Blow to elite netball pathway

Talented Wimmera-mallee netballers looking to play at a higher level have been dealt a major blow, with Ballarat Sovereigns failing in their bid to renew their Victorian Netball League licence.

The VNL is seen as a platform to the Australian Netball League, which features players including Victorian Fury’s Sacha Mcdonald of Edenhope, a former Sovereign.

Other Wimmera players to play for the Sovereigns in recent years include Horsham’s Emma Buwalda and Horsham Saints’ Maggie Caris and Lavinia Fox.

Netball Victoria last week granted 10 clubs licences to play in the state’s premier netball competition for the next five years.

The Sovereigns club was the only one in the current group to miss out, with Netball Victoria green-lighting Casey Demons’ entry into the competition.

Sovereigns president Bill Mundy said his club was extremely disappointed by the decision.

“The decision by Netball Victoria to reject the club’s application for a licence was a blow to all the young women in the western districts of Victoria who have either the talent or the ambition to play at the highest level of the game,” he said.

“We are extremely disappointed and even more disappointed for the young women in the region.

“The decision to remove the club from the competition removes yet another elite pathway from the sporting community for the region and forces young women with talent and ambition to travel further, incur more expense or move further from family and friends to realise their dreams.”

Wimmera netballers wishing to pursue netball at a higher level will have to travel to Melbourne or Geelong.