AIS Canberra Darters
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The AIS Canberra Darters are an Australian netball team, playing in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They mostly represent the Australian Institute of Sport, giving young players experience at an elite level, but also do include some young players from Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory. They are based out of the AIS Arena in Bruce, Canberra. The Darters are coached by Brenda Scherian (assisted by Maria Lynch) and captained by Clare McMeninman, both of whom are new to their roles in 2006. The team's colours are pink, silver and black.
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 Australia 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 Australian teams, the Adelaide Ravens, so as to allow the competition to remain capped at eight teams.
The Darters have 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 have managed to record several victories against more experienced clubs, and have repeatedly finished above Queensland's only team, the Queensland Firebirds. The Darters remain an important development ground for Australian netball, with many players subsequently moving on to careers with other Commonwealth Bank Trophy teams.
[edit] Current players
- Sarah Ashmore
- Karyn Bailey
- Emily Beaton
- Lauren Berger
- Susan Fuhrman (vice-captain)
- Laura Geitz
- Belinda Holmes
- Josephine Janz
- Megan Kelly
- Rachael Knight
- Janelle Lawson
- Clare McMeniman (captain)
- Shannon Priestley
- Nikala Smith
- Kasey Stanaway
- Lauren Tscharke
[edit] Final placings
[edit] External links
| Teams in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy | |
|---|---|
| Adelaide Thunderbirds | AIS Canberra Darters | Hunter Jaegers | Melbourne Kestrels | Melbourne Phoenix | Perth Orioles | Queensland Firebirds | Sydney Swifts Defunct teams: Adelaide Ravens | Sydney Sandpipers |
|
