Statement from Roselee Jencke, Head Coach of the Queensland Firebirds in acknowledgement of feedback arising from Sunday’s game:
The Queensland Firebirds came into this season under heavy scrutiny and with a strong passion to improve on our last place finish in 2019.
Our strategy has been to find the right combinations, depending on the opposition, to unlock the team’s potential and this has guided our decision-making around team selection for each game.
We have been building our performance over the past few weeks, and I’m incredibly proud of the team and how they have worked together selflessly this season to bring their best every week.
This weekend’s Indigenous Round in Cairns was an opportunity to connect with fans that don’t usually have the chance to see us live.
As a team, our players want to do their best for members and fans.
Our team selection for Sunday’s game was part of our strategy for the season and was made collectively by the coaches and the leadership group based on performance.
The decision not to put Jemma on the court was the right one from a game strategy perspective, however we misread community expectations and the significance of Jemma’s court time in the game in this round.
The contribution that Jemma makes to the Firebirds is far more powerful than a single game — her contribution to our team, our club and our players extends to every round of the season, on and off the court.
Jemma has and continues to develop our cultural awareness and has shared with her team mates her own cultural journey as a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman. We are very proud that Jemma is a Firebird.
As the only Indigenous player in the Suncorp Super Netball, Jemma feels a huge responsibility. Her wellbeing is our paramount concern and we ask that she be given space to process this in her own time.
