The Adelaide Thunderbirds have announced three new additions to its training partners list for 2025, with South Australians Tabitha Packer and Lucy Voyvodic selected for the first time along with Tasmanian newcomer Charlotte Walker.
Returning training partners Sophie Casey from Matrics Netball Club and defender Molly Watson from the Contax Netball Club round out the group, with four of the five having come through the Netball SA Pathway.
Tabitha Packer
At just 18 years old, Packer has already accrued a long list of accolades, including a gold medal with the 2023 Australian Youth FAST5 team and representing the Adelaide Thunderbirds Futures team in 2024.
The versatile C/WD/GD also played an integral role for the Contax Netball Club in their back-to-back Premier League premierships in 2023 and 24.
Joining Packer is her co-captain of the South Australian 2024 19U State Team and Futures teammate Lucy Voyvodic, who has also had a decorated career coming through the Netball SA Pathway.
Lucy Voyvodic
Voyvodic is a dominant WD/C hailing from the Matrics Netball Club who started playing netball when she was just eight years old.
She won gold with the 2023 SA 19U side at the Netball National Championships and was named the Most Valuable Player of the competition.
At just 19 years old, Voyvodic also won gold at the Australian Fast5 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.
On the back of standout seasons, both Voyvodic and Packer were selected to represent the Australian 21U Squad along with Sophie Casey, who went over to compete in the Fiji 21U Rising Stars Tour, in preparation for the 2025 Netball Youth World Cup.
Charlotte Walker
Walker has been playing netball since she was six years old, starting her playing career in Tasmania’s Burnie Netball Association.
In 2022, she secured a spot in the 17U Tasmanian State Team and went on to represent the Tasmanian Netball League 19U All Star Team later that same year.
Proving herself on court, she was elevated to Devon Open’s Tasmanian Netball League team in 2023.
Additionally, Walker was selected in the 2024 U21 Australian Squad that travelled to Fiji to compete.
The 18-year-old said she is excited for the opportunity to train and compete in the SSN environment.
“It means a lot to me that I’ve been given this chance,” Walker said.
“Obviously coming from such a small part of Tassie it always seems like a dream that’s never going to be a reality.
“When I got the call up, I was so shocked that I’d even been considered. I’m very proud to be one of very few Tasmanians to ever be an SSN training partner.
“My goals are to take every opportunity to develop myself in this new environment to become the best player I can be, from doing this I’m hoping I can get a contracted 10 position one day.”
Sophie Casey
Casey is returning for her third year as a Thunderbirds Training Partner, bringing with her a depth of experience across the midcourt.
The 20-year-old from the Matrics Netball Club had another outstanding season in 2024 in the Premier League and took home the Adelaide Thunderbirds Futures Most Valuable Player Award for the second-consecutive year.
Casey has also had her share of success at state level, having won gold with the SA 19U State Team in 2023 and gold with the SA Southern Force side in 2022, alongside training partner Molly Watson.
Molly Watson
Rounding out the 2025 Training Partner list is returning defender Molly Watson.
The South Australian made her way through the Netball SA Pathway as a junior, representing her state at both 17U and 19U levels, as well as winning gold with the SA Southern Force side.
Watson made her much anticipated return to netball in 2023 after undergoing surgery to repair an ACL injury she sustained in 2022.
As she returned to court for Contax Netball Club, she secured a Premier League premiership in the reserves division in 2023 where she was named Most Valuable Player in the final.
In 2024, Watson continued her form and was selected in the Adelaide Thunderbirds Futures team.
