AIS Canberra Darters
Encyclopedia
The AIS Canberra Darters were an Australia
n netball
team, playing in the now defunct national Commonwealth Bank Trophy
. They mostly represented the Australian Institute of Sport
, giving young players experience at an elite level, but also included some young players from Canberra
and the Australian Capital Territory
. They were based out of the AIS Arena
in Bruce
, Canberra
. The Darters were coached by Brenda Scherian (assisted by Maria Lynch) and captained by Clare McMeniman
, both of whom were new to their roles in 2006. The team's colours were pink, silver and black.
backed down and agreed to create an AIS team. Instead of expanding the size of the league, the national body eliminated the less successful of the two South Australia
n teams, the Adelaide Ravens, so as to allow the competition to remain capped at eight teams.
The Darters largely struggled in their first three seasons, due largely to the high turnover of players from year to year and their status as a youth team. Despite this, they managed to record several victories against more experienced clubs, and repeatedly finished above Queensland
's only team, the Queensland Firebirds
. The Darters remained an important development ground for Australian netball, with many players subsequently moving on to careers with other Commonwealth Bank Trophy teams.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
team, playing in the now defunct national Commonwealth Bank Trophy
Commonwealth Bank Trophy
The Commonwealth Bank Trophy was the pre-eminent national netball competition in Australia from 1997 to 2007.It was established in 1997 as a true national league to replace the ailing, state club-based Mobil League. Designed from the beginning to be more marketable to the general public, it saw...
. They mostly represented the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
, giving young players experience at an elite level, but also included some young players from Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
. They were based out of the AIS Arena
AIS Arena
AIS Arena is a multi-purpose arena located in Canberra, Australia. The capacity is 5,200 and was built in 1980. The arena was opened by the Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Fraser, on 26 January 1981 and was originally named the National Indoor Sports Centre and was the inaugural home of the...
in Bruce
Bruce, Australian Capital Territory
Bruce is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Bruce was gazetted as a division on 6 June 1968 in recognition of Viscount Stanley Melbourne Bruce, the first Chancellor of the Australian National University and eighth Prime Minister of Australia. S. M. Bruce served as...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. The Darters were coached by Brenda Scherian (assisted by Maria Lynch) and captained by Clare McMeniman
Clare McMeniman
Clare McMeniman is an Australian netball player. She currently plays for the Queensland Firebirds in the ANZ Championship, having debuted with the team in 2007 during the previous Commonwealth Bank Trophy....
, both of whom were new to their roles in 2006. The team's colours were pink, silver and black.
History
Until the creation of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy in advance of the 1997 season, the Australian Institute of Sport had been represented by its own team in the ailing, state-level club-based national Mobil League. However, when this was replaced with the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, it soon became clear that there would not be an AIS team in the new league, which led to fears for the future of development programs at the institute. As a result, AIS players had no outlet in the competition between 1997 and 2002, when Netball AustraliaNetball Australia
Netball Australia is the peak governing body for the sport of netball in Australia. The organisation's stated objectives for Australian netball are to achieve national and international success in competition, encourage greater participation and spectator involvement, and ensure excellence in all...
backed down and agreed to create an AIS team. Instead of expanding the size of the league, the national body eliminated the less successful of the two South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n teams, the Adelaide Ravens, so as to allow the competition to remain capped at eight teams.
The Darters largely struggled in their first three seasons, due largely to the high turnover of players from year to year and their status as a youth team. Despite this, they managed to record several victories against more experienced clubs, and repeatedly finished above Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
's only team, the Queensland Firebirds
Queensland Firebirds
The Queensland Firebirds are an Australian netball team based in Brisbane that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The Firebirds were formed as one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy , previously the premier netball league in Australia, which was contested...
. The Darters remained an important development ground for Australian netball, with many players subsequently moving on to careers with other Commonwealth Bank Trophy teams.
Current players
- Sarah Ashmore (VICE-CAPTAIN)
- Karyn Bailey
- Emily BeatonEmily BeatonEmily Beaton is an Australian netball player in the ANZ Championship, playing for the Adelaide Thunderbirds. She was also a member of the Australian FastNet Diamonds team that played in the 2011 World Netball Series tournament in Liverpool....
- Lauren Berger
- Susan FuhrmannSusan FuhrmannSusan Fuhrmann , known as "the Fuhrmannator", is an Australian international netball player. Fuhrmann debuted for the Australian national team in 2006, and was also a member of the Australian team that won silver at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and gold at the 2007 Netball World Championships...
- Laura GeitzLaura GeitzLaura Geitz is an Australian netball player. Geitz was selected for the 2008 Australian national team, and to date has won a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. In domestic netball, Geitz plays for the Queensland Firebirds in the ANZ Championship...
(CAPTAIN) - Belinda Holmes
- Josephine Janz
- Megan Kelly
- Rachael Knight
- Janelle LawsonJanelle LawsonJanelle Lawson is an Australian netball player in the ANZ Championship. Lawson previously played for the AIS Canberra Darters in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. In 2008 and 2009, Lawson played for the Queensland Firebirds at Goal Attack position. In 2011, Lawson currently plays for the Spinning...
- Clare McMenimanClare McMenimanClare McMeniman is an Australian netball player. She currently plays for the Queensland Firebirds in the ANZ Championship, having debuted with the team in 2007 during the previous Commonwealth Bank Trophy....
- Shannon Priestley
- Kasey Stanaway
- Lauren Tscharke
- Anna Hills