The Indigenous Diamonds netball team launched their debut season with a 54-27 loss to 2021 premiers Burdekin Silverlinks in far-north Queensland on Monday evening.
The squad, coached by former Australian Diamond and Dunghutti-Gumbaynggirr woman Sharon Finnan-White, is an early step in larger aspirations to introduce an all-Indigenous team into Super Netball.
The team of 16-22 year olds are the first on-court representatives of the Indigenous Diamonds pathway program, aiming to development First Nations talent into professional netball structures as players, coaches, umpires and mentors.
The program is looking introduce Indigenous teams into premier competitions throughout other states and territories.
Their entry into the Townsville city netball premier league competition will see them competing at the highest level in the area, in the selection pool for the regions state-league side.
Aunty Roma Pregarc (Sharoma Indigenous Corporation Director) , Jorja James (captain) Isabella Wiggins (vice captain) Sharon Finnan-White OAM (head coach).
image: Sharoma Indigenous Corporation
"It's fairly full on for a lot of these girls" Finnan-White said.
The level of commitments has seen some members relocated hundreds of kilometres to take part in the programs inaugural season.
Finnan-White said the players see themselves as representing First Nations netballers, adjusting to high-intensity requirements in commitment to this.
"The mindset that I have been encouraging these girls to have is that they are in an elite athlete program," she said.
"Everything they do, and everything they are learning is at a high performance level."
The team recently unveiled their uniforms for the season, designed by artist and organisation co-director Aunty Roma Pregarc.
Finnan-White hopes team success can quickly develop prospects for Indigenous netball players as representation and support has been lacking for some time.
She said the immediate future is looking brighter, with 10 girls at this years national championships identifying as First Nations athletes.
"We need to start now, hit the ground running and develop our girls at that higher level," Finnan-White said.
