Proud named captain of Australian 21/U team for internationals
South Australia’s Maddy Proud and New South Wales’ Gabi Simpson have been named Australian captain and vice-captain respectively for the 21/U International Netball Series commencing on Thursday in Ballarat, Victoria.
Proud has spent the last two years under contract to the ANZ Championship’s Adelaide Thunderbirds where she worked and learned from Australian Diamonds captain Natalie von Bertouch in the mid-court.
The 18-year old is one of three players, along with Kate Shimmin and Micaela Wilson, returning from the Australian team which defeated New Zealand in a three-game 21/U series last year.
“Maddy has the experience of being in an Australian 21/U team during last year’s three-game series against New Zealand,” Australian 21/U coach Carol Byers.
“She’s also been exposed to the Diamonds captain Natalie von Bertouch at the Thunderbirds and I think she’s learnt a lot about what it means to be a leader.”
“We’ve got a very youthful team for the 21/U International Netball Series so her previous experience and exposure to a great leadership style is going to be extremely important at this level, and having that will be an asset to this group.
“The two of them together will be a really good leadership group for our young players.”
New South Wales and Australian Institute of Sport netball scholarship holder Simpson will assume the deputy’s responsibilities for the upcoming underage internationals.
“Gabi is a member of the leadership group at the Australian Institute of Sport and has an extremely well balanced approach to how she goes about the game and is a great on-court leader,” Byers said.
“She’s also very good at recognising what is required off the court as well.”
The seven day tournament, which kicks off on Thursday night and features Australia, New Zealand, England and Samoa, will provide the four nations with the rare opportunity to contest underage international netball ahead of next year’s World Youth Netball Championships in Scotland.
