Promising junior 'inspired' by those before her

By Phina Newton

For Scarlet Jauncey, netball and family go hand-in-hand. 

Born in Western Australia, she is one of three children. And like most younger siblings, Scarlet copied what her older sister Jamaica was doing, and that just so happened to be netball.  

Her netball journey started in primary school, but it was when she reached high school her netball career really took off. 

Her family made the mammoth move across the country to Queensland to live closer to her mum’s side of the family.

Not long into the big move and Scarlet was offered a scholarship to study and play netball at Moreton Bay College, a school with a renowned netball program.  

“It was great. I actually had some specialist coaching from Vicki Wilson there, which was amazing," she said.

This experience was the catalyst for Scarlet. She started to excel in the sport and quickly realised she could strive for more. 

“I represented my area which was Metro East, and I made the state U15s team in 2020,” she said. 

“I’d always grown up playing with my older sister, playing up an age and when I finally played in my own age group, I felt that I had developed so much and could play really well.” 

It’s clear Scarlet’s strong relationship with her sister has had a huge impact on her netball. She even got another opportunity to play with her sister, this time in a more elite environment. 

“I have grown up playing with my older sister my whole life, and playing up in the higher teams with her was obviously something that helped me to be better and was definitely a huge inspiration,” she said. 

“We were actually in the U17 team together that didn’t get to go away because of COVID, which was unfortunate, but it was great to be able to be with her during that.” 

Although they have not gone on to in the state team together, after moving back to WA a few years ago, they together joined the Hamersley Comets.  

Following in her sister’s footsteps might have been the best choice she could make, considering where she is in the sport now.  

Scarlet is one of 26 athletes who have been selected in the U19 Australian squad. This is a huge honour for the 17-year-old, who hopes this is only just the beginning of her time in the green and gold. 

“Playing for Australia would be amazing to represent my country and my people, the Yaruwu people. It would be amazing to play for my family that have worked so hard to get me to where I am,” she said. 

Despite this being her first time named to the squad, Scarlet is no stranger to representing what is important to her.  

Her dad’s side of the family are based in Broome and therefore she identifies as a proud Yaruwu woman. She is proud to be an indigenous woman and an athlete, and she uses any chance she gets to represent where she came from. When her Hamersley Comets team introduced an Indigenous dress, she felt a very special connection towards it. 

“Throughout NAIDOC week carnivals and different Indigenous weeks, we wear an Indigenous dress, and my uncle actually designed a turtle for the dress. I’m very proud to play for and represent my family,” she said. 

It’s clear that Scarlet’s family and elders are a strong reason behind why she plays netball.  

“My elders give me confidence and belief in myself to obviously play netball. They’re a huge inspiration for me, and I’m just so proud to be playing on behalf of them,” she said.

“I look up to my parents, because they’re such hard workers and they motivate me so much. Especially when I was younger, they were driving me everywhere, the early mornings and just providing me with so much support, I couldn’t do it without them.” 

Scarlet may be on the precipice of adulthood and becoming more independent, but the early mornings remain the same. Alongside completing Year 12 and balancing school netball commitments, she is juggling all her representative teams’ trainings.  

She has been in consecutive WA state teams, both in U17 and U19 – this year winning Silver at the National Championships. She has her Hamersley Comets team obviously, and perhaps most importantly, her trainings with the West Coast Fever Academy.  

“We do two trainings a week with them, and then two gym sessions a week. It’s a lot of early mornings,” Scarlet said. 

This is her second year in the program and Scarlet credits it for playing a key role in her development. She even got be mentored by her idol who plays the same position as her. 

“My idol growing up was Courtney Bruce, her being in the Diamonds and as goalkeeper. Then her mentoring me was amazing,” she said. 

While Bruce may act as an inspiration for her GK playing abilities, down the other end of the court in GS, Donnell Wallam is a source of inspiration to Scarlet, for different reasons.  

“Through the First Nations program, I had a few mentoring sessions with her which was amazing, getting to talk to her and learn about her experiences,” she said. 

Wallam is one of two Indigenous players in the SSN currently, but that only acts as further inspiration for Scarlet as she looks to continue her netball journey. Because if you can’t see it, you can’t be it. 

“It makes me feel like if they can make it, I can too. And obviously to see them so proud of who they are while playing, it brings a lot of confidence to me for when I get up to that level and even now,” she said.