Meet the next generation of netballers on the Gold Coast
The Super Netball has hit the Gold Coast for Team Girls Cup. Meet our own future generation of star netballers here.
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The future of Gold Coast netball has never looked so bright.
With Bond University back into the Sapphire Series for 2023 and the Gold Coast Titans inching closer to their goal of entering the Super Netball, young coast kids have never had a more clear path to superstardom.
From Northern Gold Coast to Tweed and the Hinterlands, there is no shortage of talented netballers aged 18 years and under.
Here are the kids standing out across local associations, whose names could one day be up in lights.
Lucy Garufi, South Coast
Lucy Garufi is one of South Coast Netball Associations' most talented young players. The 18-year-old goal attack/wing attack played with Bond University in the Ruby Series and is now set to captain Bond at the U18 State Titles in late September. Garufi also captains South Coast’s Elite Premier League (EPL) U19s side and has been a rep player since U12s.
Bayley d’Hotman de Villiers, Hinterland & District
18-year-old Bayley d’Hotman de Villiers has moved up the Gold Coast rungs quickly as one of the youngest to already play in the Sapphire Series. d’Hotman de Villiers has played at HDNA since she was a nipper-netter and got her first taste of rep netball at 12. The defender is still in school but is chair of HDNA’s youth advisory group which help make key decisions around the club.
Abby Boland, Hinterland & District
Abby Boland plays for HDNA in their EPL team and is a training partner with the Titans. The tall 17-year-old shooter stems from Toowoomba but moved over to the coast in recent years.
Courtney Powell, NGCNA
Courtney Powell plays for the U18 Bullsharks team and has been a valuable member of the Northern Gold Coast for many years.
Summer Woods, Hinterland & District
Summer Woods is a rising midcourter with great potential. Woods represented Queensland Schoolgirls and was awarded HDNA’s rep player of the year for 2022. She plays with the Titans in their U16 State Titles team.
Amy Patrick, NGCNA
Amy Patrick was part of the 17 years State Age premiership team for Northern Gold Coast and is a member of the U18 Bullsharks State Titles team.
Elka Macaulay, NGCNA
Elka Macaulay is part of the Bullsharks Ruby Team in the Ruby Series and will be part of their U16 State Titles team.
Lily Peters, Hinterland & District
Lily Peters is a 17-year-old midcourter who was recently selected as captain in Bond University’s U18 State Titles team. She is a training partner for Bond’s Ruby Series team and has a bright future ahead of her.
Darcie Davies, Southport Carrara/Titans
18-year-old Darcie Davies is a talented defender who could very well represent the Titans at Super Netball level one day. Davies plays for the Titans in the Ruby Series and was captain of Queensland’s 17U National Netball Championships team. She is also a talented football for the Southport Sharks. Davies is also a member of the 2022/23 Australian 17/U squad.
Tahlia Evans, Tweed
Tweed Netball Association product Tahlia Evans played for the Wildcats in 2022 and Bond in 2021. Tahlia has been part of the rep program since U12s.
Talitah Faifai, Hinterland & District
Another HDNA product since 12 years, Talitah Faifai plays with the Titans in the Ruby Series and formerly played with and captained the U16 Bond Bullsharks team to a State Titles premiership in 2021. The 18-year-old goal attack progressed through representative netball with HDNA and is still very involved in the club, playing in their Monday night competition with her sister Tyrah. Faifai is a star of the future and was named in the 2022/23 Australian U17 squad.
Tyrah Faifai, Hinterland & District
15-year-old Tyrah Faifai is the younger sister of Titans goaler Talitah, but is a talented player in her own right. Faifai is a shooter for the U16 Titans State Titles team and is never far from a netball court with a ball in hand.
Ella Wood, Tweed
Wing defence/goal defence Ella Wood is part of Tweed’s 13 years team and is known as a hard working member of the club. Wood is often the first and last at the courts and she loves to help out and is a natural leader. Wood has impressed at trainings and has great self discipline.
Teyha Hysett, NGCNA
Teyha Hysett is another member of the Titans U16 State Titles team and was a training partner for the Titans’ Ruby Series team.
Jaimee Canellis, Tweed
14-year-old Jaimee Canellis is a talented emerging player from Tweed that is known to always give 100 per cent in every game.
Dakota Newson, Titans
Young star Dakota Newson is an emerging star of the Sapphire and Ruby Series. She played with QUT in the Sapphire Series in 2021 before moving back home to the Gold Coast Titans in the Ruby Series in 2022. The midcourter represented Queensland at the National Netball Championships in July.
Elsa Sif Sandholt, Southport Carrara
High school student Elsa Sif Sandholt has a bright future ahead of her as a member of the 2022/23 Australian 19/U squad. Sif Sandholt shoots for the USQ Jets in the Sapphire Series and was a training partner for the Queensland Sapphires.
Jade Karadag, South Coast
18-year-old Jade Karadag is a part of the 2022 Gold Coast Titans U18 team as a circle defender. Karadag is a training partner in QUT’s Ruby team, and was part of Bond’s U18 State Titles side that came runners up in 2021. A club favourite, Karadag was South Coast’s senior rep Player of the Year for 2020.
Taylah Clarke, South Coast
16-year-old shooter Taylah Clarke had a breakout year in 2022, making the GC Titans U16 State Titles team as a training partner and playing with South Coast’s U19 EPL team.
Deja-Maree Waitere-Patterson, NGCNA
Defender Deja-Maree Waitere-Patterson is another talented rep player from Northern Gold Coast and at 15 plays in the U16 Bullsharks State Titles team.
Abby Edwards, South Coast
Young wing attack/centre Abby Edwards is a rising netballer from South Coast NA making her way up the netball rungs. Edwards played in the U19 South Coast rep team and also coached, and in both 2020 and 2021 was the association;’s junior rep player of the year. At 16, Edwards is also a C badged umpire.
Jasper Fitzgerald, NGCNA
Midcourter Jasper Fitzgerald played with Northern Gold Coast in their 17 years State Age premiership team and is a training partner for the Titans U18 State Titles team.
Bronte Bacon, South Coast
15-year-old Bronte Bacon one of South Coast’s highest achievers. In 2022 the midcourter earned the titles of junior rep player of the year as well as junior umpire of the year. Bacon captains the U15 EPL team and is a B badged umpire — a very rare feat for her age. In addition to her busy schedule, she also coaches the Kirra Llamas and Kirra Kingfishers.
Jada Kemp, Tweed
Jada Kemp is a workhorse capable of playing any position. She is a strong player on the court but is equally effective off court offering support and encouragement to her teammates. Kemp was part of Tweed’s 15 years green team.
Lili Blom, NGCNA
Goal attack Lili Blom was part of Northern Gold Coast’s 17 years team to win at State Age and is part of the Titans U18 State Titles team.
Amelia Cotton, South Coast
Young circle defender Amelia Cotton is another talented player-umpire from South Coast. Cotton was vice captain of the U15 EPL team and has her C badge. She also coaches the Kirra Kookaburras and Elanora Cyclones.
Maddie Smith, Tweed
Maddie Smith has been part of Tweed’s rep program since U12s. She captained the 16 years team in 2022 and is known as a tough, fearless player who would do anything for her team. Smith is a natural leader and regularly assists with Tweed’s NetSetGo program to help juniors in their own netball journey.
Roxy Brown, South Coast
15-year-old shooter Roxy Brown was the 2022 U15s State Age player’s player and played in the U15 EPL side. Brown also coaches the Currumbin Wallabies.
Zadia Turner, NGCNA
Wing defence Zadia Turner is a 15 years player for Northern Gold Coast. Turner is a training partner with the U16 Bullsharks State Titles team.
Ruby Sullivan, Tweed
17s player Ruby Sullivan embodies the spirit of netball, always wanting help out around the club. She is a strong player on court but a quiet achiever, striving for her best but never looking for praise.
Abby Hosking, South Coast
12-year-old Abby Hosking has already had a bright impact on South Coast, co-captaining the U12 State Age team. The young shooter won the team’s coaches award and was recognised as a future rising star by the association.
Sienna Hysett, NGCNA
Goal defence Sienna Hysett plays in the 15 years Northern Gold Coast rep team and is a training partner with the U16 Bullsharks State Title team.
Alexa Da Silva, South Coast
Another young star of South Coast, 12-year-old defender Alexa Da Silva was named MVP of their State Age side and recognised as another future rising star of South Coast. Da Silva is also a junior umpire at the association.
Note: All associations were approached but not all wished to nominate players.
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