Port Stephens netballers Lucy and Maalaa in Australian Indigenous Schools squad

EMERGING Port Stephens netballers Lucy De Souza and Maalaa McLennan will represent the Australian Indigenous Netball Schools squad in 2026.

The outstanding duo earned selection after skilful performances at the annual Budgies Indigenous Junior Netball Carnival recently at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena.

Goal attack, 13-year-old, Maalaa and talented wing attack Lucy,14, are set to gain valuable international experience with the Australian Schools Netball teams on their upcoming representative tours to the Gold Coast, New Zealand and Fiji.

Both Lucy and Maalaa are junior products of Port Stephens Netball Association and now compete for the Norths club based at Stockton.

Midcourt ace Lucy, who developed her game with Medowie Netball Club, was named in the Australian Indigenous Under 15s squad while sharp shooter Maalaa, formerly of the Karuah Pearls, will line up for the Australian Under 14s team.

The pair impressed keen judges with their all-action displays for the NSW Echidnas at the Budgies Junior Netball Carnival – a national event that brings together Indigenous players from across Australia to represent their states and territories.

The four-day event was hosted at Nissan Arena, home of the Queensland Firebirds, and showcased some of the best emerging Indigenous netball talent in the country.

Not only did the Budgies tournament provide elite competition but also celebrated culture, connection and community – offering players the opportunity to build friendships, leadership skills and cultural pride.

In another huge fillip, Lucy was named as one of Hunter Netball’s 2026 Future Partner Program Athletes, a talented group of emerging players to be guided by Program Coach Lisa Lewis throughout the season.

Promising Nelson Bay netballer Liberty Phillips was also chosen in the squad.

De Souza and McLennan were joined in Brisbane by two other top Port Stephens juniors in 12-year-old goalkeeper/shooter Leiana Manton (Karuah Pearls) and midcourter Sarah Byrne of the Paterson River Netball Club.

All four served the NSW Echidnas with distinction and demonstrated a steely dedication, skill and pride in representing their community at a national level.

Top prospect Lucy shone for the Echidnas Under 16s and also plays representative netball for Dungog and Hunter Metro.

She has joined the Norths club that competes in the Newcastle Netball Association competition and her inclusion in the Australian Indigenous Under 15 Girls squad is a remarkable achievement at her age.

Prolific-scoring Maalaa, a current Port Stephens representative, starred for the Echidnas Under 14s and her national selection underlines the young shooter’s exceptional talent and potential.

Young Leiana represented the NSW Echidnas Under 12s, with her team achieving a strong fifth-place finish in a highly competitive division.

The Port Stephens junior representative has proved a stand out defender for the Pearls and continues to impress as a rising young athlete.

Sarah, another capable midcourter, represented the Echidnas Under 18s, with her team finishing with an impressive national ranking of three.

The inspirational leader continues to be a strong role model for younger players in the region and will represent Port Stephens at the Netball NSW State Championships in Sydney later this year.

The achievements of these four young athletes are a proud moment for Port Stephens and a testament to the strength of grassroots netball in the region, inspiring the next generation of players to aim high and dream big.

Looking ahead, the community will likely see both Lucy and Maalaa fundraising locally in the coming months as they work towards funding their upcoming representative tours.

These international opportunities will provide invaluable experience, further supporting their development as young athletes and ambassadors for Indigenous netball.

By Chris KARAS