Round 3 of the Victorian Netball League is fast approaching, with a couple of key match ups set to take place across all three leagues - Championship, Division 1 and 19/Under.
Round 3 fixture:
Boroondara Express vs. Hawks Netball
Melbourne University Lighting vs. Wilson Storage Southern Saints
City West Falcons vs. Casey Demons
Ariels vs. Peninsula Waves
Geelong Cougars vs. North East Blaze
Championship:
After a narrow win over Hawks Netball last round, Melbourne Vixens training partner Jordan Cransberg will be hoping to spur her side against a new and improved Saints outfit. Cransberg has speed to burn and great versatility to swing between all three midcourt positions, making her a handful for opposition sides.
Division 1:
Bronwyn Taylor is a well-known face not only at the Blaze but across the VNL, with the midcourter oozing experience and netball smarts. Not afraid to take the game on, Taylor is composed with ball in hand and has the capacity to control proceedings in the frontend with her vision and overall nous.
19/Under:
Last week the Casey Demons 19/Under side secured their first win since their inception in 2019. Head coach Brittney Pym is still soaking up the victory, and what it means not only for the players but for the club more broadly.
“It means so much to everyone who’s been a part of the Casey Demons family. There’s been a community of people since the club began, behind the scenes working hard to make that win achievable,” she said.
“It’s the past players, the past coaches, the development teams, the current coaching staff and the team of people you don’t see who have gotten us here. We’re so proud of the win but now it’s about looking to maintain this level of performance throughout the rest of the season.”
After a couple of luckless seasons, a win will do a world of good for the Demons’ confidence and sense of belief.
“Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win and believing you can is. Getting a scoreboard reflection of how hard they’ve worked up until this point has meant a lot to them and is showing them it’s all worth it. Last week’s effort proved to their opponents that they’re fierce contenders this season.”
Over the off-season the Demons also recruited the services of former Australian Diamonds goaler Erin Bell, who has also spent time at Casey in the Championship squad. Since joining the side in a coaching capacity, Bell and Pym have focused on creating a learning environment for their athletes.
“We focused on team culture and setting up an environment for all of the girls to be open, honest and understood. We’ve integrated two-way feedback processes with a real focus on individual and team development,” said Pym.
“Erin and I acknowledge that performance in this age group a lot of the time has nothing to do with what happens on the court. For the first time these kids are managing an elite netball program on top of school, friendships, relationships and just being a 15- to 19-year-old. Ensuring we get to know them as best we can will help us get the best out of them on court.”
Shifting focus to the upcoming round against City West Falcons, Pym knows the importance of building upon the foundations established last week and continuing to forge ahead.
“Understanding our opponents and sticking to our game plan. Our brand of netball is hard to beat when we have all 12 players working together.”
Melbourne University Lightning vs Wilson Storage Southern Saints matches will be livestreamed via the Herald Sun (subscription required).
Ariels vs Peninsula Waves matches will be livestreamed for free on the Netball Victoria Facebook page.
