With 10 of the 18 current Australian Diamonds playing in the tournament early on in their careers, it’s a momentous step in the journey to reaching the pinnacle of the sport.
Named as a training partner for the Firebirds in 2018, the young centre has already given us a glimpse of what’s to come with four goal assists and six feeds on debut against the Sunshine Coast Lightning in Round 5.
What looked to be a real David and Goliath match-up, Gardner was able to hold her own and prove she could go toe-to-toe with one of the world’s best in Langman.
Her ability to make an impact in just eight short minutes on court earnt the youngest player in the league a full-time gig in the Queensland Firebirds side in 2020.
But long before Gardner burst onto the Suncorp Super Netball scene, mum, Roselee Jencke, was out on court wearing the green and gold.
Diamond #89 starred in 43 tests and famously took that match-winning intercept in the 1991 World Cup Final against New Zealand.
Calling time on her international playing career at the end of 1992, Jencke remains on court as Head Coach for the Queensland Firebirds, where she’s claimed three premierships in 10 years.
After a disappointing year, filled with devastating injuries to key players, the netball mum will go back to the drawing board and look to breathe new life into the wings of her Firebirds ahead of the 2020 season.
Not letting her mums’ achievements apply any sort of pressure to her game, Gardner has forged her own successful path to the Australian World Youth Cup squad.
The 19-year old, who plays primarily at centre and wing attack, was born in Victoria but moved to Queensland and joined Metropolitan Districts Netball Association in Coorparoo.
A move that payed off, seeing the teenager move quickly through Queensland’s performance pathway and land a spot in the Deakin University Australian Netball League with the Queensland Fusion in 2018.
A MVP title soon followed for the prodigy after a strong performance at this year's National Netball Championships in the 19 and under tournament.
Gardner will join the full squad at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra on Friday 14 February for a four-day training camp to commence Netball Australia’s 2021 Netball World Youth Cup campaign.
