Such attributes make Ararat's Jade Fiscalini a gem in the A Grade line up.

The towering 21-year-old has played in two A Grade Wimmera Netball Association premierships, is a three-time Wimmera representative and last year finished runner-up in the league's Hatcher Medal best-and-fairest vote count.

Fiscalini made her Rats debut as a 15 and under player.

She named her first senior grand final win in 2005 when the Rats claimed victory over Horsham United by one goal after a stellar season as her career highlight to date.

"Winning my first grand final was a highlight because I had never won one before. It was very close," she said.

Fiscalini was part of the Wimmera league squad for the Wm LOUD Championships on June 29 this year.

"I've been involved before in juniors and one other time in seniors," she said.

"We only won one game, but they were good netballers.

"The competition is quicker and cleaner.

"I probably got half the amount of intercepts I would normally get."

Fiscalini's reputation in the competition was highlighted by Wimmera squad coach Sharon Fedke in the lead up to the Wm LOUD Championships.

In a Wimmera Mail-Times championship special, Fedke's description of Fiscalini read: "Brilliant defender. Tall, athletic, versatile and can shoot as well. Reads the ball beautifully. A great asset."

Fiscalini said praise from a coach of Fedke's standing in netball and basketball circles was `motivating'.

"That's very nice. I don't know about shooting, I think I can only shoot because I get the rebound," she said.

"It's definitely motivating.

"Sharon is a great coach. She gets everyone excited and pumped up. She had a really hard job. We'd never played together before and I never trained.

"Most of the girls were younger or playing for the first time in senior levels. I didn't know some of their names at first but luckily we had jackets with our names on our backs."

Fiscalini said she felt she was yet to hit top form this season.

"I've been pretty cruisey, I think. I don't think I've been playing as well as I could. I don't know why. I'm starting to play better," she said.

Fiscalini is joint coach of the Rats' 17 and under outfit which, like the A Grade team, is undefeated this season.

Team-mate Tahnee Waterson also coaches the junior side.

"We try to get them to stick around and watch us. If we do something in our game we ask them to sit and watch what we do," Fiscalini said.

She said her young charges showed plenty of promise and that was a good sign for the future of the Rats.

She said goal attack Georgie Eastick and centre Kira Payne were particularly promising.

"But they're definitely all strong," she said.

Fiscalini said netball and the Rats were a big part of her life.

"Having friends and the social side of it is what I like most about netball," she said.

Fiscalini is a keen basketballer, playing A Grade in an Ararat women's competition.

"We won the premiership two weeks ago," she said.

"I've just moved home from living in Ballarat for three years and I played there.

"But I got into basketball way too late. I would have loved to play sooner but it never happened."