Swans On Screen
HISTORY IN RED AND WHITE
QUINN'S BIG CHANCE - By Jimmy Meiklejohn
GRIFFITH teenager Tahlia Quinn is in for a very busy 2025 as she joggles her schooling commitments with playing netball in Sydney. The 17-year-old has signed with Netball NSW Premier League club South West Mounties Magic to play in the under-23's competition.
The teenager joins a growing list of Riverina talents playing in the Premier League competition which includes Jenna Richards, Ava Moller, Phoebe Wallace, Jasmine Gilmour, Lily Webb, Emily McPherson and Kaylah Upfield.
It's an enormous opportunity for the talented teenager and Quinn said she was looking forward to playing with the Magic this season. "It is exciting, especially when all the girls are older," Quinn said. "It's good to have the opportunity this year as I didn't really expect it at all."
Quinn has established herself as one of the best young netball talents in the region having notched up over 40 A grade games for Griffith over the past two and half seasons.
She was also part of the very strong Riverina side that finished runner-up at the NSW Regional State Cup in October.
Despite her impressive resume, Quinn was unsure if she would be offered the chance to play Premier League under 23's this year given her age. "To be honest I didn't know," she said.
"Our team went really well and I know our team was one of the strongest ones, but I just thought that I was too young. I never thought any teams would reach out, but then I got an email."
While landing at the Magic by herself Quinn wont have to look far for some similar faces as fellow Griffith players Jenna Richards and Jasmine Gilmour are also playing in the under 23's competition this season.
The teenager agreed it was nice to have a few close friends playing in the same competition and going through a similar experience. "I'm really close with Jenna and Jas," she said. So it's good to have a few friends that are also going through the same thing. "But I'm pretty sure they are both moving up there which is going to be a bit different compared to me."
Given she will continue to live in Griffith, Quinn hadn't ruled out continuing with the Swans in 2025. (The Area News - Friday January 10, 2025).
NETBALL LEAGUE MEDALLIST RICHARDS PREPARES FOR PREMIER LEAGUE - By Jimmy Meiklejohn
RIVERINA League A grade medallist Jenna Richards is excited about taking on a new challenge in Sydney.
Richards has signed with NSW Premier League Netball club GWS Fury to play in the under 21's competition next season.
It follows an excellent past season for Richards, where she took a popular victory in the Riverina League A grade medal count and was crowned best and fairest at Griffith. Having achieved just about all she can in the Riverina League, Richards said she was now keen to test herself at the highest level. "I think that was a big reason why I decided to take the next step," she said.
The RFL is such a strong league and around our area I don't think there is anywhere I could've gone that was much stronger than the RFL at the moment. "All the teams in the RFL are very strong and it's a tightly contested comp, so I think if I want to take that next step then this was the only real option for me. "I thought if I was going to move then I may as well move up to Sydney and take that chance why I have it. "After a good season I thought this is my next step."
Richards joins a growing list of Riverina talents playing in the Premier League and her signing follows on from the recent news that Phoebe Wallace, Jasmine Gilmour and Lily Webb are joining Sutherland Stingrays.
Despite a strong campaign at the Regional State Cup for Riverina where she was named in the Merit Team, Richards revealed her rise to being offered a spot with the Fury was very unexpected. "I was very surprising honestly and it all kind of happened at once," she said.
After Regional League in a week, I was trying to sort out getting to trials, then after that I was trying to figure out what I was going to do and how it was all going to work like where I was going to live. "It was all happening in such a short space of time, it was very unexpected."
Richards will have a familiar face alongside her at the Fury, as Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes' Ava Moller has also signed with the Premier League club. "It definitely makes it that bit easier having a familiar face going into it and knowing that I'm not the only regional athlete," she said. "We've got a couple of girls coming from a fair distance away, but knowing Ava from around this area just makes it that little bit easier taking that step which is nice."
Richards is a Swans junior and has been the mainstay in their A grade side for a number of years. She agreed it was difficult to make the call to strep away. "Yeah definitely," she said. "That was hard talking to Joh (Munro) about my plans, but she's obviously so supportive of me and all the girls who are going up there.
"I was playing my first game of netball there in the under 11's and I think I was nine. "I've been with the Swans ever since so definitely it's bittersweet." (The Daily Advertiser - Tuesday December 24, 2024).
LENON SAYS RETHINK'S NEEDED OVER POINTS - By Andrew Moir and Jimmy Meiklejohn
AFL NSW Hall of Famer Shane Lenon believes the flood of Riverina Football League players into the Ovens and Murray should be worth one more point. One of the most respected figures in Riverina Football and an inaugural inductee into the NSW Hall of Fame this year, joining three-time Brownlow medallist Hayden Bunton and two-time North Melbourne premiership player Wayne Carey, Lenon stressed he had no issue with players tackling a higher standard.
However, under the player points system (PPS) Riverina products are only three points at their new O and M club.
"We're happy to see players at the higher level, I'm rapt they're having a crack at it, but it's not a level playing field," the 2024 Collingullie-Wagga premiership coach said. "Jack Reynolds and Cayden Winter were three-pointers when they came to North Albury (2023) and they're going to be better players, but they are worth four points.
"That's smart on their behalf (North Albury) because the rules allow them to do that."
Lenon is a former best and fairest at North Albury, as well as fellow O and M club Myrtleford and remain a passionate follower of the league. He has lost premiership players Ed Perryman (Lavington), Kane Flack, James Pope and Jamie Mooney (North Albury), while Leeton-Whitton best and fairest Angus Crelley has joined the quartet at the Hoppers.
The RFL's Jim Quinn medallist Nathan Richards and fellow Griffith team-mate Jack Rowston have joined Corowa-Rutherglen.
"I'd say the same thing for the Farrer League and Hume League," Lenon added. "The good players in those competitions are going to be good players in the Ovens and Murray.
"Ed Perryman is going to be one of the best recruits in that competition and he's worth three points. "The Ovens and Murray has already got the advantage with the higher standard and salary cap. They've already got a huge advantage as it is without getting players for three points, it's not fair."
The RFL salary cap is $85,000, while the O and M is $130,000. Riverina clubs are also beneficiaries of a current points system, as they are able to recruit players from either the Farrer and Hume Leagues for three points.
"I don't have an issue with the higher competition having more money in the salary cap," Lenon suggested. "That's fine and obviously the attraction for younger players is playing at a higher level, it's just the points and that's one thing that should be looked at.
"North Albury is probably the club that has recruited the most out of the Farrer League. Good on them as it's smart what they are doing, but they should be worth four points. They appealed as they wanted extra points, but common sense prevailed there as they didn't win the appeal and that was a good decision." (Border Mail - Friday November 29, 2024).
CHANGERS TO ENSURE FAIRER OUTCOME - By Courtney Rees
AFL Riverina is still searching for the right recipe with another change to the structure of the Southern NSW Women's competition.
Last year, teams were split into four pools based on geography with four separate ladders. This season, teams will be divided into two pools. However, only one ladder will determine who qualifies for the three-week final series.
The pools will again be split geographically. One pool will be around Wagga, while the others will feature eight clubs north of the city.
Trying to limit the impact travel has on the competition is the main factor behind how the pools were determined. AFL Riverina's competition coordinator Di Anderson believes the new approach will simplify the final equation.
"Being only eight rounds, we will have eight teams in each pool, but it will still be one ladder," Anderson said. "Last year we had a couple of ladders and at the end it was the top in each pool, but this time it's just one overall ladder."
The season will start on February 7. Teams will play every one in their pool once, and there will be one round of crossovers games to complete the home and away season.
AFL Riverina feels this will be a better approach. "We found with four pools a couple of the teams meant one pool was stronger than the other three so the bottom of one pool didn't make finals and they probably should have," Anderson said.
AFL Riverina considered feedback from clubs looking to extend the season. However, they have elected to keep the season at eight weeks. As it stands, there will already be a more significant crossover between the start of the Riverina League and Farrer League seasons than ever before. The women's grand final will be played on April 17, the Thursday before Easter.
Before the season reaches its pinnacle, three rounds of the Farrer League and two rounds of the Riverina League are expected to be played. It was part of the reason against expanding the women's competition this season.
Pool One: Brookdale Bluebells, Collingullie-Wagga Demons, CSU Bushpigs, EWK Hawks, MCUE Goannas, North Wagga Saints, Turvey Park Bulldogs and Wagga Tigers.
Pool Two: Coolamon Hoppers, GGGM Lions, Griffith Swans, Leeton-Whitton Crows, Marrar Bombers, Narrandera Eagles, Northern Jets and Temora Kangaroos. (The Area News - Monday November 11, 2024).