Netball courts hidden talent

Coming to town: Melbourne Vixens star Geva Mentor will visit Dandenong tomorrow to launch a schools program. Picture: Ken Irwin/The Age

By Roy Ward

LEADING netball club Melbourne Vixens will launch a new junior netball program in Dandenong tomorrow.

Vixens and English international netball superstar Geva Mentor will launch Netball Victoria’s new Melbourne Vixens Friendly Schools Program at Greaves Dandenong Netball Centre in Greaves Road from 10 to 11am.

The program aims to take the game to new migrants and expose the sport to those unfamiliar with the game. It will be the first in a statewide roll-out of the program.

Netball Victoria community engagement officer Cassandra Hadson says she wants more people to enjoy the sport.

“We want netball to be accessible across all sectors of the Dandenong community and this program will help us to achieve that,” Hadson said.

The program involves six Dandenong region primary schools, and includes skill fundamentals and physical games, classroom exercises, visits from Vixens role models and school visits to a Vixens game. The initiative will culminate in an inter-school netball tournament.

Mentor said she hoped to meet some future Vixens players. “My message to them is that netball is a fun sport for everybody and there are women who make a living and achieve great success in the sport.”