Queensland Firebirds are an
Australian netball team based in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
. Since
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
they have played in
Suncorp Super Netball
Suncorp Super Netball is the top level netball league featuring teams from Australia. In 2017 it replaced the ANZ Championship, which also included teams from New Zealand, as the top level netball league in Australia. Since 2019, the league has ...
. Between
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
and
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
, they played in the
ANZ Championship and between 1997 and 2007, they played in the
Commonwealth Bank Trophy
The Commonwealth Bank Trophy, also referred to as the National Netball League, was the top level national Australian netball league between 1997 and 2007. The league was organized by Netball Australia. Its main sponsor was the Commonwealth Ba ...
. Firebirds were the most successful team during the ANZ Championship era, playing in five grand finals and winning three
premierships, in
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...
,
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
and 2016. They were the only team to win back to back ANZ Championship titles.
History
Commonwealth Bank Trophy
Between 1997 and 2007, Queensland Firebirds represented
Netball Queensland
Netball Queensland is the governing body for netball in Queensland. It is affiliated to Netball Australia. It is responsible for organizing and managing Queensland Firebirds who compete in Suncorp Super Netball. It is also responsible for organiz ...
in the
Commonwealth Bank Trophy
The Commonwealth Bank Trophy, also referred to as the National Netball League, was the top level national Australian netball league between 1997 and 2007. The league was organized by Netball Australia. Its main sponsor was the Commonwealth Ba ...
league.
Together with
Adelaide Ravens
Adelaide Ravens were an Australian netball team that, together with Adelaide Thunderbirds, represented Netball South Australia in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. In 1997 Ravens were founder members of the league. In 1999 they were grand fi ...
,
Adelaide Thunderbirds,
Melbourne Kestrels,
Melbourne Phoenix
Melbourne Phoenix were an Australian netball team that represented Netball Victoria in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. Between 1997 and 2007, together with Melbourne Kestrels, they were one of two teams to represent Netball Victoria in the Commo ...
,
Perth Orioles,
Sydney Sandpipers and
Sydney Swifts, Firebirds were one of the founding members of the league.
Between 2005 and 2009,
Vicki Wilson
Vicki Wilson, OAM, (born 11 February 1965 in Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian netball coach and retired international player. She is the current head coach of the Netball Fiji side.
Netball career
Wilson was a part of the Australian nat ...
, a former
Australia netball international, served as Firebirds head coach.
In 2006 Firebirds reached their first play-off series, losing 58–56 in the semi-finals to Melbourne Phoenix.
;Regular season statistics
ANZ Championship
Between
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
and
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
, Firebirds played in the
ANZ Championship.
In 2009,
Roselee Jencke
Roselee Jencke is a former Australia national netball team, Australia netball international and List of netball coaches in Australia, netball coach. As a player, Jencke was a member of the Australia teams that won the gold medal at the 1991 Wo ...
was appointed head coach.
In
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...
Firebirds finished the season undefeated. This marked the beginning of a golden age for the team. Between 2011 and
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
, Jencke guided Firebirds to five grand finals and three premierships. They were the most successful team during the ANZ Championship era and the only team to win back to back titles.
Romelda Aiken
Romelda Aiken-George (néé Aiken) (born 19 November 1988) is a Jamaican netball player. Aiken debuted for the Jamaica national team in 2005 as a replacement for regular shooter Elaine Davis. The shooter rose to international prominence durin ...
,
Laura Geitz
Laura Geitz (born 4 November 1987) is a former Australian netball player and former captain of the Australian national team. Geitz was selected for the 2008 Australian national team, and has won a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, ...
and
Clare McMeniman
Clare McMeniman (born 11 July 1985), also known as Clare Ferguson, is a former Australia netball international. She captained Australia when they won the 2016 Netball Quad Series and the 2016 Constellation Cup. McMeniman was also a member of ...
formed the nucleus of the Firebirds squad and featured in all three Championship winning squads.
;Regular season statistics
Suncorp Super Netball
Since
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
, Firebirds have played in
Suncorp Super Netball
Suncorp Super Netball is the top level netball league featuring teams from Australia. In 2017 it replaced the ANZ Championship, which also included teams from New Zealand, as the top level netball league in Australia. Since 2019, the league has ...
.
They have only participated in one year of finals, being knocked out in the minor semi-final of 2018.
;Regular season statistics
Grand finals
;
ANZ Championship
Home venues
Firebirds have played their home games at various venues throughout
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
and
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
. In February 2019, they moved into a new permanent home, the
Queensland State Netball Centre
The Queensland State Netball Centre, also known commercially as Nissan Arena, is a multi-purpose facility located in the southern Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The centre features a 5,000 seat indoor arena that is the home court of Super Netball ...
.
Notable players
2023 squad
Internationals
;
;
*
Karyn Bailey
Karyn Bailey (born 28 July 1986) is a former Australian netball player who played for the Melbourne Vixens, Adelaide Thunderbirds. and played for the Surrey Storm ( UK) from 2018 - 2021. After Storm's final game on Monday 21st June 2021, she re ...
*
Carla Dziwoki
Carla Dziwoki (born 29 August 1982) is a former Australian netball player. Dziwoki played with the Queensland Firebirds in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. She played for Team Northumbria in the 2008–09 Netball Superleague for the . She also ...
*
Kate Shimmin
Kate Walsh (née Shimmin; born in 1992) is an Australian netball player in the Suncorp Super Netball league, playing for the Sunshine Coast Lightning. In August 2019, Jess Thirlby the new England Roses Coach announced Shimmin would join the f ...
*
Amorette Wild
;
*
Tamsin Greenway
Tamsin Greenway (born 6 October 1982) is a former England netball international. She was a member of the England teams that won bronze medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and at the 2011 and 2015 Netball World Cups. Between 2006 and 2018 she ...
*
Chelsea Pitman
Chelsea Pitman (born 8 June 1988) is an Australian-born netball player representing the England National Netball Team internationally. She is currently contracted as a training partner for the West Coast Fever playing in the Suncorp Super Netball ...
*
Kate Shimmin
Kate Walsh (née Shimmin; born in 1992) is an Australian netball player in the Suncorp Super Netball league, playing for the Sunshine Coast Lightning. In August 2019, Jess Thirlby the new England Roses Coach announced Shimmin would join the f ...
*
Eboni Usoro-Brown
;
*
Romelda Aiken
Romelda Aiken-George (néé Aiken) (born 19 November 1988) is a Jamaican netball player. Aiken debuted for the Jamaica national team in 2005 as a replacement for regular shooter Elaine Davis. The shooter rose to international prominence durin ...
;
*
Ameliaranne Ekenasio
Ameliaranne Ekenasio (née Wells; born 11 January 1991) is an Australian-born, New Zealand netball player.
She currently plays for Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in the ANZ Premiership. Ekenasio is known for her high work rate and smooth long-rang ...
;
*
Erin Burger
Erin Burger (born 10 February 1987) is a South African netball player. She plays in the positions of C, WA and WD. She is a member of the South Africa national netball team and has competed in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, the 2007 Worl ...
*
Ine-Mari Venter
*
Lenize Potgieter
Lenize Potgieter (born 2 May 1994) is a South African professional netball player who currently plays for Manchester Thunder and the South African national team.
Early life
Potgieter was born in Polokwane, Limpopo before moving to Pretoria t ...
;
*
Simone Nalatu
;
*
Maleta Roberts
Maleta Roberts (born 25 April 1985) is a Papua New Guinean international netball player. Roberts was a member of the Papua New Guinea national team that played in the 2007 Arafura Games and the 2007 Netball World Championships, and subsequently ...
Captains
Head coaches
Main sponsors
Queensland Sapphires
Queensland Sapphires
Queensland Sapphires are an Australian netball team that represents Netball Queensland in the Australian Netball Championships. Between 2008 and 2019, as Queensland Fusion, they played in the Australian Netball League. Sapphires are effectivel ...
are the
reserve team
In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players under contract to a club but who do not normally play in matches for the first team. Reserve teams often include back-up players from the first team, young players who need playing time to i ...
of Queensland Firebirds.
Premierships
*
ANZ Championship
**''Winners'':
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...
,
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
,
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
**''Runners Up'':
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
,
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
References
External links
Queensland Firebirds on Facebook Queensland Firebirds on Twitter
{{Queensland Sports Teams
ANZ Championship teams
Commonwealth Bank Trophy teams
Fir
Sporting clubs in Brisbane
Sports clubs established in 1997
Suncorp Super Netball teams
1997 establishments in Australia
Netball teams in Queensland
Netball teams in Australia