Ada Kennedy and Alexis Iddles have been hand-picked to trial for a prestigious netball academy, after catching the eyes of scouts from the state’s top netball body.

In November, the Cobram and Strathmerton Football Netball Club products will stake their claim at the trials for the 2026 Northeast Talent Academy in Shepparton, from which no more than 30 girls will be taken into the program.

Being selected to trial for the academy is a first for Kennedy, who last year got a taste of representative netball when she featured in the Murray League under-13s side that made its all the way to Melbourne.

More recently, this year, the 14-year-old Cobram FNC goal attack and her Strathmerton FNC counterpart in Iddles caught the attention of Netball Victoria scouts while competing in the Northeast Region Association Championships, the culmination of a five-week tournament which included games and training across the north-east.

Cobram Football Netball Club under-15s coach Sandra Kennedy was proud of her daughter’s achievement.

“It’s nice for her to go, ‘well, yes, what I’m doing is working as a player’,” Kennedy said.

“Ada works really hard at her netball. She listens and wants to learn and is always trying to put anything she learns into her game on game day.

“She works hard, so it’s really nice to see her being recognised for that.”

For young athletes like Kennedy and Iddles, a spot in the academy means access to esteemed coaches and the opportunity to learn from the best in the sport.

The academy, importantly, can also serve as a pathway to be selected into the Victorian under-17 side.

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Monday, 31st March 2025

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