SHE’S led Life Studio to multiple Orange Netball Association Toyota Cup grand finals, and mentored Orange to countless regional and state titles, but now Mardi Aplin will get her first taste of coaching a national side when she mentors Wanderers Australia on its Caribbean tour later this year.

Aplin will co-coach the Wanderers side, a team picked on application for players aged 14 to 16, when it travels around Barbados, before stopping over in America on the way home, in November and December - the first time an Australian junior team will play on Caribbean shores.

Aplin boasts stellar playing credentials, having finished her career with the Canberra Darters in the Australian Netball League last year, and completed her advanced coaching accreditation recently, putting her amongst the higher echelon of coaches around the nation.

“It was this one or a tour to England. They asked which one I’d prefer and I obviously said the Caribbean,” Aplin laughed.

“It’s a really good opportunity for myself and the other coaches, and the coaching path is definitely where I see myself going.

“I think being a former player, having only really just finished playing for the (Canberra) Darters in the Australian Netball League definitely helped, I guess my work with Netball NSW was a benefit as well, and I’ve just finished my advanced coaching accreditation, which was a pre-requisite.

“It suits me really well, because it isn’t actually that big of a commitment because we only come together as a side once we’re over there.

“Being a country coach, it takes up so much of your time and this one fits in really well around my family life and all that kind of thing.”

The Wanderers will take on the island nation’s best school, regional and representative teams, and Aplin said she’s sure the role will bring it’s own individual challenges, and added she expects her side to do well.

“Basically the sides we’ll be playing are classed as their representative teams, I don’t think it will be national teams,” she explained.

“I imagine they will be pretty strong. There will definitely be goals and that sort of thing, I’m a pretty competitive person.

“It will be tough in a way, we only get together for some training sessions once we get over there, and then play, so bringing the girls together quickly is a challenge.”

Wanderers fly out on November 28.