Netball is Emilee Skelly's goal in life.
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That's how the 12-year-old came to receive a Ray Harvey grant of $200 late last year.
Emilee was among several local young sportspeople to be presented with the grants on Tuesday, November 19 at the Civic Centre on Bourke Street.
Emilee said she was stoked and humbled to receive the award and that her parents were also appreciative of the Ray Harvey grants program.
Her mother, Alison Skelly, said she and husband Anthony were "grateful to [councillor] Margaret O'Neill, Goulburn Mulwaree Council and the Ray Harvey Sports Foundation".
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"This is a wonderful opportunity for our local kids to be supported financially in their chosen sport," Mrs Skelly said.
"Playing team sports with their friends is an integral part of their development."
If Emilee was ever going to play a sport, it was always going to be netball.
"She started playing when she was six years old," Mrs Skelly said.
"Her three aunties, grandmother, godmother and I all love and play [or have] played the sport, and are involved in our local Goulburn District Netball Association.
"They all helped with Emilee's decision to play netball.
"Her love of the sport and playing with the great friends she's made have kept her keen."
The funds for Emilee, an admirer of NSW Swifts neballers Susan Pettitt and Maddy Proud, will go towards her involvement in representing Goulburn at the Junior State Titles and costs associated with that.
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Emilee is determined to achieve the goal of playing for her country.
"She'd love to one day play for the Giants or the Swifts and then Australia," Mrs Skelly said.
"But for the moment [she] loves playing in teams with her friends, in both the local Goulburn Saturday competition, school teams and in the Goulburn representative team."
Big things are coming up for the youngster including the Junior State Titles in Sydney and various carnivals around NSW and the ACT.
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