In a lengthy and varied netball career, George has amassed 74 caps for New Zealand since her debut against Australia 10 years ago. She collected a world title in 2003, then was sinbinned in the 2006 Commonwealth Games final on the way to a gold medal-winning performance. She retired in 2007, returned in 2009, and now -- at the age of 34 -- has restructured her game and reinvented herself as a world class wing attack.
She admits there's still plenty of room for improvement, pointing to the Silver Ferns' 43-48 loss to Australia two days ago, but is looking to make amends when the two teams meet again in Wellington on Thursday.
George has spent most of her playing days at centre, and featured there strongly for the Northern Mystics in this year's challenging trans-Tasman netball league.
George's reincarnation as an international wing attack began in September last year, and the dynamic play-maker has taken to her new role with panache and increasing assurance as the Silver Ferns intensify their build-up to the New Delhi Commonwealth Games in October and next year's world championships in Singapore.
The mother of two told NZPA the challenge of picking up the wing attack role had come at the right time in her netball career.
"I'm really enjoying it, but there's definitely a different challenge there," she said. "I'm learning new tricks at my experienced age.
"It is a reinvention, but I think it's come at the right time in my career. I'm glad it's now because I'm a bit more experienced and my brain can handle that kind of stuff."
Helping her with the transition, and in building up a new fund of netball knowledge, has been one of New Zealand's most talented midcourters and astute netball brains, former New Zealand coach Lyn Gunson.
"Having the tactical coaches within the team, like Lyn, has been great," George said.
"She's encouraged me to read the different types of defenders and how they mark, and to recognise the different styles of different countries.
"That's really exciting, because it encourages me to play a different style of game myself."
George said although the wing attack and centre roles had superficial similarities, there were huge adjustments to be made in switching between the two.
"They're totally different, really. Centre is kind of the link between the defence and attacking, and it's more of a running game.
"Wing attack is a crucial position down at the attacking end, where you're the main feeder and you're starting off from a standing start so you're doing a lot more short, sharp movements and changes of direction as opposed to what a centre would."
Another crucial component of the wing attack position is the ability to finish on the feed -- an instinctive ability to read play, nullify defences, create gaps and make split-second decisions on when to let the ball go into the shooters.
George's versatility in switching to wing attack has opened up possibilities for New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken, who has the luxury of a myriad of mix-and- match midcourt options revolving around Laura Langman, Liana Barrett-Chase, George and Joline Henry.
All four can be rotated around the centre-wing attack-wing defence roles in range of combinations that Aitken will be hoping can reverse Australia's first- up four goal win from Adelaide when the arch rivals do battle again on Thursday.
