Written by Amelia Barnes
Hawks Netball showed their strength in 2024 by making the preliminary final in the Championship division and taking out the inaugural 23&Under premiership.
For 2025, the Championship team has elevated several of the club’s 2024 23&Under stars and recruited a big name in six-time Tasmanian Netball League MVP Ashlea Mawer to fill the void of former Melbourne Vixen shooter Kaylia Stanton.
The 23&Under team has a new look as they welcome players from the club’s development teams and uncover some new talent.
Championship athletes
Hawks’ Championship team stepped up in 2024 to make the finals and win their first semi in over 10 years.
They’ll be looking for more in 2025, but without the on-court skills of goal shooter and former Melbourne Vixen Kaylia Stanton, who is due to welcome her first child during the season.
Stanton will continue providing leadership and support to the Championship group throughout the season, particularly the team's new goalers, including new signing Ashlea Mawer who is a six-time Tasmanian Netball League MVP.
“She’s dominated Tasmania’s state league for the better part of a decade and also performed really strongly at Australian Netball League/Championships level,” said Hawks Netball head coach AJ Ballantyne.
“We had some good discussions, and I think the timing was just right for her to take a chance on a move to Victoria to test herself in another competition, so we’re absolutely pumped to welcome her into the fold.”
Mawer will play alongside Hannah Keane (GA/GS) who has come through the Hawks pathway.
“Hannah has been a part of teams at every level at Hawks — I think this will be her eighth season — and now gets the opportunity to shine at Championship level,” said Ballantyne.
“Hannah’s always had the speed and strength, and to be honest, we’ve probably seen some of her best netball when she’s stepped up to fill in at Championship level and the speed of ball around her has really brought her into the game.”
Also stepping up from Hawks’ 2024 23&Under side is training partner Dom Taylor (GS/GA), and Jessica Tetley who officially joins the Championship team after playing most of the 2024 season at this level.
“We’re really looking forward to Jess Tetley getting a full run at it this year… She was leading the 23&Under Hot Shot race when we moved her up to Championship mid-season, and she did incredibly well to slot into a new team halfway through the year, so it’ll be great to see her test herself at Championship level with a full preseason under her belt working with those teammates,” said Ballantyne.
The midcourt features two more of Hawks’ 23&Under champions in Sienna Green and Georgie O’Brien who both made the 2024 VNL 23&Under Team of the Year.
“Sienna plays C/WA and had a really dominant year on the way to achieving the ultimate success. She stepped up to Championship to cover some injuries for us in a really crucial game late in the season, and played the full four quarters with real composure and consistency to help us win that game, which gave us real confidence that she’d be ready to join Champ permanently this year,” said Ballantyne.
Georgie O’Brien is longtime Hawks player and member of the 19U Victorian state team who has recently transitioned from GD/GK to WD/C.
“She probably doesn’t realise just how much she’s one of the heart and soul members at Hawks. She’s loved by everyone for the fuss-free way she’s approached her netball since she joined us as a 15 year old, as well as backing it up with strong performances week in and week out, said Ballantyne.
“More importantly she’s just a lovely kid who brings everyone along for the ride with her. She’s really earned her spot at Championship level and I’ve got no doubt she’s going to do some damage in the defensive midcourt for us this year.”
Eryn Stocker (C/WA) and Keighley Starrett (C/WA) will provide experience and composure in the midcourt, alongside Ashleigh Newham (C/WA) who is building towards a return to the court in the second half of the season following an ACL injury.
In the defence end, Olivia Barnett moves up to the Championship division after being named the 23&Under grand final MVP and team MVP.
“She’s another one who’s been with us from day dot, playing in our development team, 19&U team, Division 1 team in 2023, and then 23&Under in 2024, and now checks the final box by becoming a Championship player,” said Ballantyne.
“One of the big things for us is ‘how do they perform in big games,’ and it’s a very rare day that Liv doesn’t deliver in important moments. She was absolutely outstanding in the finals series… She reads the play so well and finds ways to impact the play and win us ball.”
Barnett will link up with Chloe Duke (GD/GK) playing her second year at the Championship level, and the experienced Kirsty Clark (GD/GK).
“It might be the youngest Championship team we’ve ever put on court this year, with only three players 25 or over, and six players still eligible for 23&Under, so I think our experienced heads like Kirsty Clark in defence will be really important for us,” said Ballantyne.
“This time last year she was managing a few niggles and had to really build her court fitness over the season, whereas this year she’s had a clean run at it and is already in a really good place to have a very strong 2025 season.”
23&Under athletes
A relatively new lineup will represent Hawks’ 23&Under team in 2025 following several athletes being elevated to the Championship level.
The team welcomes Cheryl Chen, who officially moves up from Hawks’ 19&U program after filling in for the 23&Under side on multiple occasions last year. Chen is young, crafty, and can play across all three midcourt positions.
The two other new midcourters are returning VNL player Teagan Bethune, and WA/C Sienna De La Sota.
“You wouldn’t know she’s only 18 — just a steady presence and a strong body who can play all three midcourt positions, and very likely will,” said Ballantyne of Bethune
“Sienna De La Sota joins us from Peninsula Waves and has done really well to make her first Victorian 17U State team. She’s incredibly quick and athletic and also feeds the circle very well, and we know she’s going to have a very bright future with us,” said Ballantyne.
Allie Davidson is another state representative (19U) who has joined the 23&Under team, following a season in Hawks 19&U side.
“Allie’s shown her versatility by being selected as a midcourter for Victoria, and we’re continuing to explore her talents as a goaler at VNL, where we think she’ll be really dynamic for us,” said Ballantyne.
Hardworking Kaila Swindell (C/WA) will aim to pick up where she left off after being named in the VNL 23&Under Team of the Year.
Midcourter Joselyn Bennetts is taking on a training role while she continues to rehab from an ACL injury.
In the shooting circle, experienced GA Keeley Burgmann will link up with Dakota Blade who has come across from North East Blaze.
“Dakota is probably the one that’s really stood out through preseason and has the potential to really announce herself this year. She’s tall but moves really well and with those long arms she’s very hard to stop in the air,” said Ballantyne.
“She dominated at 19&U level in 2024 and she’s been very impressive in match play, taking it right up to our Championship defenders and setting herself up for what we think will be a very good year.
“With Keeley Burgmann and Allie Davidson out the front, it’s shaping up to be a pretty formidable line-up in there.”
At the other end of the court is another exciting recruit in Jasmine Hamilton. “She arrived at our trials as a bit of an unknown having not played VNL before, but you couldn’t take your eyes off her. It felt like she was rejecting a shot or intercepting a ball every 30 seconds,” said Ballantyne.
Eloise Argoon (GK/GD) is gearing up for a big 2025 after an injury-riddled first VNL season.
Look for Emma Storey (GD/GK) to step up in critical moments playing her third VNL season at Hawks.
“We’re looking forward to a big year from Emma Storey,” said Ballantyne. “She’s been a bit of an unsung hero in our defence end with the likes of Olivia Barnett and Georgie O’Brien around her in 2024, but we know how impressive she was in so many games for us, including the grand final where she set up so many opportunities for her teammates while winning plenty of ball herself.
“I think she can be a real leader this year and start to bring some of the younger players along with her.”
Coaches
AJ Ballantyne continues as Hawks’ head coach in 2025 alongside his assistant coach of three years, Carly Webster.
Webster is a culture-focused coach who works closely with players to manage their mindset and performance, which will be critical for the Championship side in 2025.
“Obviously finishing in third and reaching a preliminary final in 2024 was a big step forward for our club, but the semi-final against Blaze was actually the only time we beat a top four team all season. We had a lot of close games against those sides but just didn’t finish those games off,” said Ballantyne.
“Really, it’s just that consistency against the best teams from quarter to quarter that we’re looking for. A lot of games in 2024 we felt like we were the better team but cost ourselves with a slow start or a rough finish, so it’s just learning how to grind it out and stay competitive in those moments.”
After winning the 2024 title, Monique Lenehan-Moustafa will again lead the 23&Under side, with support from assistant coach Chloe Sinclair — a former player who returns to the Hawks environment.
“Chloe won a Division 1 premiership with us in 2018 and then played in our Championship team until 2023, so we’re lucky to have someone with her defensive knowledge, and also rapport with players working with our young 23&Under group,’ said Ballantyne.
Kaylia Stanton will move into a specialist coaching role at the club, drawing on her years of Super Netball experience.
“Kaylia was already keen to begin looking at coaching opportunities and we had plans for her to work with our teams this year anyway, so now we’re just fast tracking that and giving her the opportunity to work more closely with our 23&U and 19&U groups, particularly the goalers,” said Ballantyne.
Hawks Netball 2025 Squads
Championship
Ashlea Mawer
Ashleigh Newham
Chloe Duke
Dom Taylor
Eryn Stocker
Georgie O'Brien
Hannah Keane
Jessica Tetley
Kaylia Stanton
Keighley Starrett
Kirsty Clark
Olivia Barnett
Sienna Green
Head coach: AJ Ballantyne
Assistant coach: Carly Webster
23&Under
Allie Davidson
Cheryl Chen
Dakota Blade
Eloise Argoon
Emma Storey
Jasmine Hamilton
Joselyn Bennetts
Kaila Swindell
Keeley Burgmann
Sienna De La Sota
Teagan Bethune
Head coach: Monique Lenehan-Moustafa
Assistant coach: Chloe Sinclair
Specialist coach: Kaylia Stanton
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