SUPERSAINTS IN PLAYER DRAIN PAIN
ST ALBANS is facing the prospect of losing its starting senior netball team for two games next month due to a scheduling clash between the GFL and VNL.
A host of GFL clubs are likely to lose key players in the lead up to finals as a result of the fixturing conflict, with several high-profile netballers from across Geelong playing in the state competition with both City West Falcons and Geelong Cougars.
Each of those two clubs have teams in all three divisions — Championship, Division 1 and under-19s — that sit inside the top four with two rounds of the home-and-away season remaining.
The VNL plays the majority of its regular season matches on Wednesday night, but has fixtured its preliminary and grand finals to be played on consecutive Saturdays on August 12 and August 19.
With rounds 16 and 17 of the GFL falling on the same dates, players from sides in those games would be unable to fulfil their commitments with their GFL teams, with the higher grade competition taking precedence.
St Albans’ entire premier grade side is made up of players from the Falcons and Cougars, including midcourt star Maggie Lind and shooting sensation Tharjini Sivalingam. It means the Supersaints will either be forced to rely on their whole B-grade squad (which is third on the ladder) to play two matches on one day or seek a compromise with their opponents to have the dates of their games changed should City West progress. St Albans coach Nicole Richardson, who is also an assistant coach at the Falcons, said that the fixturing clash was a genuine concern.
“Our concern moving forward is with two of those last six games clashing with VNL finals being on Saturdays — that is a real issue,” Richardson said.
“I’m going to get to the point where I’m physically not going to be able to field an Agrade team (with St Albans) for two matches.”
Newtown is in a similar position to St Albans, with key position players Julia Woolley (Geelong), Jacqui Newton (City West) and Kath Knott (City West) facing an extended time away from the Eagles.
Last year St Mary’s lost two of its starting team for the qualifying final against South Barwon as a result of an under-19 VNL grand final.
AFL Barwon netball co-ordinator Sarah Scott said it was disappointing for teams to get to this point of the year and be confronted with the possibility of losing their best players.
“This is the second year the VNL has clashed with us,” Scott said.
“We tried to put letters to them last year to change the date but we don’t know why they play on a Saturday when they play Wednesday every other round.”
Any request to change the date of an AFL Barwon match must be submitted at least 14 days beforehand.