By BACT Media Unit – 17 December 2022

The 2023 U18 Junior Performance Program squads are complete!

Following weeks of intense trials, Women Head Coach Jenny Longergan and Men Head Coach Vivek Gupta worked with their teams to finalise two squads of young athletes that will represent Canberra in interstate competitions.

“The staff are excited by the enthusiasm with which the athletes have trialed thus far and the versatility of the squad”, said Lonergan. “We are looking forward to testing ourselves at the 2023 East Coast Challenge tournament in Penrith in early January 2023.”

Gupta had similar comments about the men’s squad: “We are excited about the breadth of talent we’ve got across the positions in the squad. We should be a hard-working, tight-knit group, with good leadership to back each other up and fight through games.” While praising the squad’s qualities, he also revealed what skills they’ll be focusing on in training: “I’m also looking forward to keying back in on some defensive principles with this group to complement their established offensive skills”.

Here are the 2023 Under 18 Junior Performance Program Squads:

2023 Under 18 Women Squad

Head Coach: Jenny Lonergan

Assistant Coach: Kelly Grandin

Assistant Coach: Alice Dyer

Manager: Tracey Peacock

  • Achol Agok (Daramalan)
  • Ava Boyes (WCWD)
  • Clare Way (TSC)
  • Damilola Bademsoi (Queanbeyan)
  • Ella Collins (TSC)
  • Emma Slater (Canberra Grammar)
  • Grace Kent (Radford)
  • Holly Denman (Radford)
  • Jessi Palframan (Radford)
  • Katiah-Ann Tait (Queanbeyan)
  • Keira Mapley (Rats)
  • Lara Stincic (WCWD)
  • Leila Nikolic (WCWD)
  • Maddison Farrah (Rats)
  • Millah Sullivan (Radford)
  • Omotara Balogun (Queanbeyan)
  • Rena Cao (Radford)
  • Sophie Brennan (WCWD)
  • Talia Enchong (TSC)
  • Zara Russell (WCWD)

2023 Under 18 Men Squad

Head Coach: Vivek Gupta

Assistant Coach: Campbell Quinn

Assistant Coach: Anthony Hunia

Assistant Coach: Ken Emelifeonwu

Manager: April Croft

  • Ajak Nyuon (Wests)
  • Alexander Culver (Stallions)
  • Arjun Rao (Stallions)
  • Cohen Stonham (Queanbeyan)
  • Damien Cooney (Marist)
  • Dante Bruton (Rats)
  • Darcy Chipman (Canberra Grammar)
  • Darcy O’Keeffe (Norths)
  • Edward O’Brien (Daramalan)
  • Finnley Daley (WCWD)
  • Mitchell Reilly (WCWD)
  • Mitchell Enchong (WCWD)
  • Owen Nihill (Marist)
  • Seliano Melekiola (Marist)
  • Solomon Duggan (Queanbeyan)
  • Vinusha Abeywickrama (Marist)
  • William Canavan (Stallions)