Netball SA and the Adelaide Thunderbirds are proud to announce the 2025 Thunderbirds Futures squad set to compete in the revamped Super Netball Reserves competition.
The squad of 12 features all five of the Thunderbirds’ training partners in Sophie Casey, Tabitha Packer, Lucy Voyvodic, Charlotte Walker, and Molly Watson.
All 12 athletes hail from Netball SA’s The Hospital Research Foundation Premier League competition, including Tasmanian newcomers Charlotte Walker and Ellie Marshall and New Zealander Dani Binks.
The side will be led once again by head coach Jacqui Illman, Assistant Coach Jenny Borlase, and Apprentice Coach Amanda Shattock.
In February, Netball Australia confirmed the competition would return for 2025 as a critical development pathway for emerging national talent.
Following a successful pilot season in 2024, SN Reserves will expand this year as the Melbourne Mavericks are added, becoming the eighth Suncorp Super Netball club to enter.
All eight teams will play each other once across a seven-week Super Netball Reserves season that will run alongside Suncorp Super Netball from Round 4 to Round 10.
Super Netball Reserves features athletes who are in or on the verge of Suncorp Super Netball, including training partners, state league players and other athletes.
It also provides additional opportunities for umpires, coaches, officials and team support staff.
In addition to a new team, Super Netball Reserves 2025 will also provide teams with the opportunity for extra national match play, with a bolstered Finals Weekend and in-season tournament.
The Finals Weekend and new ‘Play-In Tournament’ will take to Melbourne’s Waverley Netball Centre in June for a week of elite netball magic, with Visit Victoria as the Official Host Partner.
The week will not only see the eight Super Netball Reserves teams contend, but also teams from Tasmania, ACT and the Northern Territory.
The Tasmania Wild, Capital Darters and the Territory Storm will compete in a ‘Play-In Tournament’ in the week leading into the Finals Weekend, playing once against each other across three days. The results from these matches will be used to determine their matchups against Super Netball Reserves teams during Finals Weekend.
The format of the 2025 tournament supports the development of local talent pathways across Australia through exposure to higher level competition.
Finals Weekend, held between June 20 – 22, will see all state based and Super Netball affiliated teams compete in three sessions for fans to attend. The 2025 Super Netball Reserves champion will be crowned at the end of the weekend in a Grand Final match.
Thunderbirds Futures 2025
Dani Binks (Matrics)
Sophie Casey (Matrics)
Lucy Denton (Garville)
Kim Hearnden (Matrics)
Brooke Irlam (Garville)
Jemma Kelly (Matrics)
Ellie Marshall (Oakdale)
Tabitha Packer (Contax)
Aaleya Turner (Matrics)
Lucy Voyvodic (Matric)
Charlotte Walker (Oakdale)
Molly Watson (Contax)
Note: Athletes may be added to the squad across the season based on performances in the National Netball Championships and the Premier League competition.
Staff
Head Coach: Jacqui Illman
Assistant Coach: Jenny Borlase
Apprentice Coach: Amanda Shattock
Team Manager: Stephanie Cains
Physio: Lauren Pike
Doctor: Duncan Walker
Click HERE to view the Futures’ 2025 fixture.
