GIANTS Netball have confirmed Toni Anderson and Latika Tombs will both return as team training partners for 2020 and will be joined by four of New South Wales’ most promising young stars in Matisse Letherbarrow, Sophie Dwyer, Clare Iongi and Claire O’Brien.
In 2020, GIANTS Netball training partners will have involvement in both the full squad as well as the GIANTS Netball academy.
Head Coach Julie Fitzgerald is renowned for her development and belief in training partners. All former training partners either now with full contracts or on-court experience at Super Netball level.
An already capped Suncorp Super Netball player, Toni Anderson was given a spot in the 2017 GIANTS Netball team and took the court on four occasions. The versatile defensive player spent 2018 abroad in the UK Superleague competition, before returning home for a spot as training partner and year in the Deakin University Australian Netball League.
19-year-old Latika Tombs is a powerful midcourter with safe ball delivery and execution. 2019 saw Tombs captain the 19U New South Wales side at the National Netball Championships as well as test her game in the Deakin University Australian Netball League.
188cm shooter Matisse Letherbarrow has been playing in the Australian Netball League since she was 16 years old and was selected in the 17U Australian Squad in both 2018 and 2019. She captained the NSW 17U State Team at the 2019 National Netball Championships and would be expected to line up for her state in the 19U age division again in 2020.
Sophie Dwyer will be eligible for another year of 19U National Netball Championships next year and was recently invited to Netball Australia’s Development Camp alongside fellow GIANTS Kiera Austin, Amy Parmenter, Kristiana Manu’a and Sam Poolman. In 2018, Dwyer lined up for the Netball NSW Waratahs, taking home the player of the final despite being in the losing side.
Clare Iongi is a very athletic player and has been described as exciting to watch. In 2019 the 19-year-old defender was a member of both the 19U New South Wales State team, Netball NSW Waratahs and was also coached by GIANTS Netball Assistant Coach and Academy Manager Jenny O’Keeffe in the NSW Premier League.
After suffering a season-ending injury in 2018, the now 22-year-old midcourter Claire O'Brien spent 2019 completing the final stages of rehab and claiming a silver medal in the Deakin University Australian Netball League with the Netball NSW Waratahs. O’Brien came through the representative ranks alongside fellow GIANTS players Parmenter and Austin and was also a member of the last Youth World Cup team that participated in Botsawana in 2017.
