Proud First Nations team honour: young Laker a state training partner

IT’S been a netball season of many highs for Audrey Domaille, but there is a sense things are only starting warm up for the Ballarat teenager.

The young defender has been one of the keys to Lake Wendouree’s first half of season success that has the Lakers well poised in fourth spot on the BFNL ladder.

She is also coming off a convincing first season with Victorian Netball League club Western Warriors’ development team in the VNL Reserves competition.

But Domaille has something extra to look forward to over the next few months as she looks to help guide the Lakers into the strongest position possible ahead of this year’s final series.

The well-grounded and humble 16-year-old has been selected as a training partner for the Victorian First Nations state team.

The team will compete at Netball Australia’s First Nations tournament from August 20 to August 24 at Jubilee Park, Frankston.

This is the second year Victoria will have a representative First Nations team at the national tournament which began last year, following the success of the inaugural 2024 team, which finished fourth in the competition.

Domaille – a Wamba Wamba woman – is one of five training partners picked to complement the team of 10 players that includes fellow BFNL netballer Jemiah Niki, from Sunbury.

A previous Budgies Victorian Indigenous Netball team representative, she could not be happier to have been selected to represent her community and culture.

“It’s really exciting. I played for the Budgies Indigenous national team last year in the under-18s and we came second,” Domaille said.

“I’m very grateful to get the opportunity. There’s a lot of girls in the team I have yet to meet, which will be exciting.

“I know a couple … Elisa (Butterworth-Gonebale), who I have played with in the Budgies, and I also know Chloe Eyre; she is my cousin.

“It will be a great experience.”

As a member of the squad, she will be required for state team training on Fridays after school and Sundays.

“It’s good to get my hours up for my driver’s licence… I’m nearly finished,” Domaille said.

“And because home is on the New South Wales side of the border for me, I can get my Ps here.”

A boarding student at Ballarat Grammar, Domaille hails from Murray Downs, across the border from Swan Hill.

She considers herself fortunate to have landed at Lake Wendouree and is excited by the team’s second half of season prospects.

“We’ve been travelling pretty well – fourth at the moment,” she said. “I’m hoping we make it to finals.

“We’re a pretty young side. (Goal shooter) Addi Funcke is also at Ballarat Grammar and she’s only 17, and we have (goal attack) Ebony Porter, who’s also 17.

“Hopefully the team can grow together. I’d like to finish top three before finals, but we’ll see how the rest of the season goes.”

Following a five-goal win against Bacchus Marsh last Saturday, the Lakers play ninth-placed Sebastopol and Ballarat (10th), before a run of tough games against finals contenders Darley, North Ballarat, Sunbury and Redan.

Domaille viewed her VNL involvement at the Warriors as a first-class learning experience.

“It was a good season to meet some new girls and to work on my netball,” she said.

With such a busy schedule of netball commitments, Domaille said she was grateful for the support of those around her, especially family.

“Mum (Nonie) does a lot of travelling around, coming to Ballarat and back to Swan Hill,” she said.

“I am very grateful and very lucky to have her.”

A true team-first player, Domaille did not hesitate when asked if there was something she would especially like to achieve in netball this season.

“I’d definitely like to get into finals, or even a granny with Lakers,” she said.

“On top of that, I’d just like to develop myself and improve my game.”