Netball is about to celebrate a full century, and as the World Cup and the sport’s 100th anniversary converge next year, NSW Swifts player Teigan O’Shannassy is reflecting on what the sport has given generations of women, and what it still needs to do to keep up.
Speaking exclusively to Woman’s Day, Teigan opened up about netball’s milestone year, bouncing back from injury, her surprisingly simple game day nutrition – and the delicious dish that’s become her go-to lunch.
A CENTURY IN THE MAKING
For Teigan, netball turning 100 is personal as well as historic. Her nanny played, her mum played, and now she does too.
“I feel like it’s brought so many people together,” she says. “I feel like it’s just such a family sport.”
But she’s not interested in only looking back. While she’s proud of how far the sport has come, she’s honest about where it still has work to do.
“I do feel like netball has such a long way to go,” she says. “These other sports that are coming through are capitalising on the times and making moves. I feel like, in my opinion, netball is getting a bit stuck in those ways.”
Still, she says the milestone lands at exactly the right moment – a chance to celebrate how far the sport has come, and think about where it goes next.
“This sport has been the main sport for females in 100 years – that’s incredible,” she says. “It has always been a place for women to go and celebrate being powerful and being strong.”
A SAFE SPACE FOR WOMEN
Teigan believes netball’s real legacy goes beyond premierships and trophies.
“It’s just been that safe space for women to go and to really be athletic,” she says. “I think that probably wasn’t allowed for women, or was frowned upon, before. Netball kind of created that space.”
She’s also noticed a genuine shift in how women’s sport is talked about, pointing to the rise of the Matildas as proof the tide has turned.
“I was never really a soccer fan, but the Matildas coming on – I’ll probably watch them over the men,” she laughs. “I think it’s cool that people want to watch females play sport. That never used to happen.”
Getting people through the gate, she says, is the next challenge for netball specifically.
“When my guy friends come to games, they’re like, ‘we never thought it would be this cool, or this athletic, or this rough,'” she says. “It’s about getting people in seats. When they do come, they realise how amazing it is.”
BOUNCING BACK FROM INJURY
Off the court, Teigan has faced her own challenges – including a past struggle with under-fuelling that made her back injury recovery last year more complicated than most.
“I’ve struggled with my eating and under-fuelling in the past,” she says. “When you’re injured, that can be something that’s a bit triggering or a bit scary.”
Rather than restrict, Teigan – an associate nutritionist – leaned into colour, protein and healthy fats to support her recovery.
“I really just focused on lots of colour, lots of fruits, lots of veggies, lots of protein,” she says. “I wasn’t scared of the carbohydrates – I just had more of a focus on wholegrain, lower GI, complex carbs.”
And sweet treats stayed firmly on the menu.
“I’d still have my chocolate, have my treats,” she says. “You definitely have to feed the soul when you’re injured as well.”
GAME DAY RITUAL
Ask Teigan what fuels her on match day, and the answer is simple and low-key.
“I always try to have crumpets before a game,” she says. “Peanut butter, jam or honey. And then right before the game, I’ll have some dates – they make me feel really, really good and help me perform.”
Post-match, it’s a chocolate milk, and – more often than not – a Guzman y Gomez run with her teammates.
THE CHEAP LUNCH THAT SAVES HER WEEK
When it comes to eating well on a packed training and travel schedule, Teigan swears by “ingredient prep” over rigid meal plans – and one creation in particular has taken over her kitchen.
“Honestly, probably pizza toast,” she says of her go-to lunch. “Sourdough, tomato paste, garlic, tuna or ham, cheese, a few coconut aminos. I pop it in the air fryer for 10 minutes, crisp it up, then finish with parmesan and a side salad.”
She’s also quick to bust the idea that eating like an athlete has to be expensive.
“A lot of products lately labelled ‘health food’ actually aren’t,” she says. “It’s more about eating basic, normal, regular food. Oats, bananas, frozen veggies – there’s so many things that are actually quite cheap that I use all the time.”
Her non-negotiable pantry staples? Frozen vegetables, tuna or eggs, and yoghurt.
“You can make a quick meal out of just those things,” she says. “They’re such good options.”
In the kitchen, Teigan leans on a few trusty gadgets to keep things simple, with her Sunbeam air fryer and slow cooker doing most of the heavy lifting.
“I love using my Sunbeam air fryer – I feel like it makes cooking my protein so much easier,” she says. “And I’ve been using my Sunbeam slow cooker a lot too, especially now it’s getting colder. I can just chuck a curry on in the morning and it’s ready when I get home from training.”
As netball heads into its biggest year yet, Teigan is clear on what keeps her – and the sport – going.
“At the end of the day, it’s just to have fun with your friends and your teammates,” she says. “That’s all we try to remember.”
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