Northern Stars shooter Paula Griffin is following in her grandfather's fighting footsteps to ensure a successful domestic netball comeback
Northern Stars shooter Paula Griffin Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2018 www.photosport.nz
It's not often a former Silver Fern needs to work their way back into a domestic competition, but it's a challenge Paula Griffin has accepted.
After a slow fade from netball grace after limited court time and injury woes, Griffin decided to take a familiar family route to boxing and kickboxing in an attempt to better her performance.
Griffin's grandfather John Stewart was a professional boxer and Griffin's decision to follow in his 'footwork' has heavily contributed to her abundance of court-time in the ANZ Premiership with the Northern Stars.
"In my training I feel like everything has transferred to the court, I feel stronger and fitter." says Griffin
"I do a lot of skipping and being tall and lanky you need to make sure you pick up your feet so bouncing around in boxing has helped."
It's not unfamiliar for netballers to turn to fight sport in order to help their game.
Central Pulse defender Sulu Fitzpatrick has competed in boxing before and Maria Folau is known to train in both boxing and kickboxing.
Griffin has had two amateur boxing fights and would like the chance to compete at kickboxing as well.
Northern Stars shooter Paula Griffin training Muay Thai in Thailand Photo: Paula Griffin
The 29-year-old is no stranger to it's tough demands after taking a trip to Thailand to train at the prestigious AKA Muay Thai kickboxing gym, she also does extra work with UFC star Israel Adesanya's strength and conditioning coach Sunz Singh.
"I've never had a whole season off to injury before." says Griffin.
"I had so much time to think about my game and the way I wanted to come back and sitting on the bench last year I saw and learnt a whole lot."
The West-Aucklander has been on the netball scene since the age of seventeen when she was signed to the Auckland Diamonds in the National Bank Cup series - she was named to represent the New Zealand Under-21's in the same year and made captain in 2010.
Griffin shooting for the Silver Ferns in 2007 Photo: ©PHOTOSPORT 2007 www.photosport.co.nz
At nineteen years old Griffin debuted for the Silver Ferns at the 2007 Netball World Championships but to get back to the top she's taking it one step at a time.
"You can't beat experience and all those years count for a lot of things." says Griffin
"I just want to be the best I can be for the Stars, we want to make our mark to be better and we want to dominate the competition."
The Northern Stars play the Southern Steel in round five of the ANZ Premiership on Sunday in Invercargill.
- RNZ