Netball Australia has announced the 2016 Australian 20/U squad which will contest an international series against teams from New Zealand and England in Canberra in August. The Netball Australia 19/U national squad has also been named.
The Australian 20/U squad of 24 athletes has been selected with a view towards next year’s Netball World Youth Cup in Africa.
Netball Australia thanks the Australian Commonwealth Games Association through its NextGEN AUSComGames program for their support of this squad.
The squad will gather at Netball Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Canberra between August 8-14 for a training camp and then the international tournament – which will feature the Netball NZ 20/U team, Netball England 20/U team, Aotearora Maori team from New Zealand and a combined Australian state institute and academies team.
Six states are represented in the squad and Australian 21/U coach Tania Obst said it’s an exciting opportunity for the athletes to play against high-quality international opponents they potentially could face in Botswana next year.
“I’ve been watching this group of athletes closely for three years now through our 17/U and 19/U National Championships and now am really keen to see what they can do in that competition environment,” Obst said.
“When I look through the squad, we’ve got a lot of variety in each area of the court and it’s certainly a very talented group. Nine athletes have ANZ Championship experience, whether that’s as a fully contracted athlete or as temporary replacements.
“I’m very much looking forward to, first of all getting this squad on the court in some specialist coaching for the first two days of our camp, and then putting them on the court against athletes who could potentially be some of our international opponents in July next year.
“While a number of our World Youth Cup team will come from this group, we’re keeping a wider eye on athletes outside this group as well.”
The 19/U squad will attend a four-day training camp between 28 June and 1 July in conjunction with a Netball Australia specialist `Talls’ camp also at the Centre of Excellence.
The squad includes Western Australian defender Olivia Lewis, who was the Most Valuable Player at April’s 17/U National Netball Championships in Perth.
2016 Australian 20/U squad: Casey Adamson (Victoria), Toni Anderson (NSW), Jess Anstiss (WA), Lucy Armfield (SA), Kiera Austin (NSW), Natalie Bright (WA), Emily Burgess (SA), Jane Cook (Victoria), Kate Eddy (Victoria), Prudence Ellis (NSW), Sophie Garbin (WA), Matilda Garrett (Victoria), Sasha Glasgow (SA), Samantha Gooden (Victoria), Tayla Honey (Victoria), Cara Koenen (Queensland), Annika Lee-Jones (WA), Jemma Mi Mi (Queensland), Lauren Moore (NSW/NSW Swifts), Claire O’Brien (NSW), Hannah Petty (SA/Adelaide Thunderbirds), Kelsie Rainbow (Tasmania), Emma Ryde (Victoria/Melbourne Vixens), Alice Teague-Neeld (Victoria/Melbourne Vixens).
2016 Australian 19/U squad: Zoe Haseler (ACT), Tara Hinchliffe, Kimberley Jenner, Abigail Meafou (Queensland), Laura Towell, Alison Miller, Amy Parmenter (NSW), Charlee Hodges, Nicola Sulley-Beales (SA), Sharni Lambden, Jacqui Newton, Rahni Samason (Victoria), Olivia Lewis (WA), Helen Taylor, Phoebe Wilcox (WA).
NETBALL AUSTRALIA
