New era for netball

Victoria may be just weeks removed from claiming its second ANZ Netball Championship thanks to the Melbourne Vixens, but already netballers across the state are turning their attention to a new season.

It is shaping up as a landmark year for the University’s netballing community in particular, thanks to the establishment of the Melbourne University Lightning, the University’s first foray into the state’s premier competition, the Victorian Netball League.

The Lightning, a partnership between the University and the Western Lightning Netball Club, will field 19 and under, Division 1 and Championship teams in the VNL from 2015 until at least 2018.

A 10-team league, the VNL has long been a key part of Netball Victoria’s ‘Talent Identification Development Program’, providing pathways for developing netballers into both the ANZ Championships and the Australian Netball League.

With the new club based at the University’s Parkville campus, present Melbourne University Netball Club players will have the prospect of a direct pathway into elite netball right on their doorstep.

And with more than 14 teams competing under the MUNC banner, the club couldn’t be happier, according to President Jessica Jones.

“The club is delighted to have the opportunity to be part of the new development of Western Lightning. The girls are looking forward to utilising the new resources that will be available to the club including pathways into the VNL.”

Lindy Murphy, the Western Lightning Club President, agreed with these sentiments and says the partnership is a milestone for the Lightning.

“The alliance provides both the University of Melbourne and the Club with the opportunity to forge an exciting and mutually beneficial partnership that also extends to MUNC.

“While the relationship provides a springboard for growth for the Lightning through an existing player network, it also provides a high performance netball pathway within the University for players with the potential to play at VNL level.” 

One of the key reasons the University could establish a VNL presence came down to its own Elite Athlete Program, which provides career education and support to all elite athletes as part of the University’s community. The University is also an active participant in the Australia Sports Commission’s Elite Athlete Friendly University Network.

Selection trials for the 2015 season commence on 24 August, and President Lindy Murphy is excited about the potential turnout. “We have a new home base, a new coaching panel, and an elite group of high performance specialist coaches that hopefully will be seen as an attractive lure for new players aspiring to play at VNL level.

“Our training facilities will be the envy of every other VNL club. This is a club with a very bright future and the players who choose Melbourne University Lightning will be well positioned to move along the high performance pathway into the Australian Netball League and ANZ Championship.”

You can follow all the action from the VNL

vnl.com.au

To find out more about the Elite Athlete program

sport.unimelb.edu.au/EliteAthleteProgram.