Emily going the extra Miles in pursuit of VNL dream

GISBORNE’S Emily Miles is ready and eager to embark on the biggest year of her netball life to date.

The hardworking and tenacious 18-year-old midcourter can look forward to plenty more court time above and beyond her commitments in the Bulldogs’ red, white and blue, after winning a spot on the Bendigo Strikers VNL 23-and-under list for 2026.

Miles and the likes of fellow new signing Cayde Hayes will get every chance to bed down a spot in the midcourt alongside the returning Elsie Boyer and Asha Gray, following the elevation of dual club and 2025 league best and fairest Shae Clifford to the championship line-up and the defection of state 19-and-under representative Mackenzie O’Dwyer to North East Blaze.

A City West Falcons development squad member for the past three seasons, Miles is rapt to have found her way onto a full-time VNL list and at a club coming off a breakout season in its second year in the competition, after playing finals for the first time.

Her journey is characterised by patience, persistence and perseverance.

 

“I’ve been trying for VNL clubs for the last few years and have been at Falcons the last three,” Miles said.

“I decided I wanted to try something new.

“I was in the development team for City West Falcons the last three years but felt it was time for something different.

“So I tried out at Bendigo and eventually got the call and was pretty surprised.”

Miles admitted to knowing only a handful of new Strikers teammates before training kicked-off last month, among them Ella Kerlin, another former Falcon, coming off a strong debut season at goal attack for Bendigo, and of course her Gisborne teammate Amity Drayton.

“I am obviously familiar with a lot of the other names having watched the VNL the last few years … Elsie Boyer, Asha Gray; I’ve seen their names in teams for a while,” she said.

“They have been so welcoming.

“It was a very impressive year for the Strikers last year; great to see.

“I’m very excited. The first few training sessions were great, even if I did do a bit of a niggle to my hip.

“I loved the home program leading into face-to-face sessions. It was a great set-up to get us started.

“I was away, so I got to do that on the road on the WA (Western Australia) coast.

“It was pretty interesting finding different places to run and do stuff. Pretty cool.

“It’s given me a great base leading into pre-season and our fitness testing before we get into our block after Christmas.

“It’s so professional; we have heaps of support.”

Despite trading the Falcons’ red, white and blue for Strikers’ double blue and yellow, Miles will always look back on her beginnings and time with the VNL powerhouse with fondness and respect.

“It’s such a good environment; I loved it there,” she said.

“I’d been there since I was 16 and was fortunate enough to get to train with them.

“It’s a super culture, but super hard to get into a team. Especially moving from (under) 19s to 23s; it was tough.”

Recruited from Riddell District league club Romsey, Miles spent her first season with Gisborne in 2025, with her performances across A-grade and A-reserve earning her a nomination as a finalist in the Rising Star award.

She relished the exposure to the ‘tougher competition’ in the BFNL.

“The competition was probably even stronger than I’d heard about,” she said.

“I really enjoyed the chance to challenge myself at the higher level.

“Gisborne’s a pretty tough team to crack into; there’s so much talent here.

“I was fortunate to play finals in both A-res and A-grade and they were able to manage my game time down to get to play in both finals, which was great.”

Away from the court, Miles keeps busy as a stablehand, working alongside her mother Alison, a renowned vet from Romsey Equine Services.

After a year away from study in 2025, she will trade her horse care and maintenance duties for books, as she undertakes the first year of a bachelor of exercise and sports science degree.

Miles nominated her parents as likely the biggest influences on her netball to date.

 

“Dad played netball a little bit, growing up, and he has coached me the whole way through juniors; so him and mum,” she said.

“Mum didn’t play netball, but dad coached me all the way through under-9s up to last year at Romsey when I was playing in their under-19s team.

“He’s been a real driving factor, and mum’s always driving me to trainings and things and coming down to the oval to pass the ball to me during COVID and getting me through injuries.

“Dad used to take me to the gym at 4.50 in the morning at North Melbourne and get back me back to catch the bus to school.”