Now, the 17-year-old is fundraising to help get her to the national all-abilities netball championships in Brisbane in October. 

“I’ve been representing Victoria in netball for three years now,” she said.

“When I was 13, I started being involved. My PE teacher at school had this letter from Netball Victoria for the team and told me to go for it. I was pretty scared and I was shy to go for it. 

“It feels really good and I was just so happy and proud to represent Victoria. It’s good to have my family with me and supporting me when I play.”

Bianca’s mother, Robyn, said netball has brought out a different side to Bianca. 

Bianca has an intellectual disability and has struggled with confidence for many years. 

“Bianca has an intellectual disability and netball has really brought out her confidence,” Robyn said.

“She has become a stronger person and is just proud of who she is.

“For me, I’ve seen her grow in confidence because she is around people like her. People aren’t going to judge her for having a disability. 

“Netball helps her come out more. It might not even be about her disability, but just about her as a person. A lot of people lack in confidence. “

Bianca and her family have to travel to Melbourne every weekend to practice with the Victorian state team. 

Frequent trips down the highway take their toll, Robyn said. 

“We’ve set up a fundraiser and it helps us because we have to go to training in Melbourne every weekend,” she said.

“It just helps us with a bit of travel and petrol money and accommodation. With all sport, you need to pay a fee – so that could help us there, too. 

“We’ve raised about $400 so far and that will help us out.

“We do have some sponsorship from the Barengi Gadjin Land Council and also Goolum Goolum. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have been able to take Bianca to previous championship in Perth or Sydney or even get her to training.”

As well as growing in confidence as a young person with a disability, Bianca’s Indigenous culture also plays a big part in her life. 

Bianca said she felt proud not to only represent Victoria at netball but also her Indigenous community. 

“It is pretty special when I think about it,” she said. 

“It’s hard the first time because there’s new people coming into the team and learning how we all play together. 

“I play centre and wing defence, so I play everywhere on the court. 

“I like netball because I’ve been able to make new friends and meet new people.”

Robyn said: “She isn’t only representing Victoria but she is also a young Aboriginal girl representing her community. To be a Wotjobaluk girl, and I think she is the first Aboriginal girl that has a disability to represent Victoria, is important.  

“She is really passionate about who she is and her identity. Netball has really helped her out at the Horsham Special School. She has been school captain and vice-captain and before netball she wouldn’t put her hand up to do anything.

“When she stops overthinking things, she does really well with her netball. Netball is helping her with her disability.”

Robyn said the football and netball club in their home town of Dimboola as well as Bianca’s current club, Taylors Lake, have been supportive of her journey. 

“She played last year for Dimboola and now she plays for Taylors Lake,” Robyn said.

“She has also played for the Wimmera Whippets. Representing Victoria is a big thing for her and the community has been very supportive of her. She is representing her Wotjobaluk community too and we are very proud of her.”

Bianca said this year would be her third all-abilities national netball championships. She competed in Sydney in 2016 and then Perth last year. 

“It’s very competitive,” she said.

“There are people of all ages in the team. New South Wales is the hardest team to play every year.

“Last year the Northern Territory played for the first time. When they won their first game everyone stopped their games mid-game and ran and gave the Northern Territory team a big hug.”

Robyn said seeing the Northern Territory team win their first game was a special moment. 

“It was so great to see that sportsmanship,” she said.

“It was their first time and they were all Aboriginal and it was so sentimental watching it. You are almost in tears. You don’t see that a lot in other sports.”

Bianca loves pulling on the Victorian netball outfit but said she could go one step further. 

“I could represent Australia, I’d like to do that. I need to train a lot,” she said.