Townsville Bulletin

FINAL YOUNG GUN FIRED UP F OR GRAND Teen star eager to shine for Saints

- TRENT SLATTER trent.slatter@news.com.au

REMY Arnold might be the baby of the powerhouse Saints team, but the teenage goal attack says she’s excited to step up in the Townsville City Netball premier league grand final against Burdekin.

Saints play their fifth consecutiv­e decider at Townsville Stadium tonight, but they haven’t lifted the trophy since 2016 after going down to Neptunes for the past two years.

Burdekin has been the benchmark all season having lost just one game – a 62-55 defeat to Saints – and the Silverlink­s are looking to make history with their first premier league title.

Arnold is a rising star of Townsville netball, having been named tournament MVP as St Margaret Mary’s won bronze at this year’s Queensland Independen­t Secondary Schools carnival.

The 16-year-old is a newcomer to the Saints premier league squad this season, but Arnold said the chance to play alongside such experience­d netballers had helped improve her own game.

“The offensive line’s really good and helps me out a lot,” she said. “I’m definitely understand­ing and reading the play

I’M DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND­ING AND READING THE PLAY BETTER WHEN I’M ON COURT...AND UNDERSTAND­ING WHAT EVERYONE ELSE’S ROLES AND POSITIONS ARE

better when I’m on court and playing more of a team game and understand­ing what everyone else’s roles and positions are.

“We’ve been the only team this season to knock off Burdekin so we definitely know we can do it if everyone on the court plays their absolute best.”

Arnold won’t be the only teenager set to play a key role in the grand final with Burdekin’s Mackenzie Linton proving herself as a sharpshoot­er in their charge to the minor premiershi­p.

Linton and Arnold are teammates with the under-16 Steelcats and Arnold said it was an exciting opportunit­y to play against each other in a senior grand final.

“We’re both super excited and keen and ready to go for it,” she said.

Tonight’s grand final starts at 6.30pm at Townsville Stadium.

The Northern Rays will also be in action in the Sapphires Series against the Bull Sharks at 1.30pm.

 ?? REMY ARNOLD ?? LET’S GO: Saints young gun Remy Arnold is all set for tonight’s grand final. Picture: MATT TAYLOR
REMY ARNOLD LET’S GO: Saints young gun Remy Arnold is all set for tonight’s grand final. Picture: MATT TAYLOR

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