Netball Australia (NA) announced the new tournament on Wednesday, which will be held in Melbourne from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 September and feature under-23 aged teams from every state and territory.
Finnan-White has named a squad of 10 for the tournament comprising current and former NQ pathway athletes as well as individuals training under Finnan-White’s guidance through her First Nations Academy of Excellence high-performance netball program in North Queensland.
“This inaugural competition represents the vision, passion, and long-standing dedicated efforts of First Nations leaders in netball who have relentlessly advocated for a sustainable culturally supportive national pathway to address the under representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players at the elite level,” Finnan-White said.
“For over two decades, I have advocated strongly for a sanctioned national tournament for First Nations players, and I am thrilled to see this vision become a reality. This opportunity resonates deeply with my passion and ongoing dedication, and I am honoured to be appointed as the inaugural coach of Queensland's team for this momentous initiative.
“This event unites a diverse and often untapped talent pool of players and I trust will serve as a platform for national talent identification programs moving forward, including the Black Swans First Nations national team. I am particularly pleased to see our national body and member organisations working together to make this happen and wholeheartedly commend Alison Tucker-Munro for driving this initiative forward.”
First Nations coaches, umpires and officials from around the country will also take part in the inaugural event, further showcasing the depth of First Nations talent that exits across the netball landscape.
Netball Australia will partner with Suncorp, the Confident Girls Foundation and Visit Victoria to deliver the 2024 First Nations Tournament which will be free for patrons to attend.
QUEENSLAND FIRST NATIONS TEAM
Georgia Lindsay, Lily Cubby, Kiera Heffernan, Shakira Koskela, Jayden Molo, Brook Lacey, Maryke Babia, Ebony Martyn, Tarna Stewart, Kiesha Muckan. (Training partners: Savanna Beale, Renee Cubby, Sonnyanne Raggett)
