When 20-year-old Grace Whyte signed her first full-time Suncorp Super Netball contract with the NSW Swifts for the 2026 season, it was more than a personal milestone—it was the latest chapter in a remarkable story of regional talent, resilience and the power of pathways.
Hailing from Tumut, a small town nestled in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Whyte's journey to the elite level has been anything but conventional.
“I saw Grace out at a regional trial for 17U state team in Wagga Wagga,” recalls Mardi Aplin, General Manager of Performance and Pathways at Netball NSW. “She was this really amazing athlete with lots of flair—definitely not your typical netballer because she was also a really good basketballer.”
In fact, during her early teenage years, Grace was representing NSW in both basketball and netball. Her versatility, athleticism and competitive spirit stood out, and Netball NSW quickly recognised her potential. “At just 15 years of age she was successfully selected into our 17U state teams, she was working in the netball space while still in the state basketball program,” Aplin said.
To help nurture her talent, Netball NSW supported Whyte in securing a scholarship to Pymble Ladies’ College, where she was able to pursue both sports while also receiving a top-tier education. It was a pivotal move—both for her development and her future in netball.
“Netball NSW guided her through the state team system and from her outstanding performance at the National Netball Championships she was selected in the 17U Australian squad,” Aplin said. “She also won player of the tournament and player of the grand final where they won the gold medal. Her mum, who is Grace’s biggest supporter said it was the support of Netball NSW that was the reason she chose to stay with netball.”
That choice has paid off. In 2022, Whyte joined the QBE Swifts Academy, a critical step in the Netball NSW Pathway, designed to prepare emerging players for elite competition. Her rise was swift. In 2024, she was named a Swifts Training Partner and made her debut against the Melbourne Vixens. Her performances impressed—and by the end of the year, she’d earned a promotion to rookie athlete with the Swifts.
Then, in 2025, Whyte was elevated to the role of 11th Player in the Swifts’ SSN squad. At just 19 years of age, she has already played 12 games for the Swifts and is featuring in their finals campaign.
“She’s had a pretty quick rise to fame to be where she is now,” Aplin said. “I love her story—it’s one of courage, sacrifice and belief. She moved away from home and her family as a young regional athlete and went to boarding school when she was in Year 9. The netball family took her under its wing and look what she’s achieved now.”
Whyte’s playing style reflects her multi-sport background—dynamic, composed, and unafraid to take risks. “She wasn’t just the normal mainstream netballer,” Aplin said. “She had so much flair from being in other sports. But she also had to give up a lot to be where she is now.”
From regional trials to centre court at Ken Rosewall Arena, Whyte’s journey is a shining example of what’s possible when talent meets opportunity—and when a pathway is there to support it. Thanks to the foundational work of Netball NSW, which delivers education, mentoring and high-performance experiences across the state, regional athletes like Whyte are not just reaching the elite end of the game —they’re thriving there.
Fresh off her selection in the Australian 21U Team for the upcoming Netball Youth World Cup in Gibraltar, Whyte’s journey is a testament to talent, perseverance and the strength of the Swifts pathway as well as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest stories come from the smallest towns.
