When Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel shooter Georgia Heffernan was named Aspiring Silver Fern at the New Zealand Netball Awards last night, you can bet no one was prouder than her twin sister Kate.

And the roles were soon reversed with Kate announced as the Silver Ferns Fan Favourite – cementing the pair’s status amongst an exciting new generation of netball stars.

Completing a southern trifecta, Kristie Simpson was awarded Umpire of the Year.

For Georgia, the kudos was even more merited after sustaining a brutal ACL knee injury in 2020. Testament to her determination, her 2022 return to the elite ranks included selection in the New Zealand Development Team and Fast5 Ferns.

“It has been a really good year. I didn’t really know what it was going to be like coming back from my knee but I’m happy with the way it’s panned out,” Georgia said.

“I knew I was really hungry to come back better than before my injury but you just never really know. I guess everyone who goes through injuries like this, their journeys are all so different.

“I have surprised myself a bit and I am proud of myself.”

Promotion to the national squads ticked off yet another goal.

“I was so grateful for that opportunity. It was my first exposure to that level and I love it. It made me more determined to keep going,” Georgia said.

“I did not expect the Aspiring Silver Fern award but I’m really stoked. Obviously, the end goal is to be a Silver Fern one day and it would be so cool to do it alongside Kate.”

Kate, herself a dynamic revelation in the Silver Ferns midcourt, was “super proud” of her identical twin.

“She’s done so well and it’s just so cool to see her get some recognition for all the hard work. An ACL injury is an awful thing for an athlete to go through but she has come out stronger and that’s really exciting. I think she can go so far and this award, she’s just the perfect person for it. The way she trains and talks about her netball, she really is aspiring to be a Silver Fern which is awesome,” she said.

The comeback has been a journey of discovery for Georgia.

“I learned so much about myself through that year. I didn’t realise how strong I am or how much I do want it. I didn’t have netball and that hurt and made me hungry to come back,” she said.

“I’m just so much mentally stronger and that was the biggest part for me. Pressure as a shooter is huge but I was able to come back onto the court and not think about the injury. It was more when I would sit down and stop and think ‘I’m just so scared of having to go through that again’. Now I’ve realized that if I do everything I need to and look after myself, all I’m going to hopefully do is just keep growing. And that’s how this year has gone for me.”

Although not physically impacted, Kate shared many aspects of the injury trauma.

“I cried like a baby when it happened. I cried more than she did. I knew it wasn’t good. I did see her out of the corner of my eye fall … I think it was the way she looked at me straight away,” she recalled.

“It was awful watching her not only get injured and go down, but having to watch her go through some pretty tough days of rehab afterwards.

“I always knew she was going to come back and she was going to come back better. After all the initial shock, I could tell that Georgia had moved on to the next job and that was getting herself right. I just had to move on too and support her rehab.”

Georgia, left, and Kate Heffernan. Photo: Michael Bradley Photography

They are undeniably each other’s greatest cheerleaders.

“We just support each other so much,” Georgia said. “When I went over to watch Kate at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, I didn’t go over as a player or a teammate, I went over as her sister and her biggest supporter. She was a rock for me during my rehab and she was really good at keeping me involved and making me feel like I’m on the right track. We have been really big for each other support wise so we’re really lucky in that way.”

The talented duo has etched out successful careers in the sport’s top echelon together – a plan formulated during childhood on their parent’s Tapanui farm. Plying their skills in different aspects of the court has proved a blessing, enabling them to often progress through the ranks together.

“Georgia said straight away ‘I’m a shooter, you’re not’. To this day I’m super grateful because I love the midcourt. It’s pretty cool because they are the positions that clicked straight away. I don’t know if I wanted to shoot or if I just listened to Georgia but I love being in centre running around and she always wanted to be shooting the long shots,” Kate said.

Georgia admits it was the bossiest thing she’s ever done to Kate – her big sister by seven minutes.

“From the get-go, I was ‘no, I want to be the shooter. I want the glory of the long shots’. I love shooting and it’s be so cool that we’ve stuck to our positions and that’s mean we’ve been able to do it together. When we’re on court together, we play better in our own positions and we bring the best out of each other.”

Kate described it as a natural evolution.

“Netball just clicked with both of us – it’s where we had the most fun. It’s just something we’ve always loved and it’s been really cool to do it together,” she said.

“The year she was injured and she wasn’t around wasn’t as fun for me. We definitely don’t take it for granted. If we found ourselves in teams without the other, we realized ‘oh, this isn’t as much fun’ so we’re pretty grateful.”

They each have pivotal roles as the Steel strives for a third ANZ Premiership.

“I’m just focusing on going into the ANZ Premiership really strongly with the aim of consistency. Obviously, my goal is to one day be a Silver Fern but I’m just taking it one step at a time and no rush. I really hope 2023 is another good year for me and I can work towards those bigger goals,” Georgia said.

“As a Steel team we have gelled together really well. Even our first training we were like ‘woah, this is looking pretty good’ so it’s exciting.

“We’ve got a great group of players and lots of different connections. We’re a bit of an underdog this year so we’re excited to go out and give our all.”