As numbers dwindled at the now-defunct Magpies, Henderson and her sister were walked to Katunga’s doorstep and ushered in to continue their fledgling steps in the sport with the Swans.
Now, Henderson is about to do something few ever do.
The wily wing attack is set to play her 400th game in red on Saturday, notching a significant milestone that — as if it already wasn’t the case — has her heralded as a Swans legend.
A club and league best-and-fairest winner, premiership playing coach and Picola District Football Netball League life member, Henderson has built and continued her family’s legacy at Katunga to a point where representing another badge simply isn’t possible.
“I’ve never, ever, ever thought of leaving since we’ve started there,” she said.
“I think it’s just the friendships and how welcoming they all were to us at the very beginning.
“It’s become a second family, so to speak.”
Henderson, alongside her “second family”, will bring up the 400 at home against Waaia on Saturday.
Some could call it fate, given what happened six years ago.
If there’s a chapter that twinkles a little brighter in the saga of Henderson’s netball career, it’s the 2019 B-grade premiership win over Waaia.
Henderson, as player-coach, led the team through an undefeated season, culminating in a heart-stopping grand final victory by a single goal.
“I think we were close to 10 goals down heading into the last quarter and then the team we’re just unbelievable — it was one of the coolest experiences ever,” she said.
“We’d been close in previous years, but to coach a premiership team was amazing and to go through the season undefeated was a true credit to the girls.
“(It’s) definitely on the highlights list and plays in my mind a few times over — I’d love to have the feeling again, that’s for sure.”
This season, Katunga’s B-graders are 1-0 after knocking off Picola United in round one.
Henderson is commandeering a group of mums and enthusiastic youngsters in a quest to experience that premiership rush once more and, sometimes, it requires her to stray away from her beloved wing attack post.
“Look, I’ll chuck the centre bib on if I have to, but I’m usually playing against girls that are less than half my age,” she said with a laugh.
“I don’t try to go in there unless I really have to, but (WA) definitely is my favourite.”
If wing attack is Henderson’s positional home, then Katunga is undoubtedly her true north.
“I’ve formed amazing friendships and a lot of those people were at my wedding,” she said.
“We’re raising our kids there and the connections that they’ve formed with their little friendship groups.
“It’s a place where you feel welcome, you don’t feel like you’re just someone making up a number.
“You genuinely are cared about by everyone there and everyone knows who you are.”
Henderson will, for one day at least, steal the spotlight when she suits up for game 400.
It won’t just be another run on the court — it’ll be a living tribute to the kind of quiet greatness that doesn’t seek the spotlight, but earns it anyway.
And as a major milestone edges nearer, another notch on the slow-burning athletic epic that is Henderson’s netball journey blinks brightly in the not too distant future.
“You don’t obviously set out to achieve individual milestones in a team sport, but to play 400 games at one club is a pretty cool effort,” she said.
“Rach Howden is someone who I’ve always looked up to and I think she’d have to be close to game 600.
“We both notched up 900 games together at the start of last year, so that was pretty cool — I’ve said neither of us can retire until we reach 1000 together.”
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