She may only have joined the NSW Swifts as temporary replacement player this year but Wagga Wagga teenager Sophie Fawns has done enough to earn a permanent roster spot for the Club’s 2023 Suncorp Super Netball campaign.
The 18-year-old, who debuted in this year’s narrow Round 2 loss to the Melbourne Vixens in Sydney, completes the Swifts’ 10-strong list which will aim to win a third Premiership in five years after just missing out on a fourth-consecutive Finals appearance by a decimal percentage in 2022.
The NSW junior, who has come through the Netball NSW State Team Program and the QBE Swifts Academy, was a standout performer across the Club’s 2022 campaign which was initially impacted by the loss of Club MVP - and main shooter - Sam Wallace to an ACL injury.
With Wallace set to return for the 2023 season, Fawns fought off strong competition to earn her spot on the Club’s main list, a remarkable rise for the young attacker.
“Sophie is one of the brightest talents in the Australian game and to see her smiling on court with every shot she takes reminds us of why we play,” head coach Briony Akle said.
“For Sophie to perform like she did on that stage with little preparation is a real demonstration of the raw talent she possesses.
“To provide some context, last year she was training on asphalt courts in regional NSW and in the space of months she was playing in Super Netball… the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of pathway competitions such as the National Netball Championships so when she got her chance it was sink or swim, and she did the latter brilliantly.
“I feel we have only scratched the surface with Sophie and there is still a lot of work to do. Raw talent is wasted if it isn’t matched with hard work but Sophie is a great young woman with a good attitude and she is eager to learn and develop her game.
“She and her family should be very proud of what she has achieved so far and I would like to again thank the QBE Swifts Academy which had her prepared and ready to enter our environment when Sam went down.
“Next year will be a big step up for Sophie, but we feel she has what it takes to develop both on and off court and we are very excited to see where she goes from here.”
Fawns said debuting for the Swifts was a proud moment, but that today was even more special.
“I’ll never forget that first moment I ran on in a Swift dress at Ken Rosewall Arena which is a dream for almost every young netballer in NSW,” she said.
“I have loved every moment since then and getting to play with the likes of Helen Housby, Paige Hadley and Maddy Proud has been surreal.
“You never want to forget where you come from and I am really grateful to my family, junior coaches and teammates who’ve supported my dream along the way.
“I am under no illusions of how competitive and challenging playing at this level is, but I am ready for the opportunity and I want to thank the coaches for believing in me.
“I’m ready to give it my all.”
2023 NSW SWIFTS ROSTER
- Defenders: Sarah Klau, Teigan O’Shannassy, Maddy Turner
- Midcourters: Tayla Fraser, Paige Hadley, Maddy Proud, Allie Smith
- Attackers: Sophie Fawns, Helen Housby, Sam Wallace
