QLD Firebirds Futures Academy

On a netball court in Moranbah, under the big Central Queensland sky, something quietly powerful is happening. It looks like drills. It sounds like squeaking sneakers and laughter. But zoom out a little, and it’s actually a glimpse into the future.

The Queensland Firebirds have landed. But it’s not for game day, it’s for something arguably more important.

Firebirds Head Coach Kiri Wills is in town, working with young athletes who, until recently, might’ve only seen elite netball on a screen. “It’s great to get out into the community and do some work,” she says, standing court-side as players run through drills behind her.

These visits are part of the Queensland Firebirds Futures Academy, a program designed to bring high-performance sport into regional communities. And not just once in a blue moon. Between coaches and players, the Firebirds are clocking up around a dozen regional visits a year, connecting with athletes well beyond Brisbane’s usual reach.

Because for a lot of these girls, the pathway to elite sport hasn’t always felt visible.

“You can’t be what you can’t see,” Kiri explains. “If they see us in their community… they can see that there’s a career progression for them in professional sport.”

It’s a simple idea, but a powerful one. Exposure builds belief. Belief builds ambition. And ambition, with enough hard work, can take you places.

“I reckon there might be some future Firebirds behind me if they put the work in,” Kiri adds. “If you can work hard, you can be a professional athlete.”

Out here, netball already runs deep. Moranbah might be small, but it punches well above its weight in the Mackay competition, with a strong local scene and a tight-knit community backing it.

And that’s where programs like this really land.

Supported by BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), the Queensland Futures Academy helps bridge the gap between regional talent and elite opportunity. Or, as local coach and parent John O’Leary-Allen puts it, a bit more plainly: “That means regional girls get a chance to make it big.”

For families, that access changes everything.

“Because of this program, it means my family can stay here … and they still get a shot at making it on the big stage,” John says.

In other words, you don’t have to leave your community behind to chase something bigger. You can stay connected to where you’re from and still aim high.

For Kiri, there’s another layer to it as well. These visits aren’t just about the next generation, they’re a reminder for the current one.

“Getting out into the community grounds you. It reminds you where you came from,” she says.

Because every professional player, every coach, every elite athlete started somewhere that looked a lot like this. A local court. A weekend game. A coach who gave them a shot.

And now, that same cycle is playing out again in places like Moranbah.

It might look like just another training session.

But for a few of those girls on court, it could be the start of something much bigger.