Teen adds state captaincy to resume

THE first time Mia Aitken stepped onto a netball court, she cried the whole game – now she is captaining a state team.

It has been a 10-year journey since that first game and now the Geelong teenager has been selected to co-captain the Victorian under-19 team for the coming national championships.

With four years of state representation experience, Aitken is no stranger to top level netball.

This will be her third time leading a state side alongside co-captain Mackenzie O’Dwyer.

“I was previously co-captain with Mackenzie in 2024 when we were top age under-17s and heading into this year I knew I would have loved to be co-captain again,” Aitken said.

“I was like, I’m not putting pressure on it, if it happens it happens and if it doesn’t, that’s okay too. I could still lead through my leadership qualities, even if I’m not in that position, but to be voted in was really nice.

“It always comes as a surprise and it’s just a real privilege. I’m super excited to do it again.”

This year’s team has an injection of new bottom-age girls who Aitken is excited to play against at Nationals in April.

With a bronze and silver medal from previous years, she is keen to get her hands on gold in 2026.

“We’ve got a few new girls this year and we’ve been training together really strongly,” Aitken said.

“The rest of us have played together on and off, which has been good because we’re able to build those connections, but I think the new girls slotted in so nicely.

“The intensity they bring to training is great and it just makes me really excited to see what we can do at Nationals this year.”

With one of the most impressive netball resumes in the region, Aitken balances her state team commitments with playing for the Geelong Cougars in the Victorian Netball League and A grade at St Mary’s.

She hopes her efforts will lead her to a Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) contract one day, but after the shock of making her first representative team as a child, she is riding each year with dignity.

“I did Barwon Sports Academy that allowed me to trial for Talent Academy – that is a development program – and through that I trialed for my first state team,” Aitken said.

“When I made it, I was very shocked because I just didn’t think it could happen.

“Obviously, a contract in SSN is the dream but I am just happy to take this as far as I can.

“You look at a lot of the girls and sometimes it doesn’t happen, but for some of them it does. I think I’m just at the stage where I want to pursue it but I’m also happy with what I’ve done.”

Netball Australia’s under-17s and under-19s national championships will be played from 9-15 April at the State Netball Centre in Parkville.