Hunter Jaegers
Encyclopedia
The Hunter Jaegers were an Australia
n netball
team representing the Hunter Valley
of New South Wales
in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy
. The team was initially based out of the Newcastle Entertainment Centre
, but merged with the Sydney Swifts
in 2008 to create the New South Wales Swifts
to compete in the ANZ Championship
.
The Jaegers were the last to be added to the Commonwealth Bank Trophy
doing so in 2004. The Jaegers were coached by Jon Fletcher, the first male coach in the league's history, and captained by Jane Altschwager
. The team colours were aqua, yellow and black. The public support of the team was very impressive for a small city.
, were unsustainable, and that they could not develop a strong enough team in the metropolitan region. After a search for a new location with the state, it was decided to move the second license to Newcastle
and create a Hunter Valley
team. A competition was held to select the new mascot, which ultimately settled on the endangered jaeger
(a linguistic pun, as jaeger is also German for 'hunter').
The Jaegers had a highly promising start to their debut season, winning several early games and surprising many. However, they slipped towards the end of the season, and ultimately finished sixth. The team came very close to making the finals for the first time in 2005, controversially drafting former New Zealand
international Daneka Wipiiti
for the last two games to supplement an injury-ridden side. However, their loss in the last round to the Melbourne Kestrels
saw them slip from fourth place and narrowly lose their place in the finals.
In 2006 the Hunter team ran cold more than hot, and players were inconsistent and at times intimidated. This may in part be due to the absence of Alison Tucker from the defence end. Strangely out of their 3 wins for the year, they knocked off the second placed Adelaide Thunderbirds
, and came close to the other top four teams.
While they played some impressive netball at times during the 2007 season, they were, in the end, again unable to proceed to the final series.
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 representing the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in the 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...
. The team was initially based out of the Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Newcastle Entertainment Centre is a multi-purpose Australian arena located within the Newcastle Showgrounds and was opened in 1992 at a cost of A$12m....
, but merged with the Sydney Swifts
Sydney Swifts
The Sydney Swifts were an Australian netball team, playing in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They were based out of Acer Arena and Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in the suburb of Homebush. Following the 2003 demise of the Sydney Sandpipers, the Swifts were the only team representing the...
in 2008 to create the New South Wales Swifts
New South Wales Swifts
The New South Wales Swifts are an Australian netball team based in Sydney that compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The Swifts were formed in 2007 as an amalgamation of two teams from the Commonwealth Bank Trophy – the Sydney Swifts and the Hunter Jaegers...
to compete in the ANZ Championship
ANZ Championship
The ANZ Championship is the pre-eminent netball league in the world. The competition is held annually between April and July, comprising 69 matches played over 17 weeks. It is contested by ten teams, five from Australia and five from New Zealand...
.
The Jaegers were the last to be added to the 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...
doing so in 2004. The Jaegers were coached by Jon Fletcher, the first male coach in the league's history, and captained by Jane Altschwager
Jane Altschwager
Jane Altschwager is an Australian netballer. Altschwager started her netball career in 1994 playing for New South Wales, in the Australian State Netball League, somehow, despite being a 14 year old in South Australia. In 1997 she signed with the Sydney Swifts in the inaugural Commonwealth Bank...
. The team colours were aqua, yellow and black. The public support of the team was very impressive for a small city.
History
The Jaegers were created at the end of the 2003 season, when Netball New South Wales decided that the weaker of their two teams, the Sydney SandpipersSydney Sandpipers
The Sydney Sandpapers were one of the inaugural teams in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, Australia's national women's netball league. Based out of University of Sydney, the team's strip was a vivid sky blue and they competed from 1997 to 2003, after which the Sydney Swifts were left as the only New...
, were unsustainable, and that they could not develop a strong enough team in the metropolitan region. After a search for a new location with the state, it was decided to move the second license to Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and create a Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
team. A competition was held to select the new mascot, which ultimately settled on the endangered jaeger
Skua
The skuas are a group of seabirds with about seven species forming the family Stercorariidae and the genus Stercorarius. The three smaller skuas are called jaegers in North America....
(a linguistic pun, as jaeger is also German for 'hunter').
The Jaegers had a highly promising start to their debut season, winning several early games and surprising many. However, they slipped towards the end of the season, and ultimately finished sixth. The team came very close to making the finals for the first time in 2005, controversially drafting former New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
international Daneka Wipiiti
Daneka Wipiiti
Daneka Wipiiti is a New Zealand international netball player. She is currently in the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, and plays with the Southern Steel in the ANZ Championship....
for the last two games to supplement an injury-ridden side. However, their loss in the last round to the Melbourne Kestrels
Melbourne Kestrels
The Melbourne Kestrels were an Australian netball team. They were based out of the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne, Victoria and were one of two teams from the city to compete in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy, alongside the Melbourne Phoenix. The Kestrels were coached by Jane...
saw them slip from fourth place and narrowly lose their place in the finals.
In 2006 the Hunter team ran cold more than hot, and players were inconsistent and at times intimidated. This may in part be due to the absence of Alison Tucker from the defence end. Strangely out of their 3 wins for the year, they knocked off the second placed Adelaide Thunderbirds
Adelaide Thunderbirds
The Adelaide Thunderbirds are an Australian netball team based in Adelaide that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The Thunderbirds were formed as one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy , previously the premier netball league in Australia, which was...
, and came close to the other top four teams.
While they played some impressive netball at times during the 2007 season, they were, in the end, again unable to proceed to the final series.
2007 squad
- Jane AltschwagerJane AltschwagerJane Altschwager is an Australian netballer. Altschwager started her netball career in 1994 playing for New South Wales, in the Australian State Netball League, somehow, despite being a 14 year old in South Australia. In 1997 she signed with the Sydney Swifts in the inaugural Commonwealth Bank...
(captain) - Katie Bradstock
- Narelle Eather
- Annabel Gazzoli
- Kimberlee Gilmour
- Danielle Harvey
- Raegan Jackson
- Emma KosterEmma KosterEmma Koster is an Australian netball player in the ANZ Championship, playing for the New South Wales Swifts.-References:*. Retrieved on 2009-03-20....
- Sally Lampshire
- Sepi Langi
- Tiffany LincolnTiffany LincolnTiffany Lincoln is an Australian netball player. In 2008, Lincoln played for the New South Wales Swifts in the ANZ Championship. She was not signed to play in the 2009 season.-References:*. Retrieved on 2008-07-18....
- Jane Menzies
- Cirsty Monaghan
- Lara Welham
- Elly Willan