TEN outstanding netball prospects from Nelson Bay will realise a dream this weekend when they compete at their first-ever Junior State Netball Championships in Sydney.
All eyes will be on the emerging under-12s outfit as they test their skills against the best junior netballers in NSW at the Narellan Sports Hub courts.
Under the guidance of State championship-winning coach Taylah Whitty, the Nelson Bay rookies are all excited to be representing their region at the prestigious three-day event.
It is the culmination of an intensive training schedule and encouraging carnival performances for the talented bunch during the past five months.
According to the experienced Whitty the sky is the limit for her promising group, which will participate in the 12 years Division Three round robin series.
“I’m fortunate to be working with a gifted crop of juniors that have been working extremely hard since February,” an elated Whitty told News Of The Area.
“They have built some formidable combinations during that time and, most importantly, are genuine mates on and off the court, “ she said.
“The girls have shown improvement at each representative carnival and an eagerness to learn about the fundamentals of tournament play.
“They are a great bunch of juniors who are a pleasure to coach.”
Leading the way are talented midcourters Faith Karas, Sailor Jenkins, Mia Petrellis and Amarli Buckton, who have developed a strong connection with powerhouse defenders Gemma Edwards, Willow Earnshaw and Jacinta Scott.
Throw in gun goal shooters in Bella Edwards, Olivia Morgan and Emily Noble and you have the ingredients for an ultra-competitive junior representative squad.
Assisting Taylah is her decorated mother Kerry Whitty, a stalwart Nelson Bay representative coach and president of Medowie Netball Club, along with team manager Tahlia Brien.
A testimony of the squad’s prowess and success at recent carnivals is the versatility across the court.
Coach Whitty said there was a distinct flexiblity within the team with all players staking their claims in multiple positions.
Eight of the girls – Faith, Sailor, Willow, Amarli, Jacinta, Emily and twins Bella and Gemma – gained valuable representative experience last year with the Nelson Bay under-11s development squad.
When it comes to planning success at the State Junior Netball titles, Whitty has an impressive record as a representative coach.
Along with her coaching mum Kerry, she finished with a runners-up medal at the 2013 State titles with Port Stephens under-12s in division four before guiding the Nelson Bay under-13s to a third ranking in division three six years later.
Her greatest coaching achievement to date was steering the Nelson Bay under-12s to a Junior State Division Four championship title in 2023 – a tremendous feat for one of the sharpest netball mentors in the Port Stephens region.
For the 2024 and 2025 campaigns she helped the Nelson Bay under-13s achieve back-to-back top-six rankings and is chasing higher honours this weekend.
By Chris KARAS
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