5 September 2025
Preparing to take on England in an international mixed netball Test series, Leading Seaman Jordan O’Brien is proud and excited to represent Australia on the global stage.
“It’s going to be really cool – we haven’t played England before, it’ll be a great experience,” Leading Seaman O’Brien said.
With more than eight years of service in the Navy, most of it spent in Sydney, she has balanced a career with a lifelong passion for netball.
Leading Seaman O’Brien grew up in Kingscliff, NSW, and went to school at Mt St Patrick’s College in Murwillumbah.
She played junior netball for Cudgen Netball Club and representative netball for Tweed Netball Association.
“I started playing when I was about seven or eight,” Leading Seaman O’Brien said.
“I played representative netball all the way through growing up to just before I joined the Navy.”
Her netball journey took a brief pause after enlistment, but she found her way back through social games at HMAS Cerberus and eventually into the ADF netball program.
“I met a few people involved in ADF netball, and I think it was about two or three years in when I really got involved properly and I’ve been part of it ever since,” Leading Seaman O’Brien said.
Her talent earned her a spot in the NSW state team in 2023 and 2024, when the team won back-to-back national titles.
“It was a great vibe. One of my favourite memories was playing in the grand final with all the ADF teams in the stands cheering me on, even though I wasn’t playing for ADF at the time,” she said.
Leading Seaman O’Brien plays in the midcourt, mainly in centre and wing defence positions, where her ability to read the game and contest the ball come in handy.
'Netball, and particularly mixed netball, has given me so many opportunities, not only to better my game but to grow as a person.'
She describes netball as the ultimate team sport.
“You can’t play without every person who is out there on the court,” Leading Seaman O’Brien said.
“Netball, and particularly mixed netball, has given me so many opportunities, not only to better my game but to grow as a person.”
Through netball, Leading Seaman O’Brien has travelled across Australia and now overseas, meeting incredible people from all walks of life.
“That’s definitely why I keep playing,” she said.
The tour is being organised under the Australian Men’s and Mixed Netball Association (AMMNA), a volunteer-run body working to elevate the profile of men’s and mixed netball in Australia.
Unlike Netball Australia, AMMNA is not recognised by the Australian Sports Commission, which means athletes like Leading Seaman O’Brien often pay their own cost for international competition.
The ADF Netball Association, as a member of AMMNA, is excited that Leading Seaman O’Brien will be representing them as well, and they are looking for ways to support her.
As for the level of competition expected in England, she is preparing for the unknown.
“Australia hasn’t played England in mixed netball so it’s a bit of a mystery until that first game,” Leading Seaman O’Brien said.
“However, you can almost guarantee they will be fast, smart and determined to get a win over Australia.”
As she prepares to don the green-and-gold, Leading Seaman O’Brien hopes her journey will inspire greater recognition for mixed netball and pave the way for its place on the Olympic stage.
