Live stream: Netball Australia 17&U, 19&U National Netball Championships 2024 day five live blog
The 19/U title defence hasn’t gone quite to plan for South Australia, but with a young squad, there is plenty to look forward to in the future. Find out more in our NNC blog.
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There will be no 19/U title defence for South Australia this year.
It wasn’t even close in the end, but that’s fine, according to captains Tabitha Packer and Lucy Voyvodic. The tournament has still proven to be a valuable experience for those on and off court.
Returning as champions from 2023, a new-look side, coupled with a late injury blow, meant SA have had to adjust.
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“I think there were expectations coming in from other states, but we’ve just thought about not putting it on ourselves since we do have a whole different group of girls,” Packer said.
“Most of the team are young ones so we try not to think about that too much.
“We just take what we’ve learned from those losses and we can work on them.”
Only five of the team’s 12 rostered players are top age this year.
“As Tab said, there’s been lots of new girls coming in and it’s really good to see their growth,” Voyvodic said.
“I think there were high expectations from us all, especially the people on the team last year.”
After seven rounds, the side finished fifth and beat ACT 33-21 in their semifinal on Saturday morning.
Aside from boasting a young lineup, SA was handed the heavy blow of losing defender Zalii Reid just two weeks out from competition.
A little bit of shuffling allowed midcourter Lacey Haines to be brought in as the replacement player.
Packer admitted the last-minute change had an impact on the side’s preparation, though as Voyvodic said, Haines call into the squad was assisted by match play practice.
“I think having a reserve come in has been pretty seamless,” he said.
“We had a lot of depth.”
‘She is that little voice saying ‘give it a go, mum will be proud’’
ACT goal attack Mia Lincoln is loving every moment of her first nationals campaign.
The 17-year-old hadn’t trialled last year, not because of eligibility, but because she didn’t feel ready.
“I wanted to give myself that first season of State League,” she said.
“I felt a lot better and more confident this year to come in and give it a crack.”
Now looking back on her experience, Lincoln believes she might have been fine all along.
“I definitely think I would have been ready,” she said.
“For me, I struggle a lot with the mindset side of things and I just needed that voice inside me to say go out there and give it a crack.
“I’m proud of how far I’ve come as a player and wanted to show them what I can do.
“I think it has paid off and I’ve definitely improved a mile even from trials to now.”
The teen isn’t afraid to be proud of her own achievements in such a short timeframe.
“I’ve improved, I’ve come a long way and I’ve had support from the girls and my coaches.
“I would absolutely tell my younger self to get out there and do it.”
The entire squad of mum, dad and sister have travelled to Frankston to watch the week-long tournament, and Lincoln said her mum is by far her biggest supporter.
“Mum’s a huge netball fan and would’ve gone a mile… but she grew up in a small regional town of New South Wales and didn’t really have the opportunity,” she said.
“She’s the one who’s pushed me to come so far and helped me along the way.”
Drawing on that emotion, Lincoln said she just wants to make her mum proud.
“I think she is that little voice in the back of my head saying ‘give it a go, mum will be proud’ and all that,” she said.
“It’s almost like she can live it with me.”
Determined Marshall has sights on Australian selection
Tasmania’s Ellie Marshall knows a thing or two about determination.
After all she has had some of the best role models in the game.
The George Town native, a tiny coastal town on the north side of Tasmania, Marshall grew up in a sport-loving household.
Her mum Tammy was a state representative for netball and touch footy, while her father Dave Marshall is the stuff of legend around town.
A George Town Football Club great, Dave famously played 299 games for the club before losing his arm in a work accident. He came back to the field the following year to notch the 300th and end his football career on his terms.
It’s that determination which has been passed down to Ellie, and helped her become the only Tasmanian selected in last year’s Australian squads.
The plucky midcourter is determined to put her name back up in lights this year after a strong week on courts for the Green Army.
While Tasmania might have missed a top four finish, instead destined for a consolation final showdown with Northern Territory at 12.45pm, it hasn’t dented the effort and enthusiasm of the George Town kid.
“It definitely helps having the experience I’ve gained, to help these girls and lead them,” she said. “I just love playing with them.”
Tasmania’s campaign started strong against reigning champs South Australia, who they went down to by just three goals, before notching wins against ACT and Northern Territory.
“It gives us the confidence to come up against the bigger states all week.”
Out of everything a nationals campaign brings, it’s the contest that she enjoys most.
“It’s about playing against such elite opposition and performing on the biggest stage for our age group,” Marshall said.
A Tassie local from day-dot, Marshall began playing the sport at age nine in Launceston and has remained at her junior club for the decade since.
Originally published as Live stream: Netball Australia 17&U, 19&U National Netball Championships 2024 day five live blog
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