Written by Amelia Barnes
North East Blaze boasts many longstanding players who will lead the club into the new-look VNL.
The strength of their former 19&Under and Division 1 teams (who both made finals in 2023) has been recognised, with multiple players being elevated to Championship to play alongside veterans of the club.
These players will be required to step up after the departure of star talent Nyah Allen (Adelaide Thunderbirds training partner) and Meg Williams (Bendigo Strikers).
Head coach Kate Upton describes both teams as the “unknown” heading in 2024, with the potential to cause upsets.
Championship Athletes
North East Blaze’s shooting end is in good hands with a mixture of retained talent and new athletes joining the Championship team.
The shooters will be looking to establish new partnerships following the departure of former Collingwood Magpie Nyah Allen, who has moved home to join the Adelaide Thunderbirds as a training partner.
In her absence, Georgia Moody will lead the way at GA playing in her eighth VNL season. The playmaker had a great 2023 season that resulted in her making the Victorian Fury squad for the first time.
Moody will again team up with the accurate Sam Silvester, who also has several years of VNL experience under her belt.
Blaze’s new shooter is Dee Dee Lambert. Lambert is an exciting player who joins from Boroondara Express. She has State team and Vixens Academy experience and is expected to play across both the Championship and 23&Under division this year.
The midcourt is also rebuilding to replace long-time Blaze player Meg Williams, who heads to the new Bendigo Strikers team.
Plenty of experience remains, starting with club stalwart Ella Bayliss who will take the
court in addition to coaching the 23&Under team. Bayliss is a Blaze Life Member who has been playing in the VNL on and off since the modern competition’s foundation in 2009.
Another elevated player is Tara Watson who officially makes the step up from the former 19&Under division. Watson is a defensive midcourter and star of the future, appearing in several Australian and Victorian representative teams including the 19/U national pathway squad for 2023-24, and current Victorian 19/U State team.
Blaze is confident in Watson’s ability to shine at the Championship level after she made her debut in Round 11 last VNL season, and earned three MVP votes in the process.
Midcourter Kali Dolphin will return after being sidelined by injury in 2023. The long-time Blaze player will be hoping to pick up where she left off in 2022 when she was named in the VNL Division 1 Team of the Year.
Defender Tayissa Coppinger will lead the way in defence with over 200 Blaze games under her belt. Coppinger has been an instrumental part of the club since she first joined in 2009 with her ability to play across all three defensive positions.
Coppinger also has a well-established partnership with fellow long-time Blaze athlete Kaitlyn Black. The former Collingwood Magpies player continues to impress – earning a spot in the 2023 VNL Championship Team of the Year – and will again take the court in addition to being a specialist coach.
Ruby Tidd and Georgia Bowkett are both Blaze Life Members who have played with the club for over 10 years. Bowkett has been elevated from Division 1 to Championship for the 2024 season.
This experienced defence group will be joined by club newcomer Brodie Smith who brings VNL and State team experience.
23&Under Athletes
There’s exciting talent all over the court in Blaze’s first 23&Under side that includes two star pickups both in the Australian 17/U pathway squad.
The first is defender Eliza Molino who has joined the club from Hawks Netball, where she made the 2023 VNL 19&Under Team of the Year. Molino was also recently named in the 19/U Victorian State team and was part of the 2023 Vixens Academy.
Also new to the club is shooter Mia Lavis, who played in the gold medal-winning Australian FAST5 team at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games (the only Victorian to do so). Lavis is originally from Howlong, near the NSW-Victoria border, and has only played one VNL game to date, so coach Upton is looking forward to seeing what she can do in the state’s premier netball competition. Lavis will likely play across both the Championship and 23&Under divisions.
“We’re excited to see her play in the VNL after coming through a great pathway. We’re excited to see what she can do consistently on a weekly basis,” said Upton of Lavis.
The midcourt will benefit from the innate connection between sisters Montana Wallis at C and Taiysha Wallis at WA. Both impressed at a club level in 2023, with Montana being named Division 1 MVP runner up, and Taiysha taking out the 19&Under MVP award.
They’ll be joined by midcourters Annie Harvey and 19&U Tasmanian state team member Ava Lockwood who have both joined Blaze for their first VNL seasons.
In defence, Ally Langdon and Madeline George return to the club alongside new signing Georgia Shattock.
The shooting lineup features the familiar faces of Ella Tennant and Olivia Cawthray.
Coaches
Kate Upton will once again assume the role of North East Blaze’s head and Championship coach. In addition to many years coaching at Blaze, Upton was previously the assistant coach of the Collingwood Magpies at SSN level and was also head coach of the winning Magpies team at the 2023 Australian Netball Championships. She was awarded her High Performance Coaching Accreditation in 2023.
Upton said a focus for her players this season will be the ability to perform under pressure and fatigue.
Ella Bayliss will coach the 23&Under side as well as playing for the Championship side. Upton said Bayliss’ knowledge of the game as an experienced and current player makes her an asset to the coaching panel.
Kaitlyn Black is another dual player and coach who will take up a specialist role, alongside Noel Halton.
Upton is looking forward to hearing more in 2024 from Halton, who started with Blaze as an apprentice coach. He has been the assistant coach of Victoria’s Marie Little Shield team for the past two years and was named Coach of the Year in the 2023 Netball Victoria Community Awards.
North East Blaze 2024 Squads
Championship
Brodie Smith
Dee Dee Lambert
Ella Bayliss
Georgia Bowkett
Georgia Moody
Kaitlyn Black
Kali Dolphin
Ruby Tidd
Sam Silvester
Tara Watson
Tayissa Coppinger
Emma Wallmeyer (training partner)
Ava Upton (training partner)
Samantha McCarthy (training partner)
Maddison Wallmeyer (training partner)
Head coach: Kate Upton
23&Under
Ally Langdon
Annie Harvey
Ava Lockwood
Eliza Molino
Ella Tennant
Georgia Shattock
Madeline George
Mia Lavis
Montana Wallis
Olivia Cawthray
Taiysha Wallis
Teaghan Coen
Ayva Tanfara (training partner)
Dakota Blade (training partner)
Teaghan Coen (training partner)
Alyssa Pearse (training partner)
Head coach: Ella Bayliss
Specialist coaches: Noel Halton and Kaitlyn Black
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View the 2024 VNL fixture
