By Henry Alt
For Kirra Tappenden, the moment she became a Queensland Firebirds training partner was as surreal as it was emotional.
"I remember I was at the beach with my friends when I got the message from Kiri Wills, the coach," Tappenden recalls.
"I was freaking out the whole time. I didn’t tell my friends, I just said I had to grab something from the car. I sat in my car, took the call, and she offered me the spot. I just started crying I was so excited."
The opportunity came at a chaotic period for Tappenden, as she was preparing for her final Year 12 exams. Despite the intensity of that time, Tappenden jumped into training while balancing schoolwork.
"I could only make one training a week during exams. But I was so nervous and excited to even be there," she said.
Heading into 2025 Tappenden was daunted by not only stepping into a professional netball environment but also moving to the Gold Coast to study psychology at Bond University but found the transition into the system to be far more supportive than expected
"I always imagined it would be super strict and intimidating," she said.
"But the coaches and girls have been so kind and welcoming. I’ve built genuine relationships it’s not just surface level."
One of those connections was with experienced goal attack Tippah Dwan.
"She was my roommate at the pre-season camp in Casuarina, and I was really scared of her at first," she said with a laugh.
"But she turned out to be so kind. She’s also a GA, so I’ve learned a lot from watching and training alongside her."
As Tappenden adjusted to the elite level, she began to start refining her own game too.
"I’ve become way more confident with my shooting. The coaches always say, ‘Turn and shoot,’ and their belief in me makes me believe in myself," she said.
"Watching Emily (Moore), Tippah, even Mary (Cholhok) nail those two-pointers with confidence - it’s inspiring."
Along with Tappenden’s confidence she has also learned to play goal attack more deliberately.
"I used to try and chase every ball, almost like a wing attack. But now I understand how important it is to just play my role as a GA and trust my teammates to do theirs," she said.
Named Firebirds Futures Player of the Weekend after two standout performances in the second round of the Super Netball Reserves, Tappenden’s self-assurance has paid off.
"I was really happy with how I played. Especially after a tough game in Melbourne where I didn’t perform as well," she said.
"Jess Whitford, our coach, told me it was okay, that it was just one game. That really helped me move on and come back with confidence."
Her passion for netball is matched by her academic pursuits. Now studying psychology at Bond, Tappenden finds occasional overlap between her studies and sport.
"We haven’t touched on sports psych yet, but we’ve covered motor learning and memory, which helped me understand why repetition improves shooting," she said.
"It was a cool moment realising how my uni work can tie into my performance on court."
As a multiple Queensland representative through the pathways, Tappenden reflects fondly on her final National Netball Championships campaign earlier this year in Sydney.
"There was less pressure being top age, and I just played with confidence. It reminded me that I can compete at this level and that I belong here."
With a balanced mindset, a supportive environment, and an evident drive to keep improving, Kirra Tappenden is a name to watch on and off the court.
Tappenden and her Firebirds Futures teammates return to the court for Round 4 of Super Netball Reserves in a Nissan Arena double-header this weekend against QBE Swifts Academy on Friday from 7pm and Vixens Academy on Sunday from 4.30pm.
All Firebirds Futures home matches will be live streamed via NetballQTV. Click here for more information.
