The QLD Gems are the state team representing QLD at Marie Little Shield, a national netball tournament for women (16+) with intellectual disabilities, run by Netball Australia. The annual competition was introduced in 2013 and is named after Marie Little OAM, a fierce advocate for the inclusion of people with an intellectual disability in community and elite sport.
Sport Inclusion Australia determines players' eligibility for Marie Little Shield; the criteria can be found here.
Training for the 2024 Marie Little Shield starts in May 2024, fortnightly on Saturdays, primarily at Nissan Arena. For more information about training, trials and team selection, please contact Peter Speaight at peter.speaight@netballq.org.au.