Netball Northern Territory is proud to announce the athletes selected in the 2026 17&U and 19&U Northern Territory Teams following an extensive and highly competitive selection process.
The National Netball Championships form a key part of Australia’s high-performance pathway, bringing together emerging athletes, coaches, umpires and officials from across the country’s states and territories. The Championships remain one of the most important development opportunities for young athletes aspiring to progress through the national pathway.
Interest in this year’s selection process reached record levels, with close to 100 athletes nominating for Phase 1 trials — the highest number recorded in the Territory and a strong reflection of the continued growth of netball across the Northern Territory.
Phase 1 trials were delivered across two locations to maximise accessibility for athletes, with sessions held in Alice Springs on 29 and 30 November, followed by Darwin on 6 and 7 December. Phase 2 trials were then held in Darwin across 30 and 31 January and 1 February, where selected athletes continued to demonstrate their skill, commitment and readiness to progress within the Netball NT pathway.
Competitive match play throughout the trial process provided athletes with valuable opportunities to test their skills against some of the Territory’s best emerging talent. These opportunities would not have been possible without the dedicated umpires who raised their hands to support the trials across both the Alice Springs and Darwin regions.
The strong number of nominations highlights the dedication of clubs, associations, coaches, umpires, officials and families who play a vital role in supporting athlete development across both regional and remote communities.
The final teams were selected by an experienced panel including Peta Stephens, Chelsea Coleman, Eddie Shearer, Shannon Byrne, Deb Gray and Chair of Selectors Shannon Millar. The panel faced a difficult task narrowing the field, with athletes consistently demonstrating strong technical ability, commitment to improvement and the high-performance behaviours required to represent the Northern Territory.
Selector Peta Stephens said the depth of talent displayed throughout the trial process was extremely encouraging for the future of netball in the Territory.
“This year’s selection process showcased the strength and potential of emerging athletes across the Territory. The number of athletes putting themselves forward speaks volumes about the passion for netball in our communities,” Peta said.
“Selecting the final teams was incredibly challenging, with athletes consistently demonstrating skill, determination and a genuine commitment to their development. We are excited to see how these athletes continue to grow as they prepare to represent the Northern Territory.”
Alongside athlete development, Netball NT continues to prioritise the growth of Territory coaches through increased access to accreditation and development opportunities. Strengthening coaching capability across the Territory helps ensure athletes are supported within environments that align with national standards while maintaining the strong community connections that underpin netball across the region.
Netball NT Chief Executive Officer Debra Farrelly said the selections highlight the collective effort required to support athlete development across the Territory.
“These selections represent not only the achievements of our athletes, but the collective support of clubs, coaches, families, officials and communities who help nurture and develop talent across the Northern Territory,” Debra said.
“Our pathway programs are designed to ensure athletes have access to high-quality development opportunities regardless of where they live, and it is exciting to see such strong participation and growth within our performance programs.”
Preparation for the Championships will begin shortly, with training programs scheduled across Darwin and Alice Springs to ensure athletes across the Territory can access development opportunities. The preparation phase will focus on building combinations, strengthening high-performance habits, and fostering strong team culture as athletes prepare for national competition.
Athletes selected in the 2026 Netball NT 17&U Team are:
// Anika McGarvie (Phoenix Flames Netball Club)
// Ava Kelly (Tracy Village Falcons Netball Club)
// Hanna Eastick (NNT Academy)
// Hayley Robertson (Nightcliff Tigers Netball Club)
// Kaylee Alchin (NNT Academy)
// Kaylee King (Rovers Netball Club)
// Keeley Hansen (Rovers Netball Club)
// Layla Totham (Phoenix Flames Netball Club)
// Lily Richards (Phoenix Flames Netball Club)
// Marlee Smallridge (Phoenix Flames Netball Club)
// Mikayla Torney (Pints Netball Club)
// Shae Driver (Federals Netball Club)
Training partners for the 17&U program are Elaina Tilmouth (Nightcliff Tigers Netball Club), Ellah Mukundi (Pints Netball Club), Layla Church (Pints Netball Club), Nakai Daniel (Federal Netball Club), Nyamal Pouk (NNT Academy) and Sidney Moore (Mash Netball Club).
Athletes selected in the 2026 Netball NT 19&U Team are:
// Ada Whiteside (Tracy Village Falcons Netball Club*)
// Allie Davidson (Hawks Netball Club)
// Amalani Fauonuku (City West Falcons Netball Club)
// Eva Ryan (Western Warriors Netball Club)
// Molly Murphy (Rovers Netball Club)
// Olivia Chambers (Southern Districts Crocs Netball Club)
// Paulini Bolatagici (NNT Academy)
// Ruby Mack (Sharon Finnan-White First Nations Academy of Excellence)
// Sonnyanne Raggett (Sharon Finnan-White First Nations Academy of Excellence)
// Taylah Easton (Tracy Village Falcons Netball Club*)
// Tegan McGrath (Federal Netball Club)
// Winnie Evans (Banks Bulldogs Netball Club)
Netball NT congratulates all selected athletes and training partners on their achievement and looks forward to supporting them throughout their preparation for the 2026 National Netball Championships. We also acknowledge the athletes who participated in the trial process, recognising their dedication, effort, and commitment to their ongoing development within the Netball NT pathway.
Netball NT looks forward to following the teams’ journey and encourages the Territory netball community to get behind these athletes as they prepare to compete on the national stage.
