Featuring several members of last year’s title-winning 17 and Under team, the Queensland 19 and Unders showed no fear making the step up to the next age grade as they claimed the silver medal.
Only an experienced NSW team including Suncorp Super Netball training partners Frederika Schneideman, Monika ‘Otai and Grace Whyte prevented Queensland and Head Coach Bec Stower from securing the title – Queensland falling 42-32 in Sunday’s final at the Jubilee Park Stadium in Frankston.
After suffering two defeats in the pool stages, a 43-29 win over South Australia on Friday secured a top-four finish for Stower’s team.
They then earned a shot at the gold medal, avenging their pool stage defeat to Victoria with a 40-32 semi-final triumph over the hosts on Saturday.
Goal shooter Kaylin Van Greunen was the leading scorer in the 19U division with 160 goals from 181 attempts.
“They’re all just such hard-working and adaptable athletes,” Stower said.
“They’ll do anything that you ask them to do or prepare them for.
“They all had a common goal and a common shared purpose and a vision. They worked hard throughout the week to try and realise that vision.”
In the 17s division, Queensland narrowly missed out on an upset against eventual champions South Australia in the pool matches before back-to-back wins over the Northern Territory and ACT secured a fifth-placed finish.
“A huge highlight was after having a few rough games coming back and just working hard, believing in each other and getting within one point of the top team on the ladder in South Australia,” Head Coach Anna Young said.
“The resilience and the never-give-up attitude definitely was a strength throughout the week. Players being able to go on at any time and do their role.”
