// Workers AI · dad joke modeAre Swifts Academy students quick learners? Yes, they pick up fast.
| Founded | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|
| Based in | Sydney | |
| Regions | New South Wales | |
| Home venue | Netball Central Ken Rosewall Arena | |
| Head coach | Lenore Blades | |
| Premierships | 3 (2011, 2024, 2026) | |
| League | Super Netball Reserves | |
| Website | nswswifts.com.au | |
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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
[edit]Australian Netball League
[edit]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.[1]
The team reached a further four ANL grand finals, losing three to Victorian Fury and the other to Southern Force.
Australian Netball Championships
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]| Season | Winners | Score | Runners up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010[2][3][4] | Victorian Fury | 54–47 | NNSW Waratahs | Waverley Netball Centre |
| 2011[1][5] | NNSW Waratahs | 55–46 | Victorian Fury | Waverley Netball Centre |
| 2012[6][7] | Southern Force | 50–36 | NNSW Waratahs | Waverley Netball Centre |
| 2013[8][9] | Victorian Fury | 56–51 | NNSW Waratahs | Netball SA Stadium |
| 2016[10] | Victorian Fury | 53–46 | NNSW Waratahs | Netball Central |
| 2019[11][12][13] | Victorian Fury | 54–53 | NNSW Waratahs | SNHC |
| 2024 | NNSW Waratahs | 58–50 | Capital Darters | SolarHub ACT Netball Centre |
| 2026 | QBE Swifts Academy | 69–55 | Sunshine Coast Lightning Bolts | Netball Central |
Source:[14]
Notable players
[edit]2026 squad
[edit]| 2026 QBE Swifts Academy roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Player profiles: Team website | Last updated: 7 September 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- ↑ Contracted 11th player for New South Wales Swifts
- 1 2 3 4 5 Training partner for New South Wales Swifts
Internationals
[edit]
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New South Wales Swifts
[edit]
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ANL MVP
[edit]The following Waratahs players were awarded competition MVP.
| Season | Player |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Amorette Wild |
| 2012 | Kristy Guthrie |
| 2014 | Kristina Brice |
| 2016 | Vanessa Mullampy |
| 2024 | Millie Tonkin |
| 2025 (joint) | Frederika Schneideman |
Source:[14]
Head coaches
[edit]| Coach | Years |
|---|---|
| Rob Wright[1][19] | c. 2011 |
| Sue Hawkins[7] | 2012 |
| Anita Keelan | 2013-2015 |
| Briony Akle[17][20][21][22] | 2016–2017 |
| Colleen Mitchell[18] | 2018 |
| Lenore Blades[23] | 2019-present |
Premierships
[edit]- Australian Netball League
- Winners: 2011
- Runners up: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019
- Australian Netball Championships
- Winners: 2024
- Super Netball Reserves
- Winners: 2026
References
[edit]- 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.
- ↑ "Netball Australia Annual Report 2010" (PDF). Netball Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ↑ "Victorian Fury take third netball crown". www.smh.com.au. 12 September 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- ↑ "Victorian Fury claim third consecutive New Idea ANL Grand Final". www.womensportreport.com. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ↑ "2011 Annual Report – Netball Australia" (PDF). netball.com.au. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ↑ "Annual Report 2012 – Netball SA" (PDF). sa.netball.com.au. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- 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.
- ↑ "Netball Victoria – Annual Report 2013" (PDF). Netball Victoria. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Fury crowned ANL 2016 Premiers". vic.netball.com.au. 26 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "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.
- 1 2 "Australian Netball League". netball.com.au. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ↑ "Athletes for 2026 QBE Swifts Academy named - NSW Swifts". nswswifts.com.au. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
- ↑ "Raleigh to lead QBE Swifts Academy in SN Reserves - NSW Swifts". nswswifts.com.au. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
- 1 2 "Netball NSW – 2017 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- 1 2 "Netball NSW – 2018 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ↑ "Swifts' Rob Wright at home in a woman's world". www.stuff.co.nz. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ↑ "Briony Akle named NSW Swifts Head Coach". www.nswis.com.au. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ↑ "Coaching comes naturally for Akle". supernetball.com.au. 22 July 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ↑ "Akle's Vision Behind Swifts' Ascendance". supernetball.com.au. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ↑ "Abbey McCulloch named in ANL Waratahs squad". www.southernhighlandnews.com.au. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2020.