NSW Swifts announce Training Partners for 2020

The NSW Swifts are delighted to announce the five training partners which will be part of the first-team environment for the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball season.

The athletes, chosen from the recently launched QBE Swifts Academy, will provide support to the main rostered squad and have key involvement in the day-to-day training of the reigning Premiers. They can also be named as replacement players if necessary.

Returning to the Swifts camp in 2020 are NSW juniors, and Super Netball winners, Sophie Halpin and Tayla Fraser, while fellow NSW juniors Kelly Singleton and Olivia Coleman are also selected.

Victorian-born dual netball and AFLW representative Elle Bennetts, who made her Super Netball debut for the Swifts in last year’s second derby win over the Giants, is included too.

As well as training daily with the senior team, the training partners will also play for the Swifts’ feeder team in the Deakin University Australian Netball League.

NSW Swifts head coach Briony Akle said the 2019 Premiership campaign showed the importance of training partners.

“On our way to winning the title we had a lot of injury problems but we had players like Sophie Halpin, Tayla Fraser and Elle Bennetts who were able to come in and do brilliantly for us,” she said.

“Elle was key in our win over the Giants in Round 8 and both Sophie and Tayla played in our Grand Final win in Brisbane which was a fitting reward for their efforts throughout 2019.

“All of them also helped take our feeder team all the way to the Australian Netball League (ANL) decider, where they just lost out to Victoria by a goal.

“For Olivia and Kelly it is also a wonderful opportunity to continue their netball journey. Like the other training partners they have represented NSW with pride at either ANL or State Team level and shown that they have the potential to make that next step to elite club netball.”

Akle said it was an exciting time for pathways in the NSW Swifts environment.

“This club, along with Netball NSW, has a great track record of promoting up and coming talent in Australian netball,” she said.

“It is brilliant that our talent can learn from our leaders, Australian Diamonds and the likes of Sam Wallace, Nat Haythornthwaite, Helen Housby, Kayla Cullen and Katrina Rore when she was here.

“Three members of our ANL silver-medal side where named in the Australian Youth World Cup squad, and four of that side played in the Swifts’ Super Netball Premiership campaign. I think it is a credit to the coaches in our Swifts pathways as the emergence of those players is no accident.

“Now with the QBE Swifts Academy underpinning an extra layer of support I think the future is looking very bright indeed.”

The NSW Swifts begin their title defence with a Grand Final rematch against the Sunshine Coast Lightning at the revamped Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday 3 May.

TRAINING PARTNER BIOs

Elle Bennetts
Date of birth: 6 Sept 1989
Height: 172cm
Position: C, WA
State Teams: Victorian Fury, Netball NSW Waratahs
NSW Swifts Caps: 3

Olivia Coleman
Date of birth: 10 Feb 2000
Height: 189cm
Position: GK
State Teams: NSW 17/U, NSW 19/U, Netball NSW Waratahs

Tayla Fraser
Date of birth: 13 Jun 1999
Height: 172cm
Position: C
State Teams: NSW Swifts, NSW 17/U, NSW 19/U, Netball NSW Waratahs
National Representation: Australia 17/U
NSW Swifts Caps: 4

Sophie Halpin
Date of Birth: 16 May 1993
Height: 177cm
Position: WD
State Teams: NSW Swifts, Netball NSW Waratahs, Netball NSW Blues, NSW 19/U, NSW 21/U
National Representation: Australia 19/U
NSW Swifts Caps: 15

Kelly Singleton
Date of birth: 24 Jun 1998
Height: 180cm
Position: GS, GA
State Teams: NSW 17/U, NSW 19/U, Netball NSW Waratahs