Monica Falkner has decided the time is right to step away from professional netball.

The 29-year-old from Ōpōtiki, who attended Trident High School in Whakatāne, feels content with her netball career and where it has taken her.

A talented goal shoot and goal attack, she made it to the top representing the Silver Ferns, played in New Zealand’s ANZ Premiership for three sides, the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, the Northern Mystics and the Stars and even won a Youth World Cup with New Zealand.

Falkner was selected in the Silver Ferns in 2017-18 but never got to don the black dress until 2020 against England. She also represented New Zealand in the Fast5 competition and had gone through two major knee injuries to return to the court.

Falkner became a mother two years ago to daughter Riley and hadn’t pictured a return to the netball court at a professional level, until Stars coach Kiri Wills came calling in 2024.

With goal attack Amorangi Malesala injured and teenage prospect Summer Temu named as a training partner, another experienced shooter was required at the Stars and that’s how Falkner’s return to netball came about last year.

In 2025, she was back again lining up for the Stars in the ANZ Premiership and playing some outstanding netball until disaster struck weeks out from the end of the season.

Falkner injured her knee and when the extent of it was revealed she’d done her ACL, she decided the time was right to step away from the game she grew up loving.

During her career, Falkner amassed close to 90 ANZ Premiership matches.

Her career started in 2017, and she was a constant figure for the Magic across her first three seasons of professional netball, before heading to the Stars after returning from injury, then the Mystics, before going back to the Stars where she finished her career.

Her retirement from professional netball leaves the Eastern Bay with just one ANZ Premiership player in fellow goal shoot and goal attack Khiarna Williams, while NNL players Charlice Bryce is currently shining with the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic National Netball League team, the feeder competition to the ANZ Premiership and trialled for the New Zealand under-21 team for the world cup later in the year.

Eastern Bay’s Mary-Jane Araroa is currently the coach of the Magic, who finished fifth in the ANZ Premiership.

Falkner was a netball idol for many Ōpōtiki juniors growing up and there’s hope a few might be able to replicate her deeds in the years to come.