School turns focus on grindfest in Brisbane

THEY’RE the best in the North and now St Margaret Mary’s open netballers have set their sights on becoming best in the state.

Fresh off a Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball semi-final and thirdplace finish, the nucleus of that outfit now turns their attention to the Vicki Wilson Cup State Titles in Brisbane.

Qualifying as Northern Region Champions, Grace Bowman said it wouldn’t be easy up against southern powerhouses, but her side could “tough it out”.

“It will definitely be tough but we’re always up for a challenge here,” the 17-year-old said.

“It’s always good to see how we can tough it out against the bigger competition. We’re definitely aiming for a high place but there’s definitely more experienced schools, so any high position for us will be a great achievement.”

Teammate Alana Glasby, 17, said a player had been added to the roster after losing an experienced player from its QISSN outfit, but the side had been training hard under the guidance of Burdekin premier league netballer Amy Butterworth and St Margaret Mary’s Rebecca Langford.

Paying tribute to the team’s “cohesion”, Grace said while her side’s ability to gel would be crucial at the Cup, it had set the school up for the long term.

“We haven’t lost anything in terms of team cohesion and we all have experience and knowledge, so we’ll be able to work really well together,” she said.

“We have some upcoming players and they’ve got great netball knowledge, so it’s exciting to see what will happen in the future.”