By Sophie Taylor
“We play very passionately; we play very naturally.”
ACT captain Poppi Laine is forging her own path, bringing a flair to the goal circle in the process.
Participating in her third First Nations Tournament this week, Laine was named ACT captain for the first time this year.
“Stepping into this captaincy position is really special and important to me,” she said.
“I'm not one to really tell you what to do, I prefer to listen to everyone around me.
“I just want to make sure these girls are having a great time and want to keep going to the First Nations Tournament for more years to come.”
For Laine, that’s what makes representing the ACT in the First Nations Tournament particularly important.
“My mob is Wiradjuri, but I've grown up on Ngunnawal land, which is the Canberra region,” she said.
“I may be from the largest mob, but in Canberra especially, we don't have a lot of Indigenous people.
“I get to show my culture and our abilities as indigenous athletes… we play a very different type of netball. We play very passionately; we play very naturally.
“I'm excited to showcase what my culture has taught me and apply it to netball.”
Laine spent time across various states throughout her childhood and teen years, growing up on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait before moving to Darwin and, eventually, Canberra.
Captain Poppi Laine is ACT's top scorer at the First Nations Tournament.
The nation’s capital is where Laine’s played majority of her netball after first picking up a ball at age 10.
From there, she represented ACT in 17/U nationals in 2024 and is participating in her third First Nations Tournament this week.
“When I made teams like First Nations where I was surrounded by girls that knew culture, girls that are very likeminded people to me, that helped me grow and grow my confidence,” Laine said.
“We all don't make teams, we all get injured, but it's how we bounce back from that that matters.”
This year’s competition is special for Laine for more than just the captaincy.
“This is my last year of netball,” she said.
“I’m in the process of committing and going to college in America at the start of next year, which is why this is my last tournament, sadly, but I'm ready to go off with a bang.”
Laine is looking forward to putting her full focus into her other passion, basketball, while she’s there.
“I'm going to college about 45 minutes outside of Chicago, playing there and studying as well, so it's going to be an amazing experience,” she said.
“I'm going in the middle of winter, so it's going to be like minus 18 degrees and cold, I’m unprepared!”
Watch every match of the 2026 First Nations Tournament LIVE >> YOUTUBE
