They may have missed out on the opportunity to play at the National Netball Championships but the 2021 NSW 17U Team remain a side inspired by the history.
From the moment the athletes were presented with Waratah dresses by their heroes in the NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball there was a collective drive to aim for excellence and to honour the history of the State at Nationals.
The 17U team were so inspired by the domination of the Golden Boot era teams of the 1980s & 1990s, led by Netball NSW Legend Margaret Corbett OAM, that they made their own replica boot which came to training each session.
Strong leadership is critical to success and the two young women selected to captain the 17U team inspired those around them and led by example.
Co-Captains of the 17U Team were Amelia Kirgan (Bankstown City/ ERNA Hawks) and Papi Alaalatoa (Liverpool City/GWS Fury).
Both athletes had the experience of being selected in 2020 State Team and being part of the QBE Swifts Academy. The captains play at either end of the court, one a smart and determined defender and the other an athletic and accurate shooter.
Kirgan noted of her State Team experience: “It’s amazing to think that my past rivals from junior teams have become the incredible teammates that I am honored to lead.
“In our quest for the Golden Boot our team aspires to follow in the footsteps of past NSW players igniting a new golden age of netball.”
Alaalatoa was constantly supporting her fellow players and lived by one of her favourite sayings that “good teams become great ones when the members trust each other to surrender the me to we.”
Joining Alaalatoa in the shooting circle were Millie Tonkin (Newcastle/Manly Warringah Sapphires) a disciplined athlete who could be found at courts early mornings and late nights sharpening her footwork and shooting, Grace Whyte (Tumut/Manly Warringah Sapphires) an enormously gifted athlete with a Gretel Tippett-like jump shot, and long range shooter Allanah Gilbertson (Baulkham Hills Shire) whose calm and clever play added depth to the circle.
The 17U midcourt were all top-age athletes who brought a range of skills to transition play. Ana Lupe Kailahi (Liverpool City/ GWS Fury) is a powerful WA with a great feed. Kyla Thompson (Baulkham Hills Shire/GWS Fury) had the experience of playing at a 15U National Schoolgirls competition and was playing with confidence in C/WA until an ACL injury ended her campaign. Mia Evans (Illawarra/South Coast Blaze), who had been a teammate of Thompson’s in the schoolgirls, stepped into the team.
Evans showed great perseverance, working hard on both fitness and skill whilst in the Regional Emerging Program. Emma Keane (Shoalhaven/Illawarra Metro) shone with natural athleticism and an impressive work ethic and was demonstrating exciting growth in the WA/C position, while Jade Dawson (Liverpool City Metro) displayed speed, skill and tenacity in WD/C.
Joining co-captain Kirgan in the defence end were a trio of Manly Warringah Sapphires defenders who also played together in Sydney Netball Academy.
Eloise Egan (Manly) is a clever defender with a long-reach and great timing. Frederika Schneideman (Randwick) and Eugenie Little (Manly) are both exciting young talents. The latter two are bottom-age athletes and both have a startling ability to pull an intercept out of nowhere.
These players have been supported and challenged on their journey by a team of Coaches and Support Staff who have shown incredible commitment and determination.
Amber Cross, for two years now has led her teams with a single goal to go one better than her 2019 silver medal. Cross left no stone unturned in nurturing her team’s growth on and off the court.
She was supported by Assistant Coach Kath Tetley whose passion for developing positive team culture had a massive influence on the athletes, and Apprentice Coach Sally Cain - an exciting coach of the future with strong knowledge and intuition.
Manager Jenny Gage Traill, in her third campaign, continued to go above and beyond in her organisation and extraordinary generosity. Physiotherapist Jessica Harrison was also exceptional in her care of the athletes and her passion for the NSW program. She was joined by fellow Hunter physio Scott Ward.
Emily Wilson and Johann Ruys oversaw the development of the athlete’s movement capabilities, strength and conditioning and Natalia Waterson assisted the team with performance analysis.
In 2021, both the 17U and 19U State Teams were fortunate to have the wisdom and experience of former NSW Swifts Assistant Anita Keelan as Mentor Coach. This role ensured that the coaches were challenged to reflect and grow alongside their athletes.
With the golden boot front and centre, each 17U session started with athletes writing their personal goals on a whiteboard and finished with an individual reflection on how they had gone. Each week the athletes grew in skill, confidence and resolve.
Although they did not have the chance to compete at Nationals they stayed connected and lifted each other up. They will be back stronger than ever.
Netball NSW congratulates the 17U State Team. You are champions to us!
