NSW Swifts Academy: Hunter Valley’s Tarsha Hawley makes the cut

Graduates will go on to play at the highest level of the sport. Now there’s a new group of young netballers in the NSW Swifts Academy for 2021, including one well travelled Newcastle player.

One of the new members of the 2021 Swifts Academy is Tarsha Hawley.

Tarsha Hawley spends more time on her feet and in her car driving on a daily basis than most people do in week.

It’s the result of her day job as a hairdresser and her nightime and weekend passion for playing netball.

The 22-year-old, who lives at Braxton in the Hunter Valley and plays Premier League on the Central Coast and Sydney and association netball in Newcastle, this week has been rewarded for her dedication to the cause by being named in the NSW Swifts Academy fore 2021.

“You get used to it, the travel, and I just love my netball,’’ Hawley said.

“I’ve been playing since I was five and we used to travel for hours to just play one hour of netball. It’s just what we did and we became used it.’’

Paige Hadley and her Swifts teammates are some of he most successful players in the country.

Hawley has set herself the goal of making the Academy team and now realises she may have to aim higher.

“My goal was to make the Academy and now I’m stoked,’’ she said.

“My goal is to improve all the time. Hopefully the hard work might pay off and I might be a Swift one day. That's the new goal.’’

The Swifts Academy is now in its second season and was set up to strengthen the foundations of the club and provide a stream of new talent into the game.

Athletes selected for the Academy come from both metro and regional areas and are considered the future of the sport.

Athletes involved in the Academy program in 2021 will train in a professional and high-performance environment and will underpin the players and training partners in the current Swifts squad coached by Briony Akle.

Tarsha Hawley. Pic: Supplied

“Pathways have always been one of netball’s greatest assets and are key to ensuring the continued growth of the game and the Swifts as a successful club,” said Academy performance manager and NSW Swifts assistant coach Anita Keelan.

“The Academy ensures the Swifts have a continued direct pathway link to local talent, who can learn from the best national and international players we also have at the club.

“The Swifts have a very proud history and we feel each of the Academy athletes selected has what it takes to make it at the highest level.’’

2021 QBE Swifts Academy: Alisha Cairns – Eastwood Ryde, Alison Miller – Eastwood Ryde, Amelia Kirgan – Bankstown City, Audrey Little – Manly Warringah, Brooke Paterson – Randwick, Charlotte Raleigh – Armidale District, Charlotte Smith – Sutherland Shire, Chelsea Mann – Manly Warringah, Courtney Castle – Blacktown City, Dakota Thomas – Newcastle, Elle Bennetts – Northern Suburbs, Emma Smith – Sutherland Shire. Erin Asquith – Newcastle, Kara Styles – Sutherland Shire, Kristen Kessler – Wyong District, Laura Towell – Sutherland ShireLili Gorman-Brown – Sutherland Shire, Madeline Eaton – Sutherland Shire, Olivia Coleman – Eastwood Ryde, Papi Alaalatoa – Liverpool City, Sophie Fawns – Wagga Wagga, Tarsha Hawley – Newcastle.

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