GIANTS Academy Manager Jenny O’Keefe says last week’s Australian Netball Championships (ANC) was a hugely beneficial experience for some of the GIANTS’ most promising young talent.
Viewed as the pinnacle for pathway netball in Australia, the ANC is the underpinning competition to Suncorp Super Netball and gives the country’s best emerging talent invaluable experience against elite opposition.
The GIANTS Academy - launched in 2019- competed in the week-long championships ending in Brisbane’s north on Sunday, with the young side registering a pair of wins against the Capital Darters and the Sunshine Coast Lightning Bolts across six matches.
After an opening round 57-51 loss to Collingwood, the GIANTS beat the Darters 66-47 before backing that up with a 10-goal win over the Sunshine Coast.
From there the GIANTS Academy battled hard but came up just short in a trio of games, losing 52-41 to the Adelaide Thunderbirds, 53-49 to Victoria Fury, and 61-56 to the Firebird Futures in the play-off seventh and eighth.
Despite failing to make the podium play-offs, O’Keefe said the national competition was a hugely successful venture for her young GIANTS Academy side.
“We were really proud of our group,” O’Keefe said.
“We went in with the GIANTS pathway and development as our focus and we were very pleased we were able to gain this kind of exposure for our players.
“Every player improved and certainly learned through the experience which will hold them in good stead moving forward and we are just delighted with them all.
“Our captains Ang [Frketic] and Amy [Sligar]displayed exemplary leadership as our senior players and guided our team steadily all week.”
O’Keefe highlighted a quartet of young stars as notable performers across the week.
“Millie [Roach] and ‘Ang’ were exceptional under the post while it was wonderful to be able to see how our most junior players Monika ‘Otai and Hope White would respond to moving out of their age groups, and they did not disappoint,” she said.
Following the championships, five GIANTS were named in the 17-person Australia 21/U squad, with Amy Sligar, Millie Roach, Erin O'Brien, and Charli Fidler all earning selection off the back of strong ANC performances, while Matisse Letherbarrow's strong 2023 Suncorp Super Netball campaign also saw her added to the list.
“We are excited to have five players named in the Australian U21 Squad, they certainly deserved this opportunity, “ O’Keefe said.
