By Tara Murray
A new under-19 netball competition is in the works to fill a void left by changes to the Victorian Netball League (VNL).
Changes to the VNL means from next season there will only be a championship and under-23 competition, instead of championship, division 1 and under-19s.
The Waverley and Altona District netball associations are driving the new league, with expressions of interest for the new competition being put out.
There would be two conferences, one based at Altona and one at Waverley, with an overall winner crowned.
Teams could come from VNL clubs, while local associations are also being sought to express their interest.
Waverley Netball Centre manager Michelle George said they already had athletes and teams from across the east and as far as Gippsland playing in their competitions.
“We want to do something to bridge the gap between the 17 and under rep programs that most associations already have in place and the under-23 VNL competition,” she said.
“We need the players playing against players in the same age group and a similar place in the pathway.
“We want them still playing at a good level and we’re already had some interest.”
George said the competition would be a good way to grow the sport and keep more players playing in a high-performance environment.
City West Falcons coach Marg Lind, who is heavily involved in the Altona association, said there needed to be a competition to bridge the gap for young athletes.
The Falcons won the VNL under-19 title last year and will again feature in finals again this year.
“We are hoping to bridge the gap for those who will miss out with no under-19s,” Lind said.
“We want to give hope to those in the west and east that there’re still opportunities.
“We are really keen to keep the amazing pathway out here.”
Lind said there had been offers for under-19s from the VNL clubs to play at Parkville, but they would be competing in open age competitions.
She said there needs to be an under-19 competition for these athletes.
Lind said there had already been about five expressions of interest with the west competition, possibly going as far as Warrnambool and Ballarat.
The competition in Altona is set to run on Thursday nights.
Lind said there were also potential sponsors looking to come on board.
How the competition will look will be decided once the two associations get an idea of the number of teams.
Both Lind and George hope this is only a starting point to ensure a strong pathway remains.
