Four Lorna Jane Queensland Firebirds on their selection to the Australia A Development team yesterday (23/9/19).
Gabi Simpson, Kim Jenner, Tara Hinchliffe, and Jemma Mi Mi have all been named in the team of 14 and will play New Zealand A and England A in a tournament in Auckland next month.
“It’s reward for the work these players, coaches and the support staff have put in over the last 12 months and provides Kim, Tara, and Jemma with an opportunity to gain valuable international experience. For Gabi, it is another opportunity to stake her claim for re-inclusion in the Diamonds team,” GM of High Performance, Richard McInnes said.
The Development Squad is focused on growing the nation’s next crop of potential Samsung Diamonds in preparation for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Netball World Cup.
The squad, which will be coached by one of the game’s best in Julie Fitzgerald and supported by attack coach Stacey Marinkovich and defence coach Michelle Den Dekker, will gather for the first time at a training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra from the 2nd to 4th October.
Following the camp, the team of 14 will depart for New Zealand where they will play against the New Zealand A and England A teams in a double round robin format competition from Saturday 5th October to Wednesday 9th October.
Australian Development Squad head coach Julie Fitzgerald said she couldn’t be happier to be leading the group that has been selected.
“The calibre of athletes we have in this squad really demonstrates how bright the future of Australian netball is and I’m so excited to be involved in the development of this exceptional group,” she said.
“We’ll be working closely with the Diamonds high-performance team to ensure there is strong alignment between the two programs, giving our emerging talent the best opportunity to shine on the world’s biggest netball stage in the future.”
The athletes within this program will be selected annually by the Netball Australia National Selection Panel with input from the development program head coach.
Australia A Development Team 2019: (Name, SSN Team, Home State)
- Jess Anstiss, West Coast Fever (WA)
- Kiera Austin, GIANTS Netball (NSW)
- Cara Koenen, Sunshine Coast Lightning (QLD)
- Sophie Garbin, NSW Swifts (WA)
- Kim Jenner, Queensland Firebirds (QLD)
- Tara Hinchliffe, Queensland Firebirds (QLD)
- Emily Mannix, Melbourne Vixens (VIC)
- Kristiana Manu’a, GIANTS Netball (NSW)
- Maddy McAuliffe, Sunshine Coast Lightning (QLD)
- Jemma Mi Mi, Queensland Firebirds (QLD)
- Kate Moloney, Melbourne Vixens (VIC)
- Amy Parmenter, GIANTS Netball (NSW)
- Gabi Simpson, Queensland Firebirds (NSW)
- Alice Teague-Neeld, West Coast Fever (VIC)
Australia A Development Squad:
- Tayla Fraser, NSW Swifts (NSW)
- Matilda Garrett, Collingwood Magpies (VIC)
- Olivia Lewis, West Coast Fever (WA)
- Hannah Petty, Adelaide Thunderbirds, (SA)
- Sam Poolman, GIANTS Netball (NSW)
- Gabby Sinclair, Collingwood Magpies (VIC)
*Kaylia Stanton of West Coast Fever was ruled out of selection due to injury
