Historic bid for new regional netball team to join Victorian league

Neighborhood members in regional Victoria have joined forces to kind a brand new netball membership, the Bendigo Strikers, and utilized to affix the Victorian Netball League (VNL) from subsequent yr. 

If profitable, it will grow to be the second regional Victorian membership to get a workforce within the VNL, with Geelong the one regional Victorian workforce within the competitors. 

Bendigo Strikers board member Teigan Redwood has performed and coached at a neighborhood stage within the Loddon Valley Soccer Netball League and the Bendigo Soccer Netball League since she was 10.  

Ms Redwood, who is additionally the top coach on the Bendigo Academy of Sport and has performed within the VNL, stated it will be nice for the area if the bid was profitable. 

“It is a actually thrilling alternative for our native and regional netball group, to have the choice to pursue an elite netball pathway, with out the added impacts of expense, time and journey to compete in Melbourne,” Ms Redwood stated. 

“Once I was enjoying at that [VNL] stage and residing in Bendigo, it impacted my household time, my work and my college commitments.” 

Ms Redwood stated having a neighborhood VNL workforce would present extra alternatives for regional athletes, who in any other case could have had to surrender enjoying at an elite stage, because of to journey and value. 

“It offers these alternatives to native and regional athletes, coaches and umpires, to proceed alongside that pathway.” 

Hope for extra regional golf equipment 

One of many key suggestions from a assessment of the VNL competitors was for Netball Victoria to extend the variety of membership licences from 10 to 12, with capability for as much as three regional golf equipment.

Bendigo was the primary regional Victorian metropolis to get its personal WNBL workforce, which sparked hopes it will even be a trailblazer within the VNL.

There have been no different public bids from regional cities.

If the bid was profitable, Bendigo Strikers would enter a championship workforce and a 23-and-under workforce, with a five-year licence interval.

“There is not any scarcity of native expertise to attract on. We’ve so many names which have come from this area, which have competed on the VNL and Australian Diamonds stage,” Ms Redwood stated.

She stated it will not take personnel away from native competitions.

“Participation within the VNL would not influence on a participant’s capacity to play of their native league. Due to the timing of trainings and video games, it would not influence on their capacity to take part.”

Netball famous person backs bid 

Former Diamond and Bendigo resident Caitlin Thwaites is an envoy for the Bendigo Strikers and their bid to affix the VNL. 

She stated it was very thrilling. 

“Having a regional-based workforce can be unimaginable for the entire space, not simply Bendigo,” she stated.

“It might lower that journey time in half. I feel it will make so many issues so much simpler for native youngsters.” 

Having grown up coaching in Melbourne three to 4 instances every week whereas residing in Bendigo, Ms Thwaites stated a neighborhood VNL workforce would assist take away a barrier for regional netballers. 

“Mother and father having to make sacrifices and end work early, getting dwelling at 11 and 12 at night time … doing that kind of journey takes a lot dedication,” she stated.

She stated the timing was proper for Bendigo to have a VNL workforce. 

“Within the lead as much as Bendigo internet hosting the Commonwealth Video games [in 2026], I feel it is an ideal time,” she stated.

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