2025 Super Netball Reserves finals: How Mavericks midcourter found herself among the wildlife
It is the off-court passion which has helped Melbourne Mavericks midcourter Emma Walters tap into her wild side. Find out more in our Super Netball Reserves finals INSIDER.
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She is the rising midcourt star who is at home working alongside elephants, wombats and lost dogs when she’s not on the netball court.
When wing attack Emma Walters isn’t chasing her Super Netball dream, she spends her time pursuing her other passion – working with animals.
Walters will be one of the key cogs for the Melbourne Mavericks as they chase a Super Netball reserves title dream against West Coast Fever on Sunday.
WATCH EVERY MATCH FROM THE SUPER NETBALL RESERVES FINALS
The first-year Mavericks training partner worked as a zookeeper at Australia Zoo during a three-year stint on the Sunshine Coast.
“It’s definitely something different, not many netballers go along those lines,” Walters said.
“I worked with elephants and I also worked with native Australian wildlife.
“I loved working with the elephants and definitely the wombats as well.
“They are the animals that would surprise you every single day with their personalities. I couldn’t pick (a favourite) between them.
“It was definitely something where going to work everyday didn’t feel like work. It was an incredible experience.”
Having now returned to her home state of Victoria to take up her role in the Mavs’ squad, Walters is still working with animals, only now with strays at the Lost Dogs’ Home in North Melbourne.
The 23-year-old wing attack is also pursuing her off-court passion studying a degree in conservation and wildlife biology.
“Working at a dogs’ shelter at the Lost Dogs’ Home here in Melbourne, so it’s nice to get into more of that kind of rescue and rehab and also that ongoing care that they provide out to other animals,” Walters said.
“I think what I want to go into – and why my job at the moment is so good – I want to get into wildlife rescue and into that rehabilitation and care for injured and orphaned wildlife.”
Growing up on Victoria’s surf coast, Walters said she had been “obsessed” with animals from a young age.
“I have always been a big nerd,” Walters said.
“I grew up along the Great Ocean Road and on the weekend I went home to my family home in Torquay and I went straight out to the shed and I made some possum boxes to pop up in our trees all around our house and our property because we have so many ringtail possums.
“Honestly from a little girl to my age now at 23, I have not changed at all, I have always been obsessed with animals.”
Walters made the move post-Covid to the Sunshine Coast for a “change of scenery and a new netball path”, playing in Queensland’s Sapphire Series and for Lightning’s ANC team.
While she relished her new experiences interstate, Walters jumped at the chance to return home closer to family and friends when the opportunity at the Mavericks came up.
She is still working towards her goal of a Super Netball contract and is looking forward to showcasing what she can do in the midcourt in Sunday’s Super Netball Reserves grand final against the West Coast Fever Reserves.
“It has been my dream since I was a little girl,” Walters said.
“Leading into contract season, 100 per cent that’s the end goal and hopefully there are a few opportunities that do arise.
“A lot of the coaches will be watching this weekend. It has been such a great competition to showcase the young talent coming through the pathways and there are so many girls on the national scale that are ready for that Suncorp (Super Netball) contract.
“I know everybody is going to be putting their best foot forward, but I am very excited in my own career to showcase what I have been working so long for. I’m ready to show that.”
Young defender following in Giant footsteps
Giants training partner and Tongan international Kelea Iongi has not had to look far for inspiration as an emerging defender – it’s all in the family.
The niece of former Diamonds’ star and champion defender Mo’onia Gerrard, Iongi boasts an impressive netball pedigree.
Now in her second stint as a Giants training partner, 24-year-old Iongi, who has played a key role for the Giants’ Netball Reserves this year, has been able to turn to Gerrard for advice and encouragement as a budding back-court player.
Iongi will be in action at the Super Netball Reserves finals weekend in Melbourne, where every match will be exclusively live streamed on Code Sports and KommunityTV.
Iongi, who plays across both defensive positions in the circle, has often gone back to watch old games featuring Gerrard, who played 68 Tests for Australia.
“She has always just been my Aunty Mon,” Iongi said.
“When I started playing netball is when I actually asked for some advice, just how to carry myself off the court as well and seeing just those ways of how to be an athlete off the court more than on the court.
“She really instilled just to keep being myself in any environment that I am in and I think that was just the biggest takeaway was not losing myself in any level of netball and just carry myself how I would in normal life and away from netball as well.
“She has always let me play the way that I have, but I have also just gone back and watched her play in her old games. I think she lets me play the way I play because she knows that I just go back and watch her games and take away how she used to play as well.
“I have been told here and there (I play like her), but not often. It’s a compliment when I do get it, she was a really good player.”
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Iongi had the chance to get an up-close look at how Gerrard played when the former Swift and Thunderbird came out of retirement to represent Tonga at the 2023 World Cup.
“It was cool to play with her in the World Cup,” said Iongi, who will feature for the Giants Reserves at this weekend’s Super Netball Reserves finals weekend in Melbourne.
“I don’t have the words for it, it was such a good experience, not only for myself to play with my Aunty but for our family to have us both play together.
“We come from a really good line of sporting greats within Tonga and just to have us two play in the same team, representing Tonga in the game that we love for our family, was a really good moment for us.”
Iongi has returned to the Giants – where she initially spent three seasons in the program between 2020 and 2022 – in 2025 as a training partner after a year playing for Central Pulse in New Zealand’s ANZ Premiership.
This followed a season as a training partner with the New South Wales Swifts in 2023 when she was called up to make her Super Netball debut – and she has not given up hope of a return at the top level.
“That’s always my goal, but right now I think this year has been about building up playing netball as well because last year I wasn’t able to play as much netball as I thought I would have liked to,” Iongi said.
“So, I am just getting more games under my belt and I think this SSN Reserves has helped that as well, just being exposed and being out there and being seen has been really good for me this year as well.”
Iongi has her sights set on more international appearances for Tonga.
“I am very keen to get back into the red dress,” Iongi said.
“Hopefully if we keep our ranking we could possibly be in Commonwealth Games contention as well for next year.”
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Originally published as 2025 Super Netball Reserves finals: How Mavericks midcourter found herself among the wildlife
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