Young netballers step forward

TWENTY junior netballers return to their local clubs with a wealth of experience after playing at the Netball Victoria State Titles in Bendigo over the weekend.

Two Murray Region netball sides made the journey, 15-and-under and 17-and-under teams representing their region against 17 other sides.

The Murray teams each played 17 games, with the 17-and-unders managing five wins and a draw, and the 15-and-under team walking away with four wins.

Murray Region 17-and-under coach Mel Wait said the girls remained competitive against most sides.

“Our girls performed really well,” she said.

“The 17s in particular beat a couple of the stronger teams, but also lost a couple of games that they shouldn’t have.

“They really showed that they can match it with some of those really good Melbourne-based teams.

“The under-15s were practically the same. They’re quite a young team, so they are looking like they’ll be a really good team at next year’s state titles.”

Wait said the Murray Region sides were going up against teams who had continued to play throughout the summer.

“While we’ve done a lot of training, you could see that as the tournament went on the better our girls got,” she said.

“They just got that little bit stronger and worked better together as a team as the tournament went on.

“A lot of those teams in Melbourne play netball year round and we haven’t started our season yet.

“I think something we need to focus on is really capitalising on our turnovers and making sure we take the game on.

“In those key moments, when you’ve got the confidence that really makes a big difference.”

With temperatures almost 40 degrees in Bendigo, Wait said the tournament prioritised player safety.

“We were pretty fortunate that the organisers moved all of the games indoors for everyone.

“They also shortened the quarters to seven minutes, and they made sure to have some gaps in between.

The opening ceremony included the chance for local girls to hold the flag for the region.

Olivia Flower was the 17-and-under player chosen to hold the flag, while Lily Wise was the flagbearer for the 15-and-under side.

Wait said the camaraderie between players who were often on opposite sides during the season was fantastic to see.

“They were really good teammates and they worked really hard for each other,” she said.

“They made sure that everyone was included and supported each other really well.

“It’s fantastic to see those friendships build between girls from different clubs.

“Those relationships will also be really good for the girls as they move onto interleague.

“As coaches, we were really proud of the way they performed.

“It’s a lot of netball that they played, and the effort and the dedication these girls put into giving their best is really important to recognise.”