By David Nagel
Casey Demons captain Sharni Lambden was back rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in Australian netball on Monday after receiving a call up for the Melbourne Vixens.
Lambden replaced injured defender Kate Eddy for the King’s Birthday clash with the Melbourne Mavericks at John Cain Arena.
A strong and agile athlete known for her ability to swing from the midcourt into circle defence, Lambden was a Melbourne Vixens squad member from 2021-23 and made her Suncorp Super Netball debut with the Vixens in Round 7, 2022.
Her speed and versatility have been evident through her previous appearances at national level, including as captain of the Victorian Fury for their Australian Netball Championships campaign last year and in the Fury squad currently competing in the SN Reserves competition.
Vixens General Manager High Performance and Pathways, Megan Simpson, was excited to have Lambden on board.
“As a Victorian pathway athlete Sharni has previously been part of the Vixens environment, and will bring great versatility to our team while Kate continues her rehab process,” Simpson said.
“Sharni is an exciting athlete with plenty of experience as part of our group, we’re pleased to be able to call on her and we know she’ll take the opportunity with both hands.”
After an even first quarter, the Vixens controlled the contest against the Mavericks; leading by five at half time before building that to 12 goals by the final break.
The Vixens capped off a good day at the office by winning the final quarter 19-12; and walking away with a 77-58 victory.
The Vixens currently sit top of the table with an 8-1 record after nine rounds of Suncorp Super Netball.
The Vixens squad included: Kate Moloney (C), Emily Mannix (VC), Kiera Austin, Ruby Barkmeyer, Rudi Ellis, Sophie Garbin, Lily Graham, Sharni Lambden, Hannah Mundy and Jo Weston.
