Regional athletes lead way as Queenslanders get national team call-ups

Following impressive displays at the National Netball Championships held in Sydney last week, three Queenslanders have been named in the 17/U selection while eight of Queensland's bronze-medal winning 19/U squad have been named in the 19/U cohort.

Of those several hail from regional areas including north Queensland pair Charlotte Jonsen and Sasha Flegler in the 19s and Darling Downs product Amy Williams while in the 17s Ipswich's Ruby Stanford and Darling Downs product Simone Botha were selected along with Sunshine Coast's Samaya Cook.

The Sunshine Coast connection was strong in the 19s with Queensland Firebirds training partner Kirra Tappenden and Sunshine Coast Lightning Training Partner Jada Delaney among those named.

Defender Holly Comyns secured her spot despite suffering a serious injury during nationals while Gemma Hutchings and 19 and Under MVP Tia Molo were the other Queenslanders selected.

“I was very grateful to be given the opportunity to be awarded the Most Valuable Player for the tournament,” said Molo, who is also a member of the 2025 Black Swans National Indigenous squad.

“The Black Swans have helped me gain confidence in myself and stay true to me throughout the higher levels of netball, which has helped me as a player and as a person. For me it has set the standard of what team culture should really look like.”

“I think it shows all the training put in behind the scenes and how it really pays off, especially now being selected into the national squad which is another privilege I’m very grateful for.”

Netball Australia’s 2025 selection panel included Head of Pathway Selections Michelle Wilkins, Pathway Head Coach Anita Keelan AM, and Australian 21/U Assistant Coach Kate Upton. The selectors were further supported by two panellists for each age group.

"These young athletes have demonstrated exceptional potential, and we're excited about what they bring to the future of the sport," said Wilkins.

“This cohort will play a crucial role in shaping the future of Australian netball, with major milestones like the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, providing inspiration for what is possible for Australian netballers.”

The selected athletes will enter national development camps designed to foster their growth on and off the court.

17/U squad members will come together at the Australian Institute of Sport this July, with the 19/U squad set for their camp in September.

Learning opportunities will be centred around specialist and skills-based court sessions, education on high performance behaviours, cultural literacy, fitness testing, and intra-squad match play.

The 19/U squad will also have an opportunity to participate in match play against the 21/U team prior to their World Youth Cup campaign in Gibraltar.

 

2025 Australian 19 & Under Squad

2025 Australian 17 & Under Squad