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Kiara Taylor selected for Australian Indigenous Under 14 Netball team
Kiara Taylor with her proud father, Randall. Image: Rhonda Hagan
by Rhonda Hagan
Toowoomba multi-talented athlete, Kiara Taylor, 13 was recently selected for the Australian Indigenous Schoolgirls netball team to compete against non-Indigenous teams from New Zealand and Australia on the Gold Coast in July. When the First Nations Telegraph caught up with the modest teenager recently she was competing in a touch football carnival in her hometown on the Darling Downs. “I was shocked by my selection,” Kiara said. “It was totally unexpected ... but I’m so happy.” Not to be outdone by her older
brother, Ashley who is currently the half back for the Broncos’ U20 and is being groomed for the top job in their NRL team, Ashley has also excelled in many sports. Representing her state in touch and softball Kiara has made the national Indigenous netball team even though she does not play in a regular netball team. “Now that I’ve made this team I will start playing night indoor netball,” Kiara said after gaining the selector’s nod in helping her South Queensland team to victory over North Queensland without losing a game recently. Kiara started playing netball when
she was six years old. “I just lost interest in netball and focused on touch football and did a bit of softball,” the humble athlete said. “I hadn’t played netball all year before the recent trials.” The Harristown State High student is the only Toowoomba representative in the national team and owes her success to her parents, Randall and Karen for encouraging her in all her sporting challenges. “I’m from the Mandandanji and Kamilaroi tribes and very proud of them,” Kiara said. “I’m sure I’ll do well in the national team.” Page 1