Laura Geitz Cup: We name the 27 stars to watch in school netball

Laura Geitz Cup: Some of the Darling Downs and South West Queensland’s best school netball teams will be in action this Sunday. Ahead of the competition The Chronicle sport team has identified the 27 players to watch. Check out our list here.

Caitlin Bassett of the Lightning and Laura Geitz of the Firebirds challenge for the ball during the Super Netball major semi-final match in 2018. Picture: Getty Images

NETBALL: The Darling Downs’ and South West Queensland’s best school-aged netballers will put their skills to the test in the Laura Geitz Cup this Sunday.

Downlands College and The Glennie School will host the tournament with teams competing in Year 7, 8 and 9 divisions.

St Mary’s College Toowoomba created history last year as the first boys team to play in the competition.

Ahead of the March 12 competition, The Chronicle has identified 27 players you need watch.

Oakey State High

Gabbrielle Bartkowski: A great team first player who is always ready to receive a pass playing in the goal attack and goal shooter positions. Has a great understanding of the game.

Aaliyah Washington: A fast and confident centre who covers all areas of the court and supports both attack and defence.

St Ursula’s College

Georgia McAuliffe: Her ability to read the game and make the ‘right decision’ makes her a great asset to any team. Georgia, who can play wing defence or centre, always supports her teammates and gives 100 per cent in every game.

Veronica Farrow: Veronica is a strong communicator. Her shooting consistency can be attributed to her awareness in the circle and ability to cope with the pressure of defence.

The 2022 St Mary's College netball team (back, from left) Hayden Beckett, Alex Goddard, Cooper Geiger, Brock Markey, Max Anderson, Caiden Bridger, coach Madeleine Rayner, (front, from left) Lucas Norton, Nick Jewell, Alex Maddison and Aidan Burke. The team created history as the first boys team to compete in the Laura Geitz Cup. Photo: Contributed

St Mary’s

Zeke Drew: A centre with a background in basketball, Zeke has great agility and speed on the court.

Zavier Ahern: Can play at either end of the court in the goal circle. Zavier uses his height and strength to his advantage and has great defensive skills.

Downlands College

Meg Reimann: A promising goal-keeper and defender who guards the circle well.

Bree Adam: Bree has great movement and speed on court. She is very efficient at goal attack with her agility and quick feeds.

St Joseph’s Stanthorpe

Eden Shatte: A natural leader on the court, Eden is a strong attacking player who gets the job done and can be relied on when the ball is in her hands.

Lillian Kendall: Lillian has strong skills and can play at both ends of the court. She is a strong defensive force and competes for ever ball.

St John’s Roma

Jorja Ferguson: A strong defender in and out of the circle. Jorja can play in the goalkeeper and goal defender and is very tough to get around.

Grace Pollock: A small but determined centre who works hard right across the court.

Our Lady of The Southern Cross College

Charlotte Bennie: A dynamic shooter and midcourter with speed to burn and pinpoint accuracy. Charlotte is a huge asset to the team both on and off the court with her positivity and encouragement.

Emma Cusack: A fantastic shooter who moves around the circle with grace. Emma is a workhorse in attack end and works well with her teammates. She is an asset to her team with her caring and gentle nature.

Kingaroy State High School players brush up on their skills ahead of the Laura Geitz Cup.

Kingaroy State High

Hana Saito: A strong and speedy centre who works hard all over the court and expertly guides her teammates. Hana is also a key figure at training session with her enthusiasm and energy.

Aaliyah Salmon: Aaliyah is still new to the team but has already made an impact. She is a quiet but efficient player who works hard in on both sides of the ball – finding space for herself in attack and disrupting oppositions attacking plays.

Kingaroy State High School players brush up on their skills ahead of the Laura Geitz Cup.

Fairholme College

Tayla Kauter: A quick and experienced player with exceptional mid court vision who expertly feeds the ball into the circle and has the ability to create turnovers in defence. She is a leader on the court and offers plenty of versatility with her ability to play in the centre and wing attack positions.

Simone Botha: Simone is new to the team but is already making an impact standing at 190cm. She is a strong holding shooter in the circle with excellent movement.

Lockyer State High

Mia Kleidon: A great leader who actively encourages and supports her teammates. Her quick movement around the circle make her a threat in attack.

Sage Martin: The goal attack sets the standard at every training session. Her accuracy and netball IQ make her a quality all around player.

St Saviours College

Ava Anderson: Ava’s passion for the game shines through on the court. She leads by example with high energy and team spirit and is a versatile player with her ability to play at goal shooter, goal and wing attack.

Ayen Deng: Playing at goal defence and goalkeeper Ayen is a heads up player who reads the game beautifully.

Toogoolawah State High

Defenders Madelyn Burley and Sierra Grace,and utility player Kayelyn Golinski will be key to their school’s hopes of Laura Geitz Cup success.

St Mary’s Secondary School Goondiwindi

Chloe Webster: Having played netball for many years, Webster has great agility that makes her strong in defence and attack as a centre.

Lexi Boyd: Playing in goal defence, Boyd reads the ball well, making her a very strong defensive force.