The inaugural Australian Dodgeball Premier League season kicks-off in less than two weeks. With anticipation building, we go one-on-one with Tara Skellerup, a Prahran Penguins and Women’s Australian Dodgeroos representative, at both the Asian Championships and World Cup.
Personal Life |
Favourite AFL team? 
Essendon, as when we moved here from New Zealand they were the same colours as Canterbury.
What do you love to do in your spare time?
The times that I’m not playing dodgeball, I’ll clean or go shopping. Oh and most importantly sleep.
Ideal holiday destination?
Don’t have just one, but USA (New York or Hawaii) were amazing or Maldives which I’ve never been too.
Who’s your inspiration?
My inspiration has got to be my parents. They’re very caring and always there for me.
Favourite sports?
Definitely Dodgeball, but Tennis and Netball have been my childhood sports which I will always love!
First job held?
My first ever job was working as a checkout chick at Coles (still there).
Current occupation?
Childcare Educator, just went casually not long ago.
How would your best friend describe you?
I wouldn’t have a clue, so I asked and got the response of ‘Outgoing, social, friendly, caring, loving and works well with others’.
Favourite food?
There’s too many to choose from, let’s go with chocolate as my favourite.
Favourite TV show?
NCIS, Criminal Minds or The Block.
Favourite band / artist?
I like a big variety of music, but all the sounds on the radio are just the ones I normally listen too.
Favourite quote? 
Hard to choose but I love, ‘In the end we only regret the chances we didn’t take’, ‘sometimes you win, sometimes you learn’ and lastly ‘you can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one’.
Your most annoying habits?
Not so much a habit, just being lazy and not motivated most of the time.
A household chore you hate?
Cleaning my room or dishes. Depends if I feel like doing either on the day.
On The Court |
How long have you been playing dodgeball?
I have been playing for around 3 years now and not stopping any time soon!
What are your main strengths on the court? 
Catching and throwing.
What do you think you could improve on?
Definitely my throwing and being fitter!
Favourite playing position/s?
Either wing or support, but I’m always happy to play anywhere.
Which teammate/s do you love to annoy the most?
Not so much me but I know quite a few people love to annoy Lakita (Seigafo). It’s always funny to see how she reacts.
You were part of the Women’s Dodgeroos success at both the 2015 Asian Championships and the 2016 World Cup. Describe the feeling of winning both titles.
Winning the first title was amazing and such an awesome feeling, I knew we’d go in strong with the team we had, but it being put into reality was even better. The second time we won at the World Cup in Manchester was indescribable! The Semi Final when we beat England was bitter sweet, then going through to the Grand Final was nerve racking, but we knew what our goal was.
Having the crowd and the atmosphere behind us was just incredible. The moment we won the World Cup was very emotional and an even better feeling to be World number one! I was so proud of the girls I had by my side. All our hard work paid off entirely.
Most difficult opponent/s in Manchester? 
I would say England, but it turned out to be Austria. Playing against England went very quick but were still a very tough opponent to play. As we played Austria twice the second time we went out and did everything we could to win, it was a big challenge.
The Women’s Dodgeroos are current World Champions. What are you expectations for the girls going into the 2016 Kuala Lumpur Asian Championships?
I expect that we can keep our title. It will be challenging but we can definitely hold it with a strong team.
What are your future goals and ambitions in dodgeball?
To become a better player and grow within the sport. Also to have the honour of representing my country again in the 2018 World Cup in New York!
The ADPL is a new high performance domestic league. What are you most looking forward to about the ADPL? 
Playing with cloth balls again! It will bring back a lot of memories. It will be a good challenge and a big competition.
It will be great to have a new crop of female talent playing in the ADPL. Having been involved in the Dodgeroos set-up, does this excite you?
Yes, very much so. I always love to see new girls joining dodgeball and watching the sport grow to get it bigger and better (not that dodgeball can’t get any better!).
Who’s a player/s we should look out for in the Prahran Penguins? What are your expectations for your team? Pre-season predictions?
Definitely Troy Haynes, as he has not played a proper game with cloth balls yet. In Manchester he showed a lot of talent during training! My Predictions for Prahran Penguins is that we’ll finish in the top 4, well hopefully. We have a very strong team, but are also there to enjoy it and have fun.