Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Queensland and New South Wales love to battle it out on the sporting field, and tonight will be no exception. But I want to talk about last Saturday night, when nearly 9,000 screaming netball fans descended on the Brisbane Entertainment Centre for the climax of the Suncorp Super Netball competition with the Sunshine Coast lightning delivering a thumping 65-48 thrashing of the Sydney Giants. Lightning is the first national league sporting franchise to be based on the Sunshine Coast. They are outstanding ambassadors. They indicate exactly what typifies the Sunshine Coast. They are absolute champions. The success of the Lightning as a reigning national champion team—indeed, as the best domestic netball team in the world—is even more remarkable when you think that this club was launched only last August as a joint venture between the Melbourne Storm and the University of the Sunshine Coast. Built as a team from scratch, Lightning has astounded the national sporting community and delighted fans. Today they are not just the pride of the Sunshine Coast; they are also the pride of the mighty state of Queensland.