It was a week of success over two years in the making, but at the end of NSW’s domination of the 2022 National Netball Championships in Hobart those involved knew it had taken a village to make their dreams a reality.
With COVID-19 leading to the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 Nationals, a host of NSW players missed out on the opportunity to represent their state at Australia’s most elite age group high-performance competition.
Sophie Dwyer, Amy Sligar and Sophie Fawns may now be regulars in the bright lights of Suncorp Super Netball, but had they been able to compete over the past two years at Nationals, who knows what additional success the NSW sporting community may have been treated to?
That said, they’ve been spoiled of late. Headlined by the NSW Swifts and GIANTS contesting the Super Netball Grand Final, the NSW Men winning their national title and now the NSW 17s and 19s doing the double in Tasmania, it’s been a fine eight months for NSW netball.
But without strong pathways the elite cannot shine, and this year’s success in Hobart was a very welcome return to the winner’s circle for NSW at Nationals.
“Going down to Tasmania everyone in our State Team environment was keenly aware of the players who missed out on their chance to play at Nationals and they are all very much part of this success too,” Margaret Hamley, General Manager of Performance & Pathways at Netball NSW, says.
“Thankfully we have seen many of them go and shine at Super Netball level regardless, as well as many more become training partners for the NSW Swifts and the GIANTS and key players in the Origin Energy Premier League, so there is no doubt their presence in our pathways over the past few years contributed greatly to the winning mentality that our coaches were able to instill in our teams.
“There was also a huge emphasis on the meaning of the Waratah in NSW netball history and the legacy that our state has in these Championships which, when they had Opens divisions, were the SSN of their day.
“Before the formation of the National Netball League and the Swifts in 1997 we had coaching trailblazers like NSW Legend Margaret Corbett OAM who led our state’s domination of these Championships and I think that winning DNA is now well and truly back in our state teams.”
The last time NSW won the double at Nationals was in 1999.
Interestingly, before this year, the last time that NSW won the 19U title was in 2015 under double-Premiership winning Swifts coach Briony Akle, while the 17s last won in 2012 under current QBE Swifts Academy coach Lenore Blades. Current NSW 19s coach Jen Wright is also part of the Swifts Academy setup.
"I was thrilled that the girls were able to get it over the line (at Nationals)," Wright said.
"Their composure and trust in one another was really the deciding factor."
With Swifts Training Partner Audrey Little winning MVP in the 19U Grand Final and fellow Swifts Academy player Grace Whyte doing likewise in the 17s decider, it was easy to see how Fawns fitted so seamlessly in at Super Netball level a few weeks ago.
However, as Little added: “it is obviously such a privilege, but I would be nothing without the girls".
NSW 17s Captain was GIANTS Academy athlete Monika ‘Otai. The 17s were known as the “wolfpack” and ‘Otai led her pack by example on and off the court. Her inspirational speech as she accepted the trophy highlighted the connected and proud culture that coach Cross had created as well as the power of sport to produce future leaders of society.
“There is a real belief amongst this team of girls, a belief in each other and their ability to win in any situation,” Cross said, also highlighting the significance of her side’s victory last Sunday.
With such success comes heightened expectation, but it’s a good pressure to have. NSW is back at the top table.
