The GIANTS are excited to announce their 12-player team that is set to compete at the inaugural Australian Netball Championships (ANC) in Traralgon in August.
The championship event which will be played from August 22-28, will be the first time the new underpinning competition has been played, after being cancelled for the past two years due to COVID-19.
Previously known as the Australian Netball League (ANL), the revised event will be run as a stand-alone event and will host teams from seven member organisations as well as three Suncorp Super Netball sides.
Featuring in the GIANTS’ team are contracted players Matisse Letherbarrow, Lauren Moore and Amy Sligar.
Alongside the contracted trio are GIANTS training partners Eliza Burton, Jemma Donoghue, Ang Frketic, Erin O’Brien and Nat Sligar, with Donoghue and Frketic both debuting in Suncorp Super netball this year.
North Shore United goaler, Emily Moore, will join Letherbarrow and Frketic in the goal circle.
Megan O’Keeffe (UTS Sparks) and Emma Thompson (Penrith Panthers) will bolster a strong midcourt, while Ellen Spencer (UTS Sparks) will strengthen the defensive circle.
GIANTS Head Coach Alison Tucker-Munro congratulated the athletes selected.
“Selection for our ANC team this year was really tough, which I think speaks to the breadth and depth of the talent across our Academy,” she said.
“Whilst selection announcements always result in joy for some and disappointment for others, it’s important to acknowledge the role our entire squad has played this year in elevating the quality and standards that made selection that much more difficult.
“It’s a real testament to the collective Academy playing group and demonstrates that the future certainly looks bright at the GIANTS, given our Academy is home to a diverse range of exciting and talented young netballers.”
This year’s ANC will be the first time the GIANTS Academy has participated as a team in a formal competition.
“I'm delighted that our GIANTS athletes will finally be able to compete on the national stage at ANC, especially given ANC preparations have been disrupted over the last several years due to COVID,” Tucker-Munro said.
“We are excited to finally be able to don the orange dress and represent the club with pride.
“And the benefit of having Matisse, Lauren and Amy in the mix has further strengthened our team goals and strategies, and sharpened our focus as we build towards ANC.”
With the team now locked in, focus is well and truly on the upcoming championships.
“We’ve switched into competition mode and I've been really pleased with our playing group’s work ethic, intensity and focus at training,” Tucker-Munro said.
“I’ve been impressed to see their on and off court connections, commitment and comradery deepen over the last several weeks. This bodes well as we build towards ANC.”
The side will be coached by Tucker-Munro with assistance from former GIANT Sam Poolman.
2022 ANC Team
Eliza Burton
Jemma Donoghue
Ang Frketic
Matisse Letherbarrow
Emily Moore
Lauren Moore
Erin O’Brien
Megan O’Keeffe
Amy Sligar
Nat Sligar
Ellen Spencer
Emma Thompson
