Junior netballers from across the region are getting together for a new competition at YMCA Cardinia LiFE. Pictured are, from left, Kealeigh Brown, Chantel Flannery, Tahlia Brown, Hannah Carney, Rachael Bell, Sara Stevanovic and Zoe Brown. 28506 NETBALL is set to expand in the area after Easter with the debut of a new under-15 and under-13 competition, to be known as the Eastern Netball Challenge.
The competition will involve teams from clubs across the district and be played on Tuesday nights at YMCA-Cardinia LiFE.
Clubs that have already committed to enter teams include Nar Nar Goon, Beaconsfield, Pakenham, Narre Warren and St Francis Xavier College, while organisers are hoping that Beaconhills College, Officer, Drouin, Garfield and Kooweerup will also take part in the inaugural season.
The new competition is aimed to start the foundation of a stronger netball community within the Cardinia Shire and it is hoped that it will foster and develop netball in the area, focusing on juniors and giving them an opportunity to play against clubs within their region.
Casey Cardinia Netball League chairperson Alison Neil said that the new competition was an exciting development of the sport in the district.
“Build netball from grass roots up is the way to grow and develop a strong competition,” she said.
“The Eastern corridor has some of the best junior talent in the state, but to build a strong competition we need to also develop umpires and coaches, which will flow on to our players.
“I hope that parents and players see this as a beginning for the area and a chance for clubs to become part of the foundation of the future.”
Ms Neil added that there had been talk of forming a steering committee with Netball Victoria to explore the potential of hosting a State League competition in Pakenham in 2010, however junior development was important prior to that.
The competition is the start of a five-year plan to build netball across the Cardinia Shire and would be modelled on the prestigious Waverley and Knox association competitions, which started similarly small and have now grown to be two of the strongest competitions in the South Eastern corridor.
Coaches will also get an opportunity to develop with the Pakenham Netball Association sponsoring two participants in Netball Victoria field workshops.
A tournament to launch the competition will be held on Saturday, 4 April with the entire netball community in the district invited to get involved and help kick off the Eastern Netball Challenge.
For further details contact Alison Neil on 0432 688 394.
