Young talent on way to top
YOUNG netballers across southeast Queensland have taken their first steps towards an Australian Diamonds dress.
Bond University held trials for its under-16 and under-18 teams to compete in the Queensland championships.
The state titles are the first opportunity for players to have their talent identified and placed on Netball Queensland’s development pathway.
The championships will be played in September and will feature a number of Bull Sharks training partners, as well as Bull Sharks Academy players.
All of the selected players will ply their trade in the local QPL competition.
It’s the same pathway that developed Gretel Bueta (nee Tippett), one of the premier netballers on the planet.
As Queensland and the Gold Coast gets set to host the Suncorp Super Netball season, Bond director of netball Stu Allen believes strongly in the need for high quality local competition as an essential element of talent development.
“This represents the first step of an integrated pathway from association all the way to the Firebirds,” Allen said.
“Players from this competition will be selected to the Bull Sharks’ state championship teams and from there will be vying for a spot in the state team.
“It is great we have a clear pathway. A great example is
Gretel [Tippett] who played for the Golden South Jags on her way to becoming a Firebird, prior to becoming Australia’s best netballer in 2019.”
Players like Kristen Oxenford, Shenae Grant, Rylee Burns and Abi Houston have already proved the Gold Coast is one of the successful breeding grounds of Queensland netball.
They have made their way from the outdoor courts of the Coast to competing for Queensland at age group and open level.
“It’s exciting to have the highest level of netball being played in Queensland,” Allen said. “We have great facilities here, we have housed eight AFL teams at the Bond Institute of Health and Sport and I believe some of the elite netball teams will use it as well.
“Netball is really strong on the Gold Coast.”