One of the BFNL’s best players is chasing her place in history, and her coach and team are right behind her to get her there.
Watson has netted 585 goal through the opening 10 games of 2023, already surpassing her tally of 579 last season, with 56 goals coming against Barwon Heads on Saturday.
If she can continue to average 58.5 goals per game for the rest of the season, she will reach the milestone in the final round clash against Drysdale, becoming the first player in the BFNL history to reach the milestone.
Savage said it was a historic season for the shooter.
“We hope she can get there, it’s an outstanding achievement in itself,” she said.
Ammos Ruby Watson and Ocean Grove’s Kelsey Ollis. A Grade Geelong v Ocean Grove netball grand finals. Picture: Alan Barber
“That would be an accolade and a moment for her that she could look back on and go ‘wow’, it’s an amazing achievement.
“We’re going to do all we can to get her to those 1000 goals this season.”
The greatest individual scoring season in the BFNL currently belongs to Rebecca O’Neill, who scored 831 goals for Ocean Grove in the home-and-away season last year, and finished on 949 for the year including finals.
Currently O’Neill is in second place behind Watson, with 457 goals through the opening 10 rounds of the season.
Savage said Watson’s step up this season was obvious after getting over off-season foot surgery.
“I’ve had a lot to do with Ruby in the past at the Cougars, and I watched her during the finals campaign last year,” she said.
“The big difference in her game is that she is a lot more mobile, she had foot surgery in the off-season for quite a niggling injury in her foot, and I think last season it impacted her movement.
“The way she’s moving this year is incredible, she is so fit and she’s firing and that gives her greater mobility in the goal shooter position, and she’s just strong everywhere.
“Outstanding is probably underselling it a bit, she’s the real full package, she’s always going to score a lot of goals every week but I think it is the real leadership on court, the way she leads that attack end is probably something she doesn’t get a lot of credit for but internally we see it at training and on game day.
“Her leadership in our team is just amazing, she’s a great communicator, she’s working really well with our younger players in teaching them and mentoring them, so for us we look at the other role she plays and that’s as a leader.”