17/U
The 17s came out firing to open the tournament, beating the Australian Capital Territory by 16 goals on Day One.
They continued their strong start in Round Two with an impressive 11‑goal victory over eventual premiers South Australia, with Skyla Payne dominant under the post, shooting 45 goals. Friday concluded on a high with a seven‑goal win against Victoria.
Momentum carried into the weekend, with WA posting a commanding 34‑goal win over Tasmania on Saturday, followed by an 18‑goal victory over Queensland on Sunday.
The side suffered their first loss of the tournament in Round Six, as New South Wales surged in the second half to secure a 16‑goal win. However, WA bounced back emphatically, defeating the Northern Territory by 53 goals to finish atop the ladder heading into finals. Loyola Vaauli led the charge with 30 goals, well supported by Payne and Tara Diersen, who both contributed 15.
Unfortunately, WA went down to South Australia in the Semi Final 44-37 and found themselves battling for Bronze against Victoria.
A fierce first half by Victoria, put WA on the back foot, something they weren't able to fight back from. Captain Amelie Markovic battled through the midcourt for her team and said it was a week of growth and effort.
“Even though finals didn’t go our way, we still had a great week, and it didn’t take anything away from what we put out on the court throughout our previous games,” she said.
“We played strong netball, supported each other, and can be proud of what we achieved together.”
19/U
The 19/U side also started their campaign successfully, with a 12-goal win over Northern Territory in Round One.
They then faced a challenging run, going down to New South Wales by eight goals in Round Two, Queensland by 10 in Round Three and South Australia by 27 in Round Four.
In Round Five, they claimed victory over ACT by 10 goals with Lily Knight scoring 30 to her name.
Round Six was a must watch. WA won the first quarter by five, but Victoria fought back in the second with win by 10. It was down to the wire in the final quarter, with consecutive Victorian goals putting them even. Despite a goal by Knight with 30 seconds with go, they were pipped at the post with a final Victorian goal.
WA finished the round matches with a seven‑goal win over Tasmania, then carried that momentum into finals. A dominant 31‑goal Semi Final win over the Northern Territory was followed by a 10‑goal victory over Tasmania, securing fifth place overall.
Knight finished the tournament as the third highest goal scorer.
West Coast Fever General Manager – Performance and Pathway Sara Francis-Bayman said everybody at Netball WA is incredibly proud of the hard work, dedication, and commitment shown by all players and staff involved in our state teams.
“Our 19U team rose to the occasion and delivered a strong performance, showing resilience, unity, and determination throughout their campaign,” she said.
“The 17U team had an outstanding start to the tournament. Ultimately, they come away having gained invaluable experience in finals netball and an understanding of how hard these games are to win.”
Netball WA congratulates and thanks all players, parents, supporters, coaches and support staff for the time, energy and passion invested in building the future of netball in Western Australia.
