The statue of netball legend Laura Geitz has been unveiled at its new home today, the Queensland State Netball Centre (QSNC), ahead of round four of the Suncorp Super Netball season.
The $44 million centre, which features eight indoor hard courts, including a 5,000 seat show court, a gymnasium and high-performance training facilities, was opened in February this year.
Minister for Sport Mick de Brenni said he was honoured to join Laura Geitz to unveil the 2.6m bronze statue at its new home.
“Laura Geitz is a legend of Queensland netball, a Commonwealth Games medallist, world championship winner and a truly inspirational leader who captained the Firebirds to three premiership titles,” Mr de Brenni said.
“The statue was initially unveiled at BEC, the site of the Firebirds’ sensational 2015 grand final win, however it’s wonderful to see that the state’s first netball statue now takes pride of place at the home of netball, to inspire athletes and fans every time they visit.
“This statue recognises the outstanding achievements of Queensland’s female athletes, and I hope that our young netballers will see the statue as a symbol of inspiration to follow the footsteps of people like Laura.”
The statue was created by sculptor Liam Hardy in Laura’s signature defensive pose.
Netball Queensland CEO Catherine Clark said the statue would serve as a permanent reminder of the success of the Firebirds.
“The QSNC is a symbolic home for the 300,000 strong netball community across Queensland, supporting not only our champion team, but also the next generation of junior netballers,” Ms Clark said.
“Laura is an absolute inspiration, and it’s wonderful to have her likeness on display as a reminder of what we can all strive to achieve,” she said.
The Queensland Firebirds will take on the Giants Netball team today at the QSNC.
Media Contact: Gemma Buxton 0477 445 331