The selection of Rennie, Burns and Flegler highlights the talent being produced in Queensland’s pathways, with all three being members of the initial intake for the Queensland Firebirds Futures Academy (QFFA) in October.
Burns has been part of the ACU Brisbane North Cougars team at HART Sapphire Series level, playing alongside several current Firebirds players including Macy Gardner, Ruby Bakewell-Doran and Remi Kamo.
Able to hit the target from anywhere in the circle, the New Zealand-born 21-year-old was among the leading performers at last year’s Australian Netball Championships (ANC) for the Firebirds Futures, scoring 80 goals but also showing her versatility across the court with the second-highest rate of centre pass involvements per 60 minutes of any player.
Tully product Flegler was a member of the title-winning Queensland 17 and Under squad at last year’s National Netball Championships and went on to represent Australia in a gold-medal winning performance at the Fast5 tournament at the Trinbago 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.
A talented athlete, who has also represented Queensland in softball at U18 level, the 17-year-old midcourter has relocated to south-east Queensland for her first taste of being a training partner at SSN level as well as playing for the Bond University Bull Sharks in the HART Sapphire Series.
Rennie, who played with Burns in last year’s HART Sapphire Series grand final win for the Cougars, is a young, tall defender who played for the Queensland 19 and Under team at last year’s National Netball Championships.
The 19-year-old was also one of three Queenslanders named in the Australian 19 and Under squad after the championships in Darwin.
Miller, 26, joins the Firebirds after captaining the Swifts Academy team at last year’s ANC where the 190cm goaler scored 191 goals at the tournament, at a competition-high 97.9 per cent.
Previously a Swifts’ training partner in 2018 and an Australian 19U squad member, Miller hails from Wagga Wagga and has represented the ACT during her career and returned to the game in 2022 after giving birth to son Talanoa.
“I’m sure Ali, Rylee, Lillyana and Sasha-May will all benefit greatly from joining our Firebirds squad as training partners, while also bringing plenty to squad through their own abilities,” Firebirds Head Coach Bec Bulley said.
“Ali has a wealth of experience at NSW Premier League level and in the Swifts program and brings leadership as well as her on-court skills.
“Rylee, Sasha-May and Lillyana are all terrific Queensland talents and I’m excited to see how they seize this opportunity and grow over the coming months.”
