Gracie Smith and Geva Mentor: The oldest and the youngest players on court
- Lauren White
- Jun 10
- 2 min read
Netball Super League holds both the oldest and youngest players on court as 16 year old Pulse Midcourt Gracie Smith and 40 year old Leeds Rhinos Goalkeeper Geva Mentor battle it out on court.
London Pulses’ Gracie Smith:
Aged 16, Gracie Smith is the youngest contracted player in the Netball Super League this 2025 season.
Dominating the court at either Wing Defence or Centre, She has helped the London Pulse side during some pivotal moments throughout the season.
Alongside playing Netball, She also completed her GCSE’s this summer.
Last Season, the youngster was a training partner for Saracens Mavericks (now known as London Mavericks) but Head Coach Sam Bird was happy with her progress and brought her into the squad of 10.
On the International Stage, Gracie was called up just aged 14 to the England Under-17 squad and won the U17 Netball Europe Championship.
She was included in the Roses Academy for the 2023-24 international season and continued in 2024-25.
She got selected for the Netball World Youth Cup training squad alongside a number of Netball Super League players who are 21 and under.
Leeds Rhinos’ Geva Mentor:
Aged 40, Mentor is the oldest player in the Netball Super League and currently plays for Leeds Rhinos before hanging her boots up in the final game of the seaso this weekend.
Playing across the defensive third, she has been around the big netball leagues since 2001 starting her career at Team Bath and was part of the side that won the inaugural Netball Super League title in 2005/06.
In 2008, she was part of a number of England Internationals that moved across to Australia for the ANZ Championship signing for Adelaide Thunderbirds initially.
In 2009, She then returned to England so she could sign for Surrey Storm (which was rebranded at the time). In March 2010, she returned to Australia to sign for Melbourne Vixens of which she stayed there between 2011 and 2016.
In 2014, she made her 100th ANZ appearance and became the first import player to do so. In 2016, she moved to Sunshine Coast Lightning and became captain the year later. She moved to Collingwood Magpies in 2019 and was made Co Captain as well as making her 200th appearance in Australian Netball.
After 16 seasons in Australia, she returned to the Netball Super League in 2024 after signing for Leeds Rhinos.
Following the conclusion of the 2023 World Cup in Cape Town, she announced her international retirement after making her senior debut in July 2001, aged 16.
For England, she won 8 medals across the Commonwealth Games, Netball World Cup and the Fast5 Netball World Series including two golds.
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