Having been overlooked for representative teams throughout her teens, Milne decided to focus on her studies rather than her netball.
Fortunately it wasn’t a decision she stuck with for too long.
“When I started uni I kind of had a bit of break from netball, just wanted to focus fully on that,” Milne said.
“That last probably about two weeks and then I got bored.”
Milne returned to the court, playing social mixed indoor netball on the southern Gold Coast before being spotted and invited to trial with Bond University Bull Sharks’ Ruby Series team.
The man who identified Milne, Victor Potaka, would eventually link up again with the 23-year-old at the Gold Coast Titans where Milne has shone in the past couple of seasons of the HART Sapphire Series – catching the eye of Firebirds Head Coach Bec Bulley in the process.
That has now led to the English-born wing defence/goal defence becoming Firebird No.111 after making her Suncorp Super Netball debut in last weekend’s 10-goal win over the Adelaide Thunderbirds at Nissan Arena.
It’s an experience Milne admits she’s still trying to process.
“Unreal – I’m still pinching myself to be honest,” she said.
“It felt really good to just get out there, get ball in hand straight away and the girls just made me feel so comfortable out there as well which was such a bonus.”
Having made her debut, Milne is continuing to enjoy the ride, staying on with the squad throughout this week’s build to Sunday’s trip to Sydney to face GIANTS Netball at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Whether Milne will stay in the Firebirds matchday squad for the away day will be confirmed on Friday but she is hopeful a further week of training will ensure she’s as prepared as possible if required.
“I do feel a bit more settled,” she said.
“There’s still a lot of unknown but a lot more comfortable and the girls again have just been so welcoming and just taking every opportunity as it comes.”
While Milne’s netball-mad mother is understandably excited about her daughter’s dramatic rise into the Firebirds ranks, Milne did have to do some clarifying to her father about the significance of her achievement.
“Dad, he’s from England, and he doesn’t really get it but I was trying to compare to ‘Dad it’s like playing for Arsenal or someone like that’,” she said.
“They’ve all got around me and just supported me really well – as they always have.”
