2025 Super Netball Reserves finals: Giants Kelea Iongi on her family ties to a Diamonds great
Giants Netball Reserves defender Kelea Iongi hasn’t had to look far for a shining role model in her netball career. Find out more in our Super Netball Reserves finals INSIDER.
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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.
WATCH EVERY MATCH FROM THE SUPER NETBALL RESERVES FINALS
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.”
FUTURE GUNS: THE PLAYERS TO WATCH AT SN RESERVES FINALS
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: Giants Kelea Iongi on her family ties to a Diamonds great
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