Honey is no stranger to the steps it takes to make it into the big leagues of netball in Australia. An agile midcourter for Victoria and Australia during the 1980s, Honey utilised her knowledge and experience to improving some of the biggest Vixens’ names as the assistant coach for the Melbourne Vixens.
After stepping down from her role with the Vixens, Honey relocated her efforts into training up the next phase of elite netballers and took on the coaching position of the Victorian Fury that would lead them directly to a 2019 Premiership.
Having experienced the netball pathways first hand, Honey says the Bupa VNL is vital for the development of the sport she knows and loves.
“It’s the premier netball league in Victoria that showcases all the elite talent that’s running around the State.
“VNL really is a stepping stone to ANL. So many of our training partners with Fury have come from VNL clubs. With the ANL they are given exposure to some elite training and game play that they can potentially trial in their VNL teams too.”
VNL is divided into three sections, 19 & Under Female, Division One and Championship, with Championship being the highest level of the competition.
Honey says as she watched Geelong Cougars and Casey Demons battle it out for the Championship Premiership, it seemed a reflection of the ways VNL can intertwine with the Australian Netball League and Super Suncorp Netball.
“There was plenty of talent put out on the court tonight that gives us a glimpse of all the up and comings,
“It’s fantastic to see trainings partners from SSN clubs like Collingwood Magpies and Melbourne Vixens and we’ve seen Victorian Fury players come up from here too.”
Some of these pathway players Honey spoke of included Magpies Training Partners Mel Bragg, Vanessa Augustini and Brooke Allen, Vixens Training Partner Allie Smith, and Victorian Fury MVP Emma Ryde.
“There’s some really great athletes out there and it’s great to see some of the skills portrayed on court,
“Obviously it’s good for us to have a look at who’s coming through and who we might target in the Fury team next year.”
“Being able to draw from here is vital because there are some really good coaches in VNL, as well as players, that are developing skills that can be transferred to higher coaching roles.”
In Di Honey’s opinion, VNL is a staple for netball in Victoria and without it, other elite levels of netball in Australia would suffer.
“Without a competition like the VNL, we would see the SSN competitive league be something very different to what we know,
“We would probably see it shaped by brining more international players which really isn’t necessary when we have the Victorian Netball League and various others of its kind across Australia that compliments the SSN so well.”
“Every player in the VNL has a chance to progress and that’s why it is so valuable. You could be playing VNL today and perhaps with the Vixens tomorrow.”
Find out more information about the Bupa Victorian Netball League pathways here.
