Written by: Amelia Barnes
The popularity and accessibility of men’s netball is at an all-time high with the Australian Men's & Mixed Netball Association (AMMNA) National Championships and games against the elite women’s teams never more tightly contested.
Leading the way to improve exposure and opportunities within the men’s game is Victoria’s Open Men’s captain, Tim Malmo. The defender is one of the most experienced men’s players and has represented Victoria at the top level for six years, and Australia for five.
Malmo says men’s netball has been “on the up and up for years” but has recently achieved new heights. More opportunities for men are being integrated into the traditional all-female environment, such as male training partners being added to Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) and Victorian Netball League (VNL) squads, and pre-season matches being played against the SSN teams. The Victorian men came up against the West Coast Fever in March, defeating them 58-47.
“To play against teams with such high precision and court craft really gets us strong on our structures,” said Malmo. “With the women’s skills able to exploit any slight opening, we come out after every match with some great understanding of what we are doing well and some things we need to work on.”
Both the women’s and men’s teams benefit from these contests that showcase both team’s respective skill sets and push them to improve with the men often opting to take advantage of their height and physicality. “The aerial nature of the men’s game makes it really different to the women’s…Watching both is like watching two very different sports,” said Malmo.
These elite games are a long way from where Malmo’s journey to netball began. Following in his three sisters’ footsteps, Malmo began playing locally in Narre Warren at six years of age, until he aged out of the junior competition at 13 (at which point grassroots netball competitions became all-female).
Not wanting to miss out on netball, Malmo joined an open mixed team with family, where he faced opposition far beyond his years.
Malmo was eventually made aware of the Victorian state boy’s and men’s netball teams where he’s progressed through the ranks ever since. This year is his first as the Open Men’s captain, leading the team to be runners-up at the Australian Men's & Mixed Netball Association (AMMNA) National Championships held in April.
“It was and is a privilege to lead such a versatile and talented group,” said Malmo. “We had a few setbacks during the campaign, with four trips to the emergency department and another couple of unexpected injuries, so just having an open line of communication with the team and coaching staff was a huge requirement. To the team's credit, the mental fortitude we displayed to play as well as we did was admirable.”
Following his performance at the AMMNA National Championships, Malmo was once again selected in the Australia’s Open Men's team for 2022. The experienced defender is joined by fellow Victorians Brodie Roberts, Alastair Punshon, and Riley Richardson in the team, as well as training partners Cameron Allum and Jake Hederics.
“To represent Australia is such a huge honour and something you definitely do with pride whenever you pull on the green and gold,” said Malmo. “It is such an exciting time for men’s netball with more and more opportunities to promote a strong brand. To be a part of the group of some of the best netballers in the world is very humbling and really makes all the sacrifices worth it.”
Malmo is not only excited about his personal future as a netballer, but what’s in store for the young talent currently coming through the ranks. Victoria’s 17 & Under Boys team in particular put on a hugely dominant display during the AMMNA National Championships, remaining undefeated and winning all games by a minimum 16 goals.
“The talent being displayed in the younger age groups is worth getting very excited about,” Malmo said.
For young boys who find themselves aged out of their local competition, there is the Junior MLeague. This competition was established in 2018 to provide a pathway for boys to continue their development in a competitive environment with like-minded players.
Men can also play in social mixed competitions across the state or submit a team to the senior MLeague competition to develop their skills and potentially progress through the state pathway.
Learn more about Victoria’s pathways to boy’s and men’s netball.
Follow the Victorian Men’s and Mixed Netball Association on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
