Adrian Ballantyne (19/U) and Jacinta Todd (17/U) have been named as coaches of the Victorian teams representing the state in the National Netball Championships.
Ballantyne will step into the role of 19/U head coach after one year as 19/U assistant, and the year prior as 17/U assistant. A former elite men's and mixed netball player, Ballantyne has been involved with Netball Victoria's Talent Academy program and achieved success in the Victorian Netball League (VNL) as the coach of Hawks Netball's Division 1 team, leading them to the 2022 championship.
Todd, who was appointed 17/U head coach for the 2024 tournament, will continue in the role for the second year. Her state representative coaching journey has been marked by success, with the side claiming bronze earlier this year, while in 2023 the 19/U team she assisted also reached the bronze medal match.
Todd's leadership skills have also been honed in the VNL in her role as a head coach with City West Falcons, whose Championship team she led to consecutive titles in 2022 and 2023.
Belinda Lees will support Ballantyne as assistant coach of the 19/U side. Hailing from Moama in regional Victoria, Lees enters the high-performance program after two years as a Specialist Coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport. While Sarah Mylrea has been re-appointed assistant coach of the 17/U side for the second year. Her experience includes the Talent Academy program and leading Melbourne University Lightning's 19/U team in 2023, culminating in their grand final victory against City West Falcons.
The National Netball Championships is the nation’s largest high-performance pathway event providing an opportunity for developing athletes, coaches, umpires and officials from each state and territory to compete across six days, with one team from the 17/U and 19/U age groups crowned champions on the final day. The event has produced some of the best talent in Australian netball, including an array of past and present Melbourne Vixens and Origin Australian Diamonds.
In April, the Victorian 17/U won the bronze medal, while the 19/U side lost to Western Australia in the bronze medal playoff.
“The strength of the Victorian netball pathway can be attributed to the passion and knowledge of coaches selected in positions such as the 17/U and 19/U state teams. We’re confident that AJ and Jacinta, supported by Belinda and Sarah and the team officials will continue to strive for that level of excellence,” said Netball Victoria General Manager – High Performance and Pathways, Megan Simpson.
“The National Netball Championships are a fantastic opportunity for our athletes to compete at a high standard, and we look forward to seeing their development under the guidance of these coaches.”
2025 STATE TEAM COACHES AND OFFICIALS
19/U
Head Coach: Adrian (AJ) Ballantyne
Assistant Coach: Belinda Lees
Team Manager: Penny Mudge
Physio: Pat Rowe
Performance Analyst: Alyse Wade
17/U
Head Coach: Jacinta Todd
Assistant Coach: Sarah Mylrea
Team Manager: Lisa McBain
Physio: Natasha Symmons
Performance Analyst: Rachel Ronaldson
Program Strength & Conditioning Coach: Brinley Ling
