Revealed: Top performers from QLD Representative School Sport Netball,16-19yrs merit team named
Four days of intense schoolgirls netball has revealed the 16-19 years Queensland merit team for 2023. See the full list of top performing shooters, middies and defenders from across the State, plus which region ruled all.
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Following the announcement of the 13-15 years QLD State schoolgirls netball team, the 16-19 years merit team has been named with 15 athletes from across the state.
The list features familiar faces from QLD’s 2022 Nissan State Titles athletes, plus new names who are making their way up the ranks.
We also reveal the best of the rest from all 12 regions.
See who the top performers were of the week, and who made the squad.
FINAL RESULTS: MEDALS
1. South Coast
2. Metropolitan East
3. Sunshine Coast
CAPRICORNIA
Christa Nissen
Mackay State High School
Accurate shooting under the pressure of tight games, drives top of circle and finds an easy position to feed and communicates with fellow attackers.
DARLING DOWNS
Kaylin van Greunen
Downlands College
Recently named in the 2023/24 Australian U19s squad to travel to the AIS.
Van Greunen switched colours in 2023 and now represents Bond University Bull Sharks in the Hart Sapphire Series.
She is a tall shooter whose name is well known.
Emily Stapleton
Downlands College
Tracks her shooter well with tight defence and maintains vision with both the ball and player.
Stapleton boasts a clean jump over the ball and gains countless intercepts.
Ella Norton
Downlands College
Never forgets her background work off the body and preliminary defensive movements.
Norton confuses the space for opposition centre court and takes away throw in option from shooters.
Lara Fitzgerald
Downloads College
A coaches dream, Fitzgerald reads her players well to avoid crowding space and instead provides a safe option.
Her decision making skills mean the ball is safe in her hands, and she never overruns an attempted intercept.
METROPOLITAN EAST
Kydan Tuapou
Brisbane State High School
Tuapou can play any attacking position from GS to C, and is able to switch between them with ease.
She provides a reliable option for her teammates and is all to direct the play.
Losehina (Rose) Mulligan
Brisbane State High School
A name well known in netball and athletics circles, Mulligan made another star appearance at this year’s QRSS championships.
She was voted MVP of the Met East by opposition coaches, which is no surprise given her consistent performance over the week.
Sarah Joyce
Moreton Bay College
A speedy and agile WA/ C, Joyce joined the big leagues in 2022 as a star of the Carina Leagues Club Tigers U16s side and was named in the final 12 Queensland squad who travelled to Darwin in April.
In round 1 of the HSS Ruby series, she debuted for the CLC Tigers and contributed to their thrashing of USC Thunder.
Joyce’s pocket drives and accurate feeds were the key to Met East’s attacking end.
METROPOLITAN NORTH
Sienna Small
St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School
Accurate shooter with long limbs and an impressive vertical jump.
Small positions under the post for the shooter-shooter passes and rebounds.
Zara Van Gorp
Hillbrook Anglican School, Enoggera
Another talented tall shooter, Van Gorp is athletic, consistent and was liked by selectors from day one of the competition.
METROPOLITAN WEST
Tianna Apelu
St Peter Claver College
Apelu sets up early on her GS to be in front space.
Her defensive rolls into the back space and hands over pressure are key to forcing errors in the circle.
Saupo Toeleiu
St Peter Claver College
Quick and seamless double-play through the mid-court adds to Toeleiu’s ability to take charge of court channels and always be an option.
You could also say second phase defence is her specialty.
NORTH WEST
Kya Horridge
Centenary State High School
Boasted quick double plays with her GA and GS and looked for a smart feed to ensure ball possession.
As C, Horridge used her reset option and triangles.
Ainsley Trotter
St Peter’s Lutheran College
Long arms that earned unexpected intercepts, along with a killer second phase defence.
NORTHERN
Mariam Hall
Calvary Christian College
Relentless defensive efforts on pocket drives and always engaged with the transition after a turnover.
Tayah Gibson
Home Hill State High School
Tracking her player into the circle makes feeding a difficult job for Gibson’s opposition.
Something many defence aspire to have, is her ability to keep eyes on the ball and player simultaneously.
Sasha-May Fleger
Townsville Grammar School
Here’s another name you’ll definitely recognise.
Fleger was named in the final 16 for Queensland’s U17 squad in 2022 after a stunning performance for the Mendi Rays at the Nissan State Titles.
She is a powerhouse of the north and has ] shown her talents wearing Northern colours in Softball.
PENINSULA
Charlotte Jonsen
St Mary’s Catholic College
Strong in both GK and GD, Jonsen can start on or off the body and adapt to her shooter’s weaknesses.
Mercedes Ramsey
Mossman State High School
Competitive on first phase ball and patient with the ball in attack.
Eliza Smith
Tully State High School
Offers a smart, short ball and is always ready when transitioning down the court after a turnover.
SOUTH COAST
Tia Crombie
Canterbury College
Crombie had the highest shooting stats of both age groups at the recent National Netball Championships in Darwin.
At just 16, she is bottom age of the group but it doesn’t stop her from owning the circle.
This week Crombie proved she is capable of adapting to her defence and being mobile when needed, which in-turn solidified her spot in the QLD Merit team.
Holly Comyns
Canterbury College
With a perfect vertical jump, clean blocks and intimidating hands over pressure, Comyns is the kind of defence all shooters dread.
She remains in control at all times and takes any rebound that comes her way.
In round 1 of the 2023 HSS season, Comyns debuted for the CLC Tigers Sapphire side and dominated a full quarter in GK
Aaliyah Sheppard
Canterbury College
Not even the flu could put a stopper on Sheppard’s game.
She was awarded MVP of the South Coast side as voted by opposition coaches, and impressed selectors from the get-go with her speed, agility and game smarts.
Her strong passes and quick decision making are just the cherry on top.
Kaylee Tamala
Canterbury College
The older sister of Julianna Tamala, Kaylee also had a successful tournament and was named in the QLD Merit team.
She boasts the skills to play any attacking position and can adapt to suit her teammates style.
After representing QLD at the national schoolgirls volleyball and netball tournaments last year, Tamala is putting all her energy into netball for 2023.
She debuted for the CLC Tigers Ruby side in round 1 of HSS with Crombie, Comyns and Sheppaer by her side.
Marli and Rio Burns
Somerset College
As star twins of the tournament, only the shooting circle separates these girls.
Marli in the shooting circle and Rio in the mid-court is a familiar sight for many since both girls have carved up the court in recent years.
Bailey D’Hotman de Villiers
Somerset College
Another familiar face from the Gold Coast.
D’Hotman de Villiers made her Sapphire debut for the Titans side and was in the first cut of the U19 QLD squad after Nissan State Titles.
With years of experience representing South Coast, she has matured on court to be a clean and efficient GD/ WD who sometimes dons the C bib.
The tournament win for South Coast is the perfect ending to de Villlier’s schoolgirls netball career.
SOUTH WEST
Kelsey Weribone
St George State High School
A small but agile and determined player, Weribone is able to look around defensive hands.
It plays well into her patience with the ball.
Ella Waters
Chinchilla State High School
What does Ella Waters have to offer? Speed into the pocket, vision into the circle, and control over the speed of play.
Sophie Scutchings
Chinchilla State High School
Strong under the post with an ability to hold front position and make it clear where the ball needs to be fed.
SUNSHINE COAST
Ava Guthrie
St Andrews Anglican College, Peregian Springs
As bottom age, Guthrie held her own against strong opposition.
In WD she provided a reset offer and tracked her player down-court, keeping them stuck on the sideline.
M’Lea Michael
Siena Catholic College, Sippy Downs
Sunshine Coast had one athlete make the ‘possible and probable’ trials on day four, and that was attacking star, M’Lea Michael.
Her movement on and off the circle and centre pass offers combined with quick pivots made her a stand out in the purple and gold.
Michael played a combination of GA and WA through the tournament
Gypsy McCormack
Mountain Creek State High School
McCormack provides constant offers under the post for her feeders and isn’t shy to call for a ball her way.
She is a reliable shooter who goes for every rebound.
Sienna Jones
Southern Cross Catholic College
Strong hands-over, able to remain balanced when defending the shot and keeps her moving GS out from the post to eliminate the easy feed.
Emmisyn Wynyard
Redcliffe State High School
Reads the play moments ahead and takes her intercepts strong with two hands.
Wynyard is a player to keep in your radar and has already made her make in Queensland circles after a successful 2022 Nissan State Titles campaign.
WIDE BAY
Monique Corrigan
Hervey Bay State High School
Directs her feeders to where the ball needs to be placed and s
ets up in advance to hold space.
Corrigan can manipulate the circle space to her advantage, which earned her a spot the ‘possible and probable’ trials on day four.
Katelyn Reif
Xavier Catholic College
A tall and strong GK who talks confidently with her teammates and has an intimidating hands-over defence
WHO MADE THE MERIT TEAM FOR 2023?
There were 10 players and three reserves named in the 2023 Queensland Schoolgirls 16-19 years Merit team.
The players will not travel to compete but recognition is well deserved.
The 13 athletes named in the squad are:
Holly Comyns (SC)
Tia Crombie (SC)
Losehina Mulligan (ME)
Brooke Marchant (ME)
Sasha-May Fleger (NOR)
Sarah Joyce (ME)
Kaylee Tamala (SC)
Aaliyah Sheppard (SC)
Marley Burns (SC)
Bayley D’Hotman de Villiers (SC)
Reserves:
Shae Munro (NOR)
Jess Freeman (NOR)
Zara Van Gorp (MN)
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Originally published as Revealed: Top performers from QLD Representative School Sport Netball,16-19yrs merit team named
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