That was a pretty good reason for the Winnaleah junior to work up and down the midcourt to stay warm.

More than a decade later, the humble 22-year-old has not forgotten her roots while playing inside more pristine surfaces all over Australia.

"It was always a dream back then," Rainbow says.

"I had to play a lot of netball first in the country.

"I even played matches with my mum a bit.

"So to actually be a part of the Australian Netball League and to represent Tasmania is a huge honour.

"It's something that I've never taken for granted and I am always very grateful.

"It's a lot of hard work to get there, but I always knew if I kept doing all these little steps they would pay off.

"That was very much my season last year."

Something had changed for Rainbow. Call it a career turning point, perhaps.

The Tasmanian turned Victorian came back home.

The student initially toiled away at her craft for Monash University-Storm in that state's elite competition, earning a fringe spot in the Victorian Fury squad for back-to-back Australian Netball League seasons.

But the call to be a part of a greater cause started to stir inside. Almost bubble.

The Tasmanian Magpies - in just their second year of existence - took all before them in a thrilling one-goal 2018 ANL grand final win.

"Look, I think it was a great achievement and we all worked quite hard to get there, but from the start we had the full intention of going all the way - but every team is competing to win," Rainbow reflects.

"It was a great success that as a team I was so proud of everyone involved of what we put out there on the court, but in turn we always knew we could do it too."

That moment ticked off the state's bucket list.

The first Tasmanians to win a national title ever.

Rainbow wasn't just in the mix of the celebrations, but let off the fireworks on court.

The Magpies centre was named player of the finals series held over 24 hours one weekend in Canberra.

It was quite possibly the best performance by a Tasmanian in the spotlight since she channelled the powers of Natasha Chokljat on the midcourt for Australia nearly two decades earlier. 

It came from a place of home pride and as a role model for thousands of netballers around the state.

"To have this connection with the Tasmanian Magpies that everyone in Tassie can see the pathway that has been formed is so important to me," Rainbow says.

"I am so proud of that connection that Netball Tasmania has with the Magpies, so young girls can see the pathway to the future and they can work to play at the top level. I know I was inspired by Natasha Chokljat - she was always my idol.

"Like her, I had to make the move to Melbourne.

"But it's now great that our young girls can play in the Australian Netball League from Tassie much like me."

After all the histrionics from last year, Rainbow is the first to recognise there's a new challenge ahead.

The Tasmanians will enter a new year a vastly-different lineup, but none more so than from the top.

Premiership-winning coach Kate Upton has departed to take up the Collingwood assistant role.

That has prompted Elissa Kent into the ANL head job.

"We are starting from scratch," Rainbow insists.

"But I don't think that is a negative at all - it's more of a real positive, actually.

"It builds a bit more depth to us and everyone has different things to bring, so there is heaps to work on."

That's one challenge.

There's another around the corner for Rainbow.

She has goals to be one piece of the Collingwood furniture during the Pies' rebuild under former NSW Swifts coach Rob Wright.

Should the Scotch College graduate somehow squeeze into Wright's side, Rainbow is set to secure another Tasmanian first on a Super Netball court.

"It is tough because there is just those 10 spots in the side," she explains.

"If you're not in those 10 spots to start with, you're just a training partner."

That's where Rainbow is almost stuck in what could well be best described as netball purgatory.

The spirit is willing, but she recognises nothing in 2019 - nor beyond - is a formality. The Collingwood second-year training partner would need a Pies clubmate to go down to play.

"That would definitely be circumstance-driven and my position as well," she admits.

"Everyone is fit and looks healthy at Collingwood, and really strong at the moment.

"My overall focus is for the Tassie Magpies and giving it my best in that team."

Rainbow did get that sniff of the hard wood when an injured Kim Ravaillion was a late withdrawal against Adelaide Thunderbirds last May in one of the Collingwood's only three victories.

She started on the bench and remained there until the end, picking up a few tips somewhere in between.

"It was great to get that opportunity last year, as you just never know when another opportunity is going to arise," Rainbow says.

"As I say, you just have to keep working on the process and sees how that goes.

"You can never be certain with anything. It's all about performance, working hard and just doing what you can week by week regardless."

But Rainbow is certainly not feeling sorry for herself, biding her time.

Training sessions most days with captain Madi Robinson, best-and-fairest winner Ash Brazill and big-name signing Geva Mentor can only help the one-time Cavalier's development.

"You are always trying to push yourself and learn, so I love being in the elite environment because I love learning," she says.

"You're never really get comfortable in it all, but it is great being here again this year and I am really just enjoying being a part of the Collingwood family.

"I really love training with the top of the top, and being a part of the squad as a training partner is really great with my learning.

"I'm just there to enjoy myself, have fun, learn a lot, but work really hard."