There was no mistaking multi-club midcourter Khao Watts as a first-game rookie when she made an impressive debut for her fourth elite netball club in Melbourne on Saturday night.
Watts joined the Melbourne Vixens in the off-season following a year at the Adelaide Thunderbirds, two seasons at West Coast Fever and two years at the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, where she won a premiership in 2012.
The 28-year-old made the most of her debut game against Fever and impressed from the first whistle at wing attack with 11 goal assists, 13 centre pass takes and 30 feeds contributing to her side’s 56-45 victory.
Vixens coach Simone McKinnis used the match against the still winless Fever to make a change to her usual starting line-up, giving Watts a debut run in the midcourt with Kate Moloney and moving Liz Watson at centre.
The move paid off as the Vixens made amends for a draw last week against the Swifts.
They showed improved consistency against Fever before putting the pedal down in the final stanza to win the quarter 17-11.
Watts said getting on to court was the beginning of a new chapter for her in Melbourne.
“It was so good. It’s been a hard lead up to the season, so just to be out there on court, for me personally it’s an achievement in itself,” said Watts, who earned selection in the Diamonds squad in 2015.
“It’s the best environment here and we really have the best of everything. The girls are fantastic and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
“Of course you’re always really critical of your game, so what you could do better, so I’ll definitely go back … and see what I can improve on but just getting out there was a really big milestone for me.”
McKinnis liked what she saw from her recruit.
“Khao has been working with us for a while and she’s been training really well,” McKinnis said.
“We have to learn and grow as a team and part of that is those opportunities (for new players), knowing what our options are through the middle.
“It was important for her to get out there on court and it was good to have her out there on court, so that’s a bonus for us.”
Vixens will travel to Brisbane to take on the Queensland Firebirds on Saturday.
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