Right: Onward to Penrith! Netballer Matt Keane impressed selectors at the school championships and the fastfooted wing attack has been chosen in the Victorian side to compete at the National Netball Championships.By Glen Atwell
MATT Keane’s passion for sport will soon land him on a netball court in Penrith.
The 16yearold student from St Francis Xavier College in Beaconsfield joined his school’s netball side with no experience or expectations, but soon discovered how enjoyable the sport was.
The natural netballing talents of Keane were spotted by Victorian selectors at the Netball Victoria School Championships, where his school side blitzed the competition.
Impressing the selectors, Keane was invited to join the 17andunder side at the 2006 National Netball Championships to be held in Penrith, New South Wales in April.
The wingattack player said he was thrilled to have the opportunity to play for Victoria.
“I love all sports and just decided to give netball a go,” he said.
“Now I’ve made the state side, it’s great.”
Keane is normally a dedicated footballer for Nar Nar Goon and Yabbies cricketer, but admits he has taken to the sport on the court.
“It’s a fast, fun sport. It’s a noncontact game, but it can still get pretty rough,” he said.
The sports lover said he would consider taking up netball as a regular club sport when his state duties in Sydney were complete.
Keane has started training with his Victorian teammates every Sunday at Blackburn and said the team had a number of talented players.
“The standard is very high, but I’ve made the first XI, so I’m looking forward to playing in the championships now,” he said.
The National Netball Championships run for 10 days, starting on 25 April.
