Toowoomba primed for QPL round one

NETBALL: Some of Toowoomba’s brightest netball talents will be on show this weekend during the first round of the Darling Downs division of the Queensland Premier League.

The tournament, held over two weekends, pits the best of the Darling Downs together with an eye to the state finals in Caloundra later in the year.

Toowoomba Netball Association president Brad Chapman said there was an air of confidence among their three sides competing.

“There’s a fair bit of excitement around,” Chapman said.

“Some of the girls played last year in the competition and the team won the 16s comp here to play in Brisbane in the finals.

“We have basically kept this same side together for the 18s.”

It won’t be all cut and dry with strong competition across the board, and Chapman expected a usual suspect to be highly competitive.

“A lot of the Highfields girls play quite regularly together and we’re expecting them to be one of the toughest in all three grades,” he said.

“We did have a practice match against Dalby and they pushed the girls hard as well.”

Chapman said there were a number of key players from the side to keep an eye on over the weekend.

“In the U18s Emily Stenzel and Renee Clarke, and Isabelle Coleman in the U16s are ones to watch,” he said.

“They have represented Toowoomba quite a bit.

“With Renee and Emily, they have attended the Future Panthers and have real aspirations to carry on and go a long way in netball.”

UNDER 16: Isabelle Coleman, Aimee Freund, Tiara Hade, Libby Jagger, Amelia Lees, Stephanie Martin, Abby Newsham, Hattie Ryan, Alexandra Troy, Lauren Wilson, Lisa Singleton (coach), Deborah Farrell (manager).

UNDER 18: Mary Barac, Renee Clarke, Maggie Grigg, Hanlie Lubbe, Brittany Pascoe, Lily Sevil, Aleisha Somerfield, Emily Stenzel, Tahlia Dawson, Meg Vinson, Paul Elbourne (coach), Norah Vinson (manager).

OPENS: Sally Bryant, Rachael Curtis, Brooke Mann, Sophie Neal, Brooke O'Kane, Eleanor Savill, Taela Stacey, Ashleigh Tatchell, Tahnee Weribone, Tash Weribone, Tom Morton (coach), Karen Cottam (manager).

The first round of the Darling Downs QPL takes place at USQ on Saturday and Sunday.