Swifts Academy

QBE Swifts Academy
Founded2008
Based inSydney
RegionsNew South Wales
Home venueNetball Central
Ken Rosewall Arena
Head coachLenore Blades
Premierships3 (2011, 2024, 2026)
LeagueSuper Netball Reserves
Websitenswswifts.com.au

Uniform

The QBE Swifts Academy, formerly the Netball New South Wales Waratahs, is an Australian netball team that represents Netball New South Wales in the Super Netball Reserves competition. The Swifts Academy is the reserve team of Suncorp Super Netball club, the New South Wales Swifts. The team is made up of selected stand-out players from Netball NSW Premier League, NSW Swifts training partners and some contracted NSW Swifts players.

In 2008, they were founding members of the ANL. The side has won three premierships and have been grand finalists on a further five occasions, making them the second most successful team in the secondary competition after the Vixens Academy.

History

Australian Netball League

In 2011, the Waratahs became the first team other than Victorian Fury to win the Australian Netball League title after defeating them 55–46 in a rematch of the previous year's grand final. The winning Waratahs team was coached by Robert Wright and captained by Carla Dziwoki. Other members of the successful squad included Samantha May, Jessica Mansell, April Letton, Ashleigh Brazill, Paige Hadley, Verity Simmons, Amorette Wild and Tiffany Lincoln.

The team reached a further four ANL grand finals, losing three to Victorian Fury and the other to Southern Force.

Australian Netball Championships

The Waratahs won the 2024 Australian Netball Championships grand final 58-50 against Capital Darters in Canberra, the club's second premiership coming thirteen years after its inaugural success.

Super Netball Reserves

The Swifts Academy were victorious in achieving a third premiership, defeating the Sunshine Coast Lightning Bolts 69-55 in the 2026 Super Netball Reserves grand final in front of a home crowd in Sydney.

Grand finals

Season Winners Score Runners up Venue
2010Victorian Fury54–47NNSW WaratahsWaverley Netball Centre
2011NNSW Waratahs55–46Victorian FuryWaverley Netball Centre
2012Southern Force50–36NNSW WaratahsWaverley Netball Centre
2013Victorian Fury56–51NNSW WaratahsNetball SA Stadium
2016Victorian Fury53–46NNSW WaratahsNetball Central
2019Victorian Fury54–53NNSW WaratahsSNHC
2024NNSW Waratahs58–50Capital DartersSolarHub ACT Netball Centre
2026 QBE Swifts Academy 69–55 Sunshine Coast Lightning Bolts Netball Central

Source:

Notable players

2026 squad

2026 QBE Swifts Academy roster
PlayersCoaches
NamePosDOBHeightClubNatCaps
Charlotte Raleigh (c) GK, GD – North Shore United Australia
Chloe Baker WA, C – Panthers Australia
Nicola Barge GA, GS – South West Mounties Magic Australia
Eliza Burton C, WA – North Shore United Australia
Courtney Castle (vc) WA, C – South West Mounties Magic Australia
Jess Conlan WA, C – ERNA Hawks Australia
Isabella Degei C, WD – South West Mounties Magic Australia
Harlym Jennings WD, GD – Sutherland Stingrays Australia
Isabella Maher WA, WD, C – Sutherland Stingrays Australia
Nevaeh Matenga WD, C – UTS Randwick Sparks Australia
Sophia Martinussen GS, GA – ERNA Hawks Australia
Ava Moller GS, GA – Sutherland Stingrays Australia
Whitney Mueller GK, GD, WD – UTS Randwick Sparks Australia
Paige O’Neill GD, GK – ERNA Hawks Australia
Brooke Patterson GS, GA – North Shore United Australia
Frederika Schneideman Injured GD, GK – ERNA Hawks Australia
Lauren Woods (vc) GA, GS – North Shore United Australia
Head coach
  • Australia Lenore Blades
Assistant coach
  • Australia  Sharyn Hill


Notes
  • (c) – Captain
  • (cc) – Co-captain
  • (vc) – Vice-captain
  • Injured or on maternity leave – Injury / maternity leave
  • (TRP) – Temporary Replacement Player
Player profiles: Team website Last updated: 7 September 2026
  1. ↑ Contracted 11th player for New South Wales Swifts
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Training partner for New South Wales Swifts

Source:

Internationals

 Australia
 Australia Fast5

 Samoa

 Scotland

New South Wales Swifts

Source:

ANL MVP

The following Waratahs players were awarded competition MVP.

Season Player
2010Amorette Wild
2012Kristy Guthrie
2014Kristina Brice
2016Vanessa Mullampy
2024 Millie Tonkin
2025 (joint) Frederika Schneideman

Source:

Head coaches

Coach Years
Rob Wrightc. 2011
Sue Hawkins2012
Anita Keelan 2013-2015
Briony Akle2016–2017
Colleen Mitchell2018
Lenore Blades2019-present

Premierships

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Netball NSW and NSW Swifts – 2011 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  2. ↑ "Netball Australia Annual Report 2010" (PDF). Netball Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "Victorian Fury take third netball crown". www.smh.com.au. 12 September 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  4. ↑ "Victorian Fury claim third consecutive New Idea ANL Grand Final". www.womensportreport.com. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "2011 Annual Report – Netball Australia" (PDF). netball.com.au. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Annual Report 2012 – Netball SA" (PDF). sa.netball.com.au. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 "Netball NSW and NSW Swifts – 2012 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  8. ↑ "Netball Victoria – Annual Report 2013" (PDF). Netball Victoria. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  9. ↑ "Vic Fury win Aus netball league title". www.sbs.com.au. 6 September 2013. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "Fury crowned ANL 2016 Premiers". vic.netball.com.au. 26 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "Vic Fury defeat NSW Waratahs in one-goal ANL final thriller". netball.com.au. 30 June 2019. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  12. ↑ "Dwyer named MVP in thrilling Australian Netball League climax". www.nswis.com.au. 1 July 2019. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  13. ↑ "Victorian Fury claim eighth Australian Netball League title". draftcentral.com.au. 2 July 2019. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Australian Netball League". netball.com.au. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  15. ↑ "Athletes for 2026 QBE Swifts Academy named - NSW Swifts". nswswifts.com.au. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  16. ↑ "Raleigh to lead QBE Swifts Academy in SN Reserves - NSW Swifts". nswswifts.com.au. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  17. 1 2 "Netball NSW – 2017 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  18. 1 2 "Netball NSW – 2018 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  19. ↑ "Swifts' Rob Wright at home in a woman's world". www.stuff.co.nz. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  20. ↑ "Briony Akle named NSW Swifts Head Coach". www.nswis.com.au. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  21. ↑ "Coaching comes naturally for Akle". supernetball.com.au. 22 July 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  22. ↑ "Akle's Vision Behind Swifts' Ascendance". supernetball.com.au. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  23. ↑ "Abbey McCulloch named in ANL Waratahs squad". www.southernhighlandnews.com.au. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2020.