Weipa’s Olivia Emmett has been selected to represent the Peninsula netball team just four years after starting out in the sport. Photo: Supplied.
She is described as normally shy and quiet, but on the court, she is one of Weipa’s fiercest young competitors.
Just four years after beginning her netball adventure, 12-year-old Olivia Emmett will be heading to Caloundra next week after being selected to represent the 10-12 years Peninsula team at the 2025 Queensland Representative School Sport Netball State Championship.
After not getting the outcome she wanted at last year’s tryouts, Emmett said it became her dream to make the state team this year after coming so close.
“I was a bit disappointed last year getting picked as a shadow, but I’m feeling good this year,” she said.
The rising star was the only person to make the Peninsula team north of Cairns, which, as Cape York athletes know, was no easy feat with geographical challenges and fewer training sessions.
Emmett has travelled to Cairns every fortnight in the lead-up to the competition to attend the weekly Peninsula training sessions as much as possible.
“It’s a bit harder, I guess, because for the Peninsula team, it’s every week, but I go down to Cairns every second week, and we only have training for two hours on a Saturday,” she said.
Weipa Social Netball Club coach Kini Rokosoi said Emmett’s exceptional talent and dedication to the sport set her apart from most players her age.
“She’s absolutely gone from peak to peak since she started,” she said.
“Her commitment to netball has definitely been well above her own age group, and she plays to the level of probably about a 16-year-old.
“When we recently went to Townsville [for the Netball Queensland Country Carnival], my plan wasn’t to take any of the grade 7s or any 12-year-olds, but Olivia was an exception, along with two other kids of her age.”
The coach said Emmett was somewhat of a rarity in the sport, being proficient in both defence and shooting.
“She first started off in defence, and she just kind of progressively got into shooting, which is really quite unique for a netballer,” she said
“Normally, you’re kind of one or the other, you’re either a good shooter or a good defender, but she’s an excellent all-rounder.”
Ms Rokosoi said the club was incredibly proud to have her representing Weipa in Peninsula colours, adding that it took a special player to be selected despite her remote location.
“For them to choose her, even though she can’t attend every single training session, you have to be something special for them to trust that you’re going to train outside of their training, and perform at the state titles,” she said.
