Childhood friends, South Australians Lucy Austin and Georgie Horjus on the cusp of Diamonds’ Adelaide clash
Their mums were best mates at school and now Lucy Austin and Georgie Horjus are on the cusp of achieving a childhood dream, playing for the Diamonds together in front of a home crowd.
Their mums went to school together, they were born just a month apart and have been lifelong friends.
So if Lucy Austin and Georgie Horjus get on court together, as expected, in the Diamonds’ final Test against South Africa on Sunday, expect to see the benefit of their uncanny connection.
Austin is on the verge of making a Diamonds debut on her home court at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre after bolting from a training invitee to part of the squad for the South Africa series.
She sat in the stands outside the match-day 12 for the opening two games of the series but has been named for Sunday’s clash where she is likely to hit the court as the Diamonds look to what a future with their 190cm holding shooter could provide.
And that could be in combination with Horjus, the Thunderbirds swing playmaker who made her Diamonds debut at wing attack against New Zealand last year, having been outside the match-day 12 for the Adelaide Test against England.
“Growing up together and going through the pathway together and then being able to step out in the green and gold dress would be probably a dream come true for both of us,” Austin said.
Horjus’s mum Ange Lodge and Austin’s mother Meredith Krieg grew up together on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, becoming firm friends at school.
They had daughters Lucy and Georgie, both younger siblings in their families, just a month apart, with the pair young friends despite not seeing much of each other with the Horjus family based on Kangaroo Island.
They reconnected as teens though, playing in their first state team together at U15 level and progressing through the South Australian pathway, Horjus moving to Adelaide to complete her schooling and concentrate on netball.
“I remember a couple of times catching up as families when we were younger but then when we were 15 and our mums were so excited,” Austin said.
“She said, ‘You’re going to see Georgie today at trials, you’ll have to get a photo’. And I didn’t really fully remember who she was. But I guess that started our friendship.”
The pair has since won two Super Netball premierships together with the Thunderbirds and cantered into the Diamonds squad - Horjus having won three caps so far, debuting at wing attack against the Silver Ferns last year before adding another two in the opening games of this series against the Proteas at goal attack.
Austin is in line to debut on Sunday in what could be the duo’s last partnership in Adelaide together - for a while at least - after she signed with the Sydney-based Giants for next season.
“I’m obviously very sad that Lucy is going but obviously really proud of her to take a big step and move to Sydney, it’s very exciting for her,” Horjus said.
“To play in Adelaide, we have amazing fans here, so it would be so much fun to play in front of our family and friends and to get to play together would be a dream come true. I feel like I’d be like a little proud friend, it’d be so cool.”
They know each other so well, they won’t be surprised if they’re able to bring some of their amazing understanding to the fore if they play in the goal circle together on Sunday either.
“I probably didn’t expect to be playing shooter with Lucy if she debuts for the Diamonds, just because I’ve been playing so much wing attack,” Horjus said.
“But it makes me so happy and excited to get that opportunity - hopefully it happens - but we’re lucky we’ve played so many years together and we have a good connection in the circle.”
At 23, the pair is seen as the future of the Diamonds, alongside players like Ash Ervin and Hannah Mundy and would be front and centre if netball was added to the Olympics in Brisbane in 2032.
“I think it’s so exciting,” Horjus said of the sport’s prospective entry to the Games.
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“Netball definitely deserves to be in the Olympics, it’s an amazing sport and so many girls play around the world - and boys as well - so it’s in the back of my mind that we could be playing there and it would definitely be a dream come true.”
Austin said she couldn’t understand why the sport wasn’t already in the Games and backed the world Netball Australia was doing to push its case for inclusion at Brisbane.
Fans at Sunday’s game will be urged to back the bid by pledging their support to World Netball and Netball Australia’s campaign to petition the International Olympic Committee for the sport to be added to the Brisbane 2032 campaign.
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