A Goulburn Valley Grammar School (GVGS) team full to the brim with netball talent showcased its skills at a state level on August 30, taking out the 2022 Netball Victoria School Championships in Melbourne.
Securing victory in the intermediate girls category at the State Netball Centre, the Year 9 and 10 students overcame schools from across Victoria to hoist the title.
Coached by GVGS’s head of health and PE Megan Harrison, the squad scraped through the group stage of the tournament, overcoming Catholic College Sale in the final to take home the trophy.
“It will certainly be a highlight of their netball careers and it’s certainly one for the netball resume,” Harrison said.
“For them to have that feather in their cap is pretty exciting for them as young netballers.”
Harrison said with a lot of the squad in the process of trialling for Victorian Netball League (VNL) teams, experience at high level tournaments was crucial.
“It’s just outstanding to have a group of 10 girls who I would say are all at a representative level and they’d be any coach’s dream to have in the team,” she said.
“So for me to have that privilege (of coaching them) is pretty awesome.”
Divided into three different pools, GVGS battled it out against public and private schools from across the state, making it through to the semi-final as the best-placed runner-up.
From here the side did what it needed to do, securing victory in the semi-final and grand final to lift the trophy.
An experienced coach, this was not Harrison’s first time winning the event, with the talented coach also taking the GVGS squad to the same tournament victory in 2018.
She said it was “pretty surreal” for a regional school that concentrates on academics to now have two championships.
A number of individuals stood out across the day, with goalers Harriet Gall (Shepparton Swans) and Natasha Dodos (Kyabram) connecting well, while midcourter Montanna Bourke (Shepparton) fed the attacking duo.
“I think having four girls from the Shepparton Swans in the team certainly provided some connections on the court,” she said.
“I just think it’s fantastic for country girls to take it up to city girls.”
While the intermediate side went all the way, it was not the only GVGS team to compete at the level, with the primary and senior teams also making the trip to compete in their respective competitions.
“It’s an awesome achievement in itself just making that finals day,” Harrison said.