Tasmania’s First Marie Little Shield Team Announced
For the first time in 2024, Netball Tasmania are sending a team to the Marie Little Shield tournament. The tournament is taking place at Nissan Arena in Brisbane from Friday the 6th of September to Sunday the 8th.
Netball Tasmania are thrilled to be able to announce our team and coaching staff. Selections were made by our coaching staff by observing all our Inclusion Program participants throughout the 8-week programs, and in the final all-abilities state match where the north and south programs came together.
Tasmania’s Marie Little Shield athletes;
Zoe Ketchell
Grace Crennan
Amie Crennan
Sally Grace
Dee Biswa
Indie Hilliar
Joanna Rigby
Hayley Goymour
Breanna Bahl
Susie Kean
Coaching & Support Staff;
Co-Coaches
Jacinta Simeoni
Rani Milne
Team Manager
Bridget Button
Assistant Team Manager
Jacqui Lockwood
Umpire
Rebekah Illingworth
Co-Coaches Jacinta and Rani are excited to being training with the team and getting them prepared to head to Brisbane in September.
Jacinta is particularly thankful to those who have enabled the first Tasmanian Marie Little Shield team to become a reality, “Through the initial Netball Tas Inclusion program I have had the pleasure of working with some wonderfully passionate people and we have managed to form a statewide connection through these athletes.
Each week the athletes bring their all as they develop their skills. Each session brings us all so much learning, joy and fun and as a group of athletes and support personnel we are thankful for this fantastic opportunity ahead of us.”
Recognising the impact this team has on all people involved, Rani says, “The Netball Tas inclusion program has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I know that so many of the people involved in making it happen in both the north and the south feel the same. We have been thrilled to meet and see our athletes develop over the weeks of the program and now to lead to the state’s first entry in the Marie Little Shield is fantastic.”
The Marie Little Shield in a Netball Australia run competition, started in 2013 in honour of Marie Little OAM. The Marie Little Shield offers female athletes with an intellectual disability to compete at the national level each year.
Netball Tasmania would like to acknowledge the Confident Girls Association for their support of the Tasmanian Marie Little Shield team, as well as the Tasmanian Government for their continued support of netball in Tasmania.
