Kyabram District League has identified its best junior netball talents to fly the region’s banner at next month’s Netball Victoria Association Championships.
A total of 30 names from 12 clubs will contest the North East bracket of the championships on May 26 in Wodonga, leaving the league’s senior vice-president of netball Simone Cordy elated with the turnout.
“I guess that it’s a really great indication of the talent we have and the ability we’ve got across all of our clubs,” she said.
“Last year was our first year (back) doing rep netball. We had a few years off and we returned to it after a few years.
“To have extra (numbers) — we had 22 girls apply for a 15-and-under grade — and the challenge was absolutely amazing.
“It was very hard to make decisions to put a team together, but we’ve been successful to do that.”
Cordy noted that four players who played in last year’s association championships from the KDL squads were talent identified as well as a local umpire.
This year, players have been split into three sides — 13-and-under, 15-and-under and 17-and-under — with Liv Curtis, Jo Backway and Cordy named as respective coaches.
In addition to May’s Association Championships, the league’s rep teams will contest tournaments in Shepparton, Echuca and Kyabram to fine tune their games and gel together.
For Cordy, that’s what it all boils down to.
“For me, it’s really exciting to watch the friendships that are formed and then to see that flow through during our Saturday-Sunday competition,” she said.
“But also come finals, to see the girls that played in teams together last year, sitting together in other club shirts supporting friends that they played rep netball with.
“Yes, it’s about netball, it’s about skills, it’s about talent, but to me, it’s about friendship and enjoyment of the sport.
“There’s more to winning; it’s about those lifelong social skills.”
Healthy numbers aren’t the only positive to emerge from the league’s rep resurgence.
Cordy spoke about a newly-formed partnership that’ll hold players, coaches and supporters in good stead moving ahead.
“Fernwood Shepparton has come on as a representative netball sponsor, so they’re helping out with some funding and promoting and supporting that,” she said.
“We’re pretty excited to have secured their support and sponsorship for the next two years to help get those teams across to those tournaments which is fantastic.”
13-and-under squad
Miska Versis (Lancaster), Chloe Carmichael, Lylah Morris, Olivia Elson, Ruby Sullivan (Nagambie), Ava Giles, Ellie Sidebottom, Fenn Burgess (Tallygaroopna), Charli Hart (Undera)
15-and-under squad
Zara Ludeman (Dookie United), Sophie McDonald (Girgarre), Brooklyn Hebbard (Merrigum), Matilda Ewart, Nylah Anderson, Frankie Ewart (Murchison-Toolamba), Jazarah Beer, Abbey Whittaker (Nagambie), Lexie Pearce (Tallygaroopna), Jemma Hart (Undera)
17-and-under squad
Adison Thornberry (Avenel), Mia Ludeman (Dookie United), Jessie McDonald, Mikayla Kuiper (Girgarre), Holly Bender (Longwood), Isobella Spedding (Merrigum), Teaghan Buntine, Sakuyra Versis (Lancaster), Sophie Lewis, Matilda Chenery (Shepparton East), Chloe North (Undera)