With just over a year to the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup, recently appointed national 21 and Under coach Cathy Fellows has her work cut out for her. Australia hasn’t won the tournament since 2009, and the tactical mastermind – whose resume includes six years and two premierships as assistant coach at the Thunderbirds, assistant coach of 2022’s victorious Fast5 team, and extensive experience across Victorian pathways – has limited time to find a winning edge.
Work has already started behind the scenes, with selection of a 24-person strong squad, and greater integration of the Australian women’s, men’s and pathways programmes to complement and challenge each other. That includes sharing the training track in Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) squads and combining camps – the Kelpies have previously spent time with the Diamonds, and early next year the 21Us will have a similar opportunity.
Fellows explained, “Stacey and her high performance team were at the U17 and U19s camps so that was our first touch point, and we are going to have coinciding camps in January, which is really exciting. We don’t want to start from scratch because we are building athletes for the same thing. It just makes sense that their preparation is similar.”
The experienced campaigner believes it’s vital to grow connections with the squad both on and off court. Her young athletes still lack experience, so focusing on their craft will be important. Fellows said, “They are still learning the game. I love working with young athletes, so being part of this programme is using my understanding of the game at the elite level, to help them understand that too. It’s so exciting for them, and for me to be working with them.”
Cathy Fellows working with her 21U athletes. Image: Courtesy of Netball Australia
Court-based work will focus on building the game style that Australia has become known for. Fellows explained, “We will be working on relentless pressure in defence and attack, both on and off the ball.”
She never loses sight that part of her remit is developing future Diamonds, and she will work closely with national coach Stacey Marinkovich to help achieve that.
“Stacey’s been extremely generous in giving us information on how the Diamonds programme is rolled out both on and off the court. It’s not going to be exactly the same, but we are looking at how we can utilise some of the things that they do at Diamonds.
“The athletes are then really familiar as they progress towards the next level. It’s still a big jump, but it’s not as huge. Stacey and I have talked about game style, about how they look at opposition, their culture piece, and we are trying to integrate it into ours as much as we can.
One of Fellows’ gifts is helping create a team with the strongest of connections. She says, “I’ve learned over the years that while for many athletes, sport is their workplace, to ultimately be at their best they have to enjoy it. And every athlete and cohort is quite different.
“So for me, it’s their understanding of why they play the game, and having the other athletes understand them too.
“Why do they play? What gives them the greatest pleasure? Then sharing that with the other athletes. If we have good understanding of and empathy for each other, and of the different ways we approach the game, we can respect and celebrate those.
Australian 21U Netball Squad. Image: Courtesy of Netball Australia
In the lead up to Gibraltar, Fellows, her assistant coaches Jenny Borlase and Kate Upton, and National Pathway Manager Anita Keelan, will take a group of 24 athletes into a Sydney based camp in August, then on the Rising Stars: Fiji tour to play Singapore, New Zealand and the home nation, who finished fourth at the last World Youth Cup.
“This is a great opportunity for us to work with the athletes, and for them to work with us. To get to know each other on and off the court. We will have three to four games against very different opposition each day, so to learn and evolve will be massive as part of our preparation for next year.”
While the athletes will train together in Fiji, they will be split across two teams for the round robin style tournament, to give greater playing opportunities for everyone. Borlase and Upton will each coach one team and Fellows and Keelan will have oversight across both teams.
Following the tour, the 21Us will remain connected, before meeting in January alongside the Diamonds. 24 athletes will again come into camp, including some who are currently injured and so unavailable for the Fijian friendlies. Further playing opportunities for individuals will occur during the April 2025 Nationals, Suncorp Super Netball and its Reserves competition, with the team announced after finals.
Fellows and her selectors want their charges to have as many playing opportunities as possible before they choose the final team to contest 19 other nations for the World Youth Cup. “We haven’t seen much of some of these athletes as yet, and they will develop and progress across the next 12 months. It’s an exciting time for all of us.”
On tour in Fiji with Australian 21Us – Anita Keelan (Head of Pathways), Jenny Borlase (Asst coach), Cathy Fellows (Head Coach) and Kate Upton (Asst Coach). Image: Courtesy of Netball Australia
Get to know the squad, with Cathy Fellows:
Shooters
Nicola Barge (NSW) An exciting new talent I saw at Nationals. Really calm and a great decision maker under pressure. Good shot and plays both roles.
Midcourters
Defenders
