Laura Langman will be ready and waiting to answer an SOS call from New Zealand netball if they need her in 2017.
The Dame Lous Muir Supreme Award winner is ineligible to play for the Silver Ferns next year as she has signed to play for the NSW Swifts in the newly formed Australian Netball League which gets underway in February.
But Langman said she would never turn down an opportunity to play for her country.
"Absolutely", she said
"I would never ever leave my second family out to dry, they have my number."
Netball New Zealand implemented the eligibility ruling as a prevention measure to stop a player drain to the Australian competition
Langman said the decision was the hardest she has ever had to make.
"For someone like me who loves the challenge and the speed of the game, it's a scary thought not being able to pull on the black dress.
"It was a really tough decision that I left to the eleventh hour because I wanted to be sure that I had thought of everything."
The 30-year-old won New Zealand netballs most prestigious award on Thursday evening and admits she was totally overwhelmed.
"Hugely humbling it's been an amazing journey that's really hard to let go.
"I've learnt so much [at the Swifts]. When you get to my age you get addicted to learning."
Netball New Zealand's newly formed ANZ Premiership gets underway in March and will feature the five current franchises and the new Northern Stars.
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