By Amanda Myler
Connection to country has never felt stronger for 21-year-old first-year HART Premier Netball League Sapphire player and Gudjal woman Georgia Lindsay.
The opportunity to represent Queensland’s First Nations team in 2024 not only reignited a waning passion for netball but motivated the composed goal attack to refrain from retiring from the game she was introduced to as an eight-year-old at Dalby Netball Association.
"I started to fall out of love with netball a little bit, until I went away with the First Nations team and that group of girls was amazing," Lindsay said.
"I didn't know anyone but walked into the first training and felt like I'd known them all for years. It was so fun, so lovely and that team made me think that maybe I'd give it another crack."
What followed on from contributing to Queensland's title glory at last year's inaugural First Nations Tournament, and a season of captaining the Darling Downs Panthers at Ruby level, was an unexpected message from Brisbane South Wildcats Sapphire coach Joeanne Hope.
"She explained they had a spot, saying, 'My girls played against you, I saw something there and I'd love you to come'," Lindsay said.
"I was shaking, I could barely hang onto the phone. It's one of those calls you never expect but love to have.
"I called mum straight away and said, 'I'm not sure I can do it, the travel from Toowoomba to Brisbane, my last year of university’. She just said, 'We’ll make it work'. We train twice a week in Brisbane and they help me drive down most nights."
The collective sacrifice and risk has already delivered just reward, as Lindsay was named HPNL Sapphire Round 1 MVP on debut, in the process of stamping her authority as a mainstay in a Wildcats line currently holding a 2-2 record.
"It's definitely a challenge," Lindsay said.
"The first game was a good start, and then as we've gone through the season we've had our ups and downs. Playing at this level, with such good girls in a strong competition, I strive to better myself every week and improve my game each day."
Yet this is about more than the game for Lindsay, who has attributed netball with solidifying her past to her present.
"I only recently found out, in the last 18 months to two years, who my mob is because mum was adopted," Lindsay said.
"Our family was taken off their land up near Townsville-Charters Towers area to Palm Island. My biological grandmother was born in Cherbourg, mum was born in Sydney and adopted to grow up in Victoria, so we're very disconnected which is really sad."
Netball helps, in particular representing Queensland’s First Nations team, which will head into camp as a training group on July 19-20 before the final side is named to represent the state at this year’s event.
"I'm so privileged and lucky to be a part of it," Lindsay said.
"Having the First Nations team connects me to my roots. Last year was some of the most connected I've felt, I just feel at home almost."
This weekend’s HPNL Sapphire double-header at Nissan Arena features Round 5 on Saturday, followed by First Nations Round on Sunday which wraps up with the Wildcats playing the Bond University Bull Sharks at 6pm.
All Wildcats HPNL teams will be wearing a dedicated Indigenous dress, designed by artist Andrew Doyle, a proud Iman and Kuku-Yalanji man, and an extended Wildcats family member.
Additionally for a third consecutive year, E-Bisglobal is proud to be the presenting partner of the Wildcats First Nations Round.
Founded in 1990 by Paul Freeman, a proud Cabrogal man, E-Bisglobal is Australia’s largest Aboriginal and family-owned print management company.
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.
WATCH THE 2025 HART PREMIER NETBALL LEAGUE LIVE.
For the full HPNL Sapphire draw, click HERE.
