Super crowd a winner
MELBOURNE Vixen Emily Mannix says she would love to see more Super Netball played in Geelong.
The local netball star, who made her return from concussion in the Vixens’ pre-season win over the Swifts on Saturday night, played in front of a full house at The Arena.
It was proof there was a demand for top-end netball in the region, but as always capacity of Geelong’s stadiums is an issue.
Mannix said she loved playing in front of her friends and family and would like to do it again soon.
“It was lovely, it was so good having the game in Geelong,” Mannix said.
“I said to the girls we should play down here more often. Tegan and I would definitely like that. part of the 2018 Quad Series and Constellation Cup.
The Diamonds will play England at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on September 19 only six months after the visitors’ stunning 52-51 upset Games victory on the Gold Coast.
The series moves to Melbourne as part of a Quad Series
“Having it down in Geelong, I had about 20 tickets to family and friends that came. It was nice to have everyone there for my first game back, having that support behind me and us (as a team).
“It would be really cool to come back down. Having preseason games down here is really good, I don’t think Geelong has a stadium with a capacity for all of our Vixens supporters but in the future it would be awesome to have something like that.”
Geelong is a breeding ground for netball stars, with current Super Netball players Madi Robinson, Tegan Philip and Alice Teague-Neeld joining Mannix in the competition.
The Geelong Cougars has also proved to be a great pathway to the top, with the VNL developing the region’s next batch of stars.
They played the Vixens the day after the Swifts in a lowkey friendly in Geelong.