really close friends.
"We're probably all best friends, we catch up outside of netball so it's something that is pretty special and you don't get often. So it's something to stay around for."
The Roosters, under two-time premiership coach Will Jamison, have lost just one game this season ahead of Saturday's round 12 clash with the Hamilton Kangaroos.
The club - which has played one more game than eight other sides - is three wins clear of second-placed Cobden and is tracking nicely towards a potential three-peat in a couple of month's time.
O'Connor isn't getting ahead of herself but knows just how special it would be if she could clinch a flag alongside her sister.
"Gen and I always talk about it," she said.
"It's something that we've always wanted to do together. It's on Gen's bucket list.
"So she's working really hard towards it...
"You never take a grand final for granted or a win but to win alongside your sister (would be great). And I know there's a fair few siblings in other teams that can probably say the same thing, that if you're winning a grand final alongside your sister it's probably the most special thing that you could do."
Matt Hughes
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
