By Amanda Myler
THERE is one place 19-year-old Jada Delaney is most comfortable, and it is not the netball court.
The Sunshine Coast Thunder defender, and second-year Sunshine Coast Lightning training partner, has been earmarked as a future Suncorp Super Netball star, yet she is equally content working with the animals on a farm she’s been visiting for almost a decade.
"I love horses, but I’m not sure why as the whole family dislikes the outdoors and farms," Delaney said.
"I found this place, Wolvi, on the internet and went there to learn to ride. When I was 14 years old, I was offered a job there. I worked there until I was 18, so it taught me about money, working and riding."
It's a lifestyle that’s on hold for now, as the youngster attempts to follow in the footsteps of her mother Jacqui Delaney, a former Adelaide Thunderbirds and Australian Diamonds representative.
The teenager’s lofty yet realistic ambitions have been reinforced by recent selection in the 22-athlete 2025 Australian 21/U Squad ahead of September’s Netball World Youth Cup.
"It was quite unexpected honestly, as I’ve had a hard run with a couple of injuries and sickness," Delaney said.
"Also being 19 is quite young. A lot of the other girls are in the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) and have made their debut. I haven’t yet so I had no expectations going in. The final camp day was after the SN Reserves, and I injured my thumb the day before that so I was stoked when I got the phone call. I was ready to be told I hadn’t made the squad."
Between SN Reserves commitments with the Sunshine Coast Lighting Bolts, and a five-week thumb ligament injury, Delaney’s only played one HART Premier Netball League (HPNL) Sapphire game this season ahead of Sunday’s Round 9 home clash with the Brisbane South Wildcats.
“It’s so good for us to be gelling like we have for the past few weeks, as we’ve had half of our Sapphire team out so we’re only really starting to train fully as a team,” she said.
“I’m super excited to be back. I’ll probably get nervous prior to the game but the girls have been supporting me through it all.”
Currently fourth on the Sapphire ladder, with five victories and three losses, the Thunder are riding a three-game winning streak which includes knocking over serious title contenders Kedron-Wavell Cougars and Gold Coast Titans.
“I think this year has been really competitive on court,” Delaney said.
“It’s great to see so much talent coming through, and past players coming back. Every team is competitive, whereas it used to be the Cougars always going well, or the Titans on top. This year everyone is up there.”
KommunityTV is your home to watch Queensland’s top talents LIVE and exclusive. Two matches each round from the top-flight Sapphire division are being exclusively live streamed on News Corp Australia mastheads, including The Courier-Mail and Gold Coast Bulletin.
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