The GIANTS Academy have named their 12-player squad set to represent the orange and charcoal at the 2023 Australian Netball Championships (ANC) at Moreton Bay in Queensland next month.
The second edition of the open-age Championships will be contested from August 21-27 between 11 teams from state and territory Member Organisations and Suncorp Super Netball clubs.
The team will feature GIANTS mid-courter Amy Sligar, as well as training partners Erin O’Brien, Ang Frketic, Charli Fidler and Jemma Donoghue, who has recently returned from the English Super League.
Sligar, O’Brien, Frketic and Donoghue are four of the seven players returning from last year’s inaugural side.
Fidler, alongside Millie Roach, have made the GIANTS’ squad for the first time, having previously represented the Capital Darters, while Monika ‘Otai, Hope White and Lucy Matthews have earnt selection in their first ANC team.
GIANTS Academy and Pathways Manager, Jenny O’Keeffe, congratulated all the athletes on their selection.
“We have a range of experience in our team this year, but it is a fantastic opportunity for all athletes involved,” O’Keeffe said.
“It is a young side – we have Monika and Hope returning from their respective National Underage camps – but I think we’ll really benefit from the maturity and experience that our training partners bring.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the benefits of a hard-fought week of competition on our player development as we explore the depth of our talent within the Academy program.”
O’Keeffe will coach this year’s team, alongside Tiffany Gilmore who has been working in the Academy space this year as a shooting and attacking specialist coach.
Gilmore is a proud Novacastrian and former National League player, having represented the Hunter Jaegers and the NSW Swifts.
The 2023 Australian Netball Championships will be available to watch live, on-demand and free via Kayo Freebies.
Kayo Freebies can be accessed by downloading the Kayo Sports app or visiting www.kayosports.com.au/freebies and creating an account. Kayo Freebies are free with no credit card details required.
Fixtures and ticketing information for the 2023 Australian Netball Championships will be made available in the coming weeks.
2023 GIANTS Academy ANC Team
Eliza Burton
Jemma Donoghue
Charli Fidler
Ang Frketic
Lucy Matthews
Monika ‘Otai
Erin O’Brien
Megan O’Keeffe
Millie Roach
Amy Sligar
Ellen Spencer
Hope White
Training Partners
Sally Jenkins
Jamie Podmore-Taylor
Violet Wetsteyn
