The NSW Swifts would like to congratulate the three Club athletes selected to be part of the 2024 Australian 21U Squad.
The 24-strong squad, consisting of emerging athletes from across the country, will be led and developed by 21U National Head Coach Cathy Fellows as selection preparations commence for the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar.
The 2024 squad was selected by a coaching panel including Fellows, Netball Australia’s Chair of Selectors, Michelle Wilkins, and Netball Australia Pathway Head Coach Anita Keelan.
Athletes were assessed for squad selection within their State elite training environments, as well at this year’s Super Netball Reserves and National Netball Championships.
Rookie athlete Grace Whyte (Tumut), who made her Super Netball debut this year, headlines the Swifts selections alongside 2024 Training Partner Freddie Schneideman (Randwick) and QBE Swifts Academy attacker Nicola Barge (Sutherland Shire).
Wilkins praised the talent of the selected squad members and said the diversity of skill in the national pathway was thrilling to see.
“The depth of talent and versatility of our athletes is extremely exciting,” Wilkins said.
“The squad selection has been largely made around preparation of our pathway talent leading into 2025 Netball World Youth Cup.
“It is certainly going to be a highly competitive selection for the final twelve that represent Australia in Gibraltar next September.”
The selected group of athletes will complete a three-day training camp in Sydney this August, before heading to Fiji for a training first - The Rising Stars: Fiji 21U Tour.
The Tour will provide valuable competition experience for 21U teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Singapore ahead of the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup.
Set to take place at Vodafone Arena in Suva, Fiji from August 19-23, the four countries will take part in match-play across the week to foster international connections and prepare players for elite competition.
Athletes will also take part in community engagement and cultural exchanges across the week.
Head Coach Cathy Fellows expressed her enthusiasm to work with the selected squad members.
"I am very excited about the opportunity for this group of selected athletes to get exposure to international competition as part of 2025 Netball World Youth Cup preparations,” she said.
“We are looking to build our skill sets individually, within units and as a team both on and off the court."
Suncorp Super Netball umpires Georgina Sulley-Beales and Jordan Kiss will also join the Rising Stars Tour to officiate on-court and assist with some local development during the tour.
The Rising Stars: Fiji 21U Tour is supported by the Australian Government’s PacificAus Sports Program in partnership with Netball Australia and participating countries.
2024 Australian 21/U Squad Athletes:
- Ruth Aryang – Western Australia
- Nicola Barge – New South Wales/QBE Swifts Academy
- Sophie Casey – South Australia
- Georgie Cleaver – Western Australia
- Harriet Gall – Victoria
- Lily Graham – Victoria
- Kayla Graham – South Australia
- Scarlet Jauncey – Western Australia
- Nevaeh Matenga – New South Wales
- Paige O'Neill – Tasmania
- Monika ‘Otai – New South Wales
- Tabitha Packer – South Australia
- Lillyana Rennie – Queensland
- Charisse Rond – Western Australia
- Frederika Schneideman – New South Wales/Swifts Training Partner
- Charlotte Sexton – Victoria
- Ruby Shannon – Victoria
- Elsa Sif Sandholt – Queensland
- Lucy Voyvodic – South Australia
- Charlotte Walker – Tasmania
- Hope White – New South Wales
- Grace Whyte – New South Wales/NSW Swifts
- Clara Wigley – Western Australia
- Olivia Wilkinson – Western Australia
