"The coach said they could see the hunger in me and all I needed was a little bit of guidance because I looked like I hadn't been trained," says Muir, who will slip on the wing defence bib in their penultimate, round 6 match against Central Sports Vet Services HB tonight at the Pettigrew-Green Arena court No 2 in Taradale.
Outkast Optimise Physio face HHSOG Proactive Huias (PGA 3) and HGHS Senior A take on HHSOG Spicers Keas (PGA 1) in 7pm starts.
However, Napier Girls' High School Senior A have already done the unthinkable in upsetting Otane Thirsty Whale with 53-40 victory on Wednesday. It is understood the schoolgirls couldn't play tonight because of their annual senior ball.
For Muir the selection came as a surprise but also with a sense of assurance of her self-worth.
"I definitely feel like I'm in the team I should be in," she says. "I'm feeling challenged but I'm not out of my depth."
The TNG horticultural apprentice is mindful that at the Super 8 level there's no hiding because if someone is under the radar she has to be out there working.
That mentality was instilled in touch and indoor netball.
Muir, who plays touch for Galaxy Hawke's Bay, is preparing for the club nationals and played for Galaxy New Zealand at under-21 level two years ago.
She also was part of the Hiko 4 Life U23s side who won the indoor netball crown in March.
Muir believes she's come into the All In environment at an opportune time because several other players are in the same boat.
"We've got the experience there but then also some young blood who bring passion. Sometimes you have players who have been there forever but then they tend to lose the passion a bit."
When in high school, she made the centre bib her own but on graduating she decided to broaden her horizons a little by straying into the specialist wing defence area.
"Every now and again I come to centre because that's what I've always played."
She is relishing the wing defence portfolio, deriving immense pleasure in thriving on a childhood penchant for making countless intercepts.
"I guess the passion comes from stopping other people so I guess I just enjoyed going out there to hunt," she says with a laugh, revealing indoor netball whets that appetite for making turnovers.
She is making the most of the nous of Barham, the New Zealand Secondary Schools assistant coach, and All In Elusive assistant coach Adrienne Morrin.
Like other newbies, she considers herself and other newbies lucky to have people of Barham and Morrin's calibre finding the time and patience to make a difference to their constitution.
Muir reckons the late injection of Morrin is godsend because she's a defence specialist in a code where many mentors tend to adopt attacking philosophies.
"It's really good that we get that one-on-one time each from two different kinds of coaches."
Surprisingly it's the first time fifth-placed All In Elusive are playing sixth-placed Central this winter after their paths only crossed but with NGHS leapfrogging them by a point to the fourth rung on the ladder the next two games are essential to make the playoffs.
For that matter, All In haven't played Huias either except in the grading round but she feels every team has the ability to win on their day.
The former St Matthew's School pupil found few codes available and took a shine to netball although her mother, Karen Muir, was an ex-U21 Bay hockey rep.
Her steely fortitude in netball comes from playing rugby with her five brothers in the backyard.
"I'm not scared to be roughed up and they treated me the same as everyone else. At the time I used to get a bit annoyed but now I'm thankful for it because it's made me the person I am in sport and my career."
