After a very good year for the Junee Netball Club, a number of talented Junee players have been working hard in the offseason preparing for representative trials for the 2025 Rep season, and it’s paid off in a massive way, including making State teams.
Mangi Temaru has been selected into the Wagga Wagga Opens Rep team and will compete at the June 2025 Senior State Titles. Mangi will keep up the hard work in the coming months to prepare for Opens Rep training, kicking off early in the new year.
Mangi said, “Putting in the effort both on and off season is the key. The reality is if you want to push yourself you really don’t have time for “off season” it’s just preparing yourself for the next year. I’m very excited, it’s always fun to get that extra challenge and push ourselves as much as we can. We haven’t started training yet but playing mixed and doing solo sessions so when we do start training we’re ready to go. The community has been very supportive with helping me get to where I am with my netball. From providing places like the Rec Centre to train and helping bring the sport community together as a whole.”
Lillyarna Clark (Lil) saw selection into the Coolamon Rep team for the 2025 Senior State Titles. Lil’s training with Coolamon Rep will begin in the new year meaning she will maintain her fitness and skills over the offseason ready to hit the ground running when training commences.
Lil said, “[The work I’ve done includes] a lot of training, working on netball skill, fitness and learning to play in different positions. I’m very excited as it gives me an opportunity to learn new skills and improve my netball, to meet new friends and make memories.
“I’ve been working on keeping up my fitness by playing touch football and swimming. I continue to work on my netball skills and playing netball when I can. Since joining Junee it has like joining a netball family, I have felt very support by the Junee netball community.”
Rih Moncrieff also saw a selection into the Coolamon Rep team for the 2025 Senior State Titles. Rih’s training will begin in the new year, and she’s set to keep up the momentum through the holiday season ready to fire when training commences.
Rih said, “Over the past 3 years I have been fortunate enough to have played with Junee Netball Club, which I have been given amazing opportunities to have access to exceptional coaching, netball clinics and gala days which have helped to develop growth in my netball performance both individually and as a team player.
“I am so excited to be given the opportunity to play at state titles for 2025. I am looking forward to be representing my home town of Coolamon and I can’t wait to embrace the challenges, fun and friendships along the way. I have singed up to a gym in Wagga to work on my strength and to continue my fitness during the off season, I’m also running daily and spending time at the courts doing different drills.”
And finally, Jorja Vergano has been selected for the Wagga Wagga U23 Regional League team competing in March 2025, as well as the U17 Rep squad for the Senior State Titles in June. After a short break, Jorja’s already back in training with the 17s and 23s teams.
Jorja said, “During the regular season I was training four nights a week between two club teams and rep, and playing 2 games on a weekend. Sometimes more if a rep carnival was on. Playing in strong competitions with my club teams Ganmain in the RFNL, Junee in the Wagga competition, and Corrimal in the Illawarra Premier League competition has very much helped improve my game.
I’ve also been doing some one on one private training sessions with coaches here in Wagga and down at Wollongong.
“I’m very excited and cannot wait to see what the 2025 rep year brings. I’m really looking forward to phase 2 of NSW u17 trials in Sydney next weekend. I plan on going down there having fun and playing hard. Progressing through to phase 2 of the state team is so exciting. It’s shown me that hard work brings rewards. I’m putting in lots of hard work and extra fitness, agility sessions and gym work and on top of 2 nights a week pre season rep training. I’ve already started training Mondays with Wagga u17s and Thursdays with Wagga u23s. I’m really enjoying training under my Wagga coaches Naomi and Rosemary. I’m preparing myself to go my hardest and have a huge year in 2025. The community that I have has been so supportive and I can’t thank them enough for that. I don’t know what I could do without their support and help along the way.
“I wouldn’t be here in the position I am now without my parents, and the coaches that have vested in me Georgia Tilyard, Racheal King, Simone, Marj and Kim G, Roxanne and Maree just to name a few.”
Robert Vergano said the club are beyond proud of Mangi, Lil, Rih, and Jorja.
“Jorja trialled for NSW Under 17s a few weeks ago in Queanbeyan in phase one and she was lucky enough to progress through to phase two which will be 17th November in Sydney.
“For phase one they ran about four or five regional trials across Orange, Queanbeyan, Newcastle where all regional athletes travel to one of those locations and trialled and then they hold one this Sunday in Sydney for the Sydney based athletes. The successful ones from all of those trials then all meet together for phase two and get blended as one group. There’s a couple representing Wagga and a couple representing Coolamon.
“I think it is testament to the coaching they are receiving and the level of matchplay that they are being exposed to during the general competition means that they are playing at a higher standard.
“Three of them played A Reserve with Junee every week and Lil played a couple of games with A Reserve. I think pushing themselves outside their comfort zone at a higher level has paid dividends for all of them. They have played at a higher level and that has shown through at their trials, their ability to play at that level and put themselves on show in front of selectors.”
How could this year get any better for the Junee Netball Club.
-Jack Murray
