The state’s premier netball league, the Victorian Netball League (VNL)’s finals fixture has been confirmed with City West Falcons, Boroondara Express, Hawks Netball and North East Blaze progressing to the Championship finals, and Hawks Netball, Melbourne University Lightning, North East Blaze and City West Falcons making 23&U.
In the Championship division, City West Falcons dominated all season, only losing one game to Boroondara Express who finished second on the ladder, and a final round showdown has resulted in Hawks Netball and North East Blaze finishing in third and fourth spots, with Geelong Cougars missing out on percentage.
The 23&U division will see Hawks Netball, Melbourne University Lightning, North East Blaze and City West Falcons battle it out for the title, after a three-horse race for the final spot was up for grabs in the last round.
The semi finals format follows a 1v2 and 3v4 schedule, with all finals being held at the State Netball Centre in Parkville from Wednesday, 24 July. The Grand Final will be played on Wednesday, 7 August.
2024 VICTORIAN NETBALL LEAGUE SEMI FINALS FIXTURE
Wednesday, 24 July
State Netball Centre, Parkville
7.00pm - 23&U
Hawks Netball vs Melbourne University Lightning*
North East Blaze vs City West Falcons**
8.45pm - Championship
Hawks Netball vs North East Blaze*
City West Falcons vs Boroondara Express**
* - games broadcast live on Netball Victoria’s Facebook page.
** - games broadcast live on Kommunity TV (access is free for existing Herald Sun subscribers).
VNL finals tickets can be purchased at the venue, with adult tickets $5 and $2 for children (16 & under).
Victorian Netball League
The Victorian Netball League is the state’s premier league, providing a pathway for talented athletes, coaches, umpires and officials to develop and showcase their abilities in a competitive, pre-elite performance environment.
In 2024, Netball Victoria expanded the league and welcomed three new clubs to the competition; Gippsland Stars, Bendigo Strikers and Western Warriors – three sides based in parts of the state identified in Netball Victoria’s broader growth strategy.
All 12 clubs have hosted home games in their local towns, drawing in crowds, while making the high-performance competition more accessible and creating opportunities for emerging talent.
Five athletes from the finals teams were selected in the Melbourne Vixens’ Super Netball Reserves team, while Montana Holmes (City West Falcons / Melbourne Mavericks) and Uneeq Palavi (City West Falcons / New South Wales Swifts) featured in Suncorp Super Netball games this year.
