By Amelia Barnes
The country’s male and mixed state teams are set for the 2025 Australian Men's & Mixed Netball Association (AMMNA) Championships running this Saturday 12 April to Saturday 19 April.
Seven Victorian teams will battle it out during the eight-day Nationals event, which is being held on Victorian soil for the first time since 2019. Teams representing New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, Fiji, South Australian First Nations, Djubeddah First Nations, and the Australian Defence Force will also be competing.
All matches will be streamed live and free for the first time via Sideline Sport – most with live commentary. There are also tickets available to watch all matches in person throughout the week at the State Netball Centre in Parkville, including evening sessions.
Keep an eye on these exciting Victorian teams and players to watch throughout Nationals.
OPEN MEN
In: Connor Lilly, Deepak Patu
Out: Cameron Allum (ACL rupture), Jayden Cowling (hip fracture)
An almost unchanged Victorian Open Men team is returning to defend their Nationals title.
The team includes five current Kelpies representatives in shooters Liam Killey and Brodie Roberts, defenders Alastair Punshon and Josh Byron, and midcourter Riley Richardson, plus young defender Ronan Pring who played in Australia’s 2024 winning FAST5 men’s team.
After an ACL rupture to shooter Cameron Allum late last year, 22-year-old Connor Lilly has been brought into the lineup. Victorian Men's & Mixed Netball Association (VMMNA) head coach Gerard Murphy said Lilly offers great court awareness, a crafty style of play, and a history of performing well at Nationals.
Jayden Cowling is a late out after recently suffering a hip fracture. He’ll be replaced by midcourter Deepak Patu, who was a 2024 training partner at this level.
2024 runners up NSW will once again be the team to beat with their similarly stacked lineup of Kelpies and FAST5 talent.
Victoria Open Men 2025 team list
Josh Byron (co-captain)
Adam Franz
Thomas Hardwick
Jake Hederics
Liam Killey
Connor Lilly
Jake Noonan
Deepak Patu
Ronan Pring
Alastair Punshon
Riley Richardson
Brodie Roberts (co-captain)
Training partners: Brandon D'monte, Benjamin Gosbell, Daniel King, Terron King, Shane Maniapoto, Kai Suzuki, Dylan Perri
Head coach: Gerard Murphy
Assistant coaches: Jade Heinrich and Brieannan DeJong
OPEN RESERVE MEN
In: Daniel Loats, Flynn Pospisil (elevated from 23&U Men), Tom Fisher (elevated from 23&U Men), Benjamin Gosbell
Out: Connor Lilly (elevated to Open Men), Billy Mahoney, Paul Pekaj, James Sutton
Eight of the players who won last year’s Open Reserve Men title are back for 2025.
They’ll be joined by bolstered by experienced shooter Danny Loats who returns to the state program.
22-year-old Open Men training partner Benjamin Gosbell is a late inclusion to replace Deepak Patu, who has been elevated to the Open Men team to cover injury.
With only one loss and a convincing 20-goal grand final win in 2024, this team is well positioned for an impressive 2025 campaign.
The team can count on defenders Andrew Burgess and Thomas Giliberto to win plenty of ball back. Burgess was recognised in the last year’s All Star 7 (which awards the best player in each position of their division), and Giliberto was the grand final MVP.
Victoria Open Reserve Men 2025 team list
Alexander Arbuthnot
Lachlan Askew
Callum Baird
Andrew Burgess (vice captain)
Simon Cartwright
Michael Dower (captain)
Tom Fisher
Thomas Giliberto
Benjamin Gosbell
Danny Loats
Alex Nichols
Flynn Pospisil
Co-coaches: Matthew Blomeley and Guy McCleish
OPEN MIXED
In: Bryn Boyes, Olivia Cawthray, Remy Church, Joel Gosbell, Harry Nelson, Bridget Ryan
Out: Dana Button, Jack Carpenter, Jamie Clark, Brooke Dadds, Stacie Gardiner (pregnancy), Samuel Milne
Last Nationals was a huge for Victoria’s Open Mixed team, who jumped from the wooden spoon in 2023 to finish runners up in 2024.
Most athletes are returning to go one better, including Victorian Netball League (VNL) midcourter Shannon Blackman from Gippsland Stars, and defender Indya Forde from Geelong Cougars. Forde is also in the Vixens Academy Super Netball Reserves team for the second year running.
Victoria’s 2025 Open Mixed side will further benefit from the addition of Olivia Cawthray, who has scored the most goals in the VNL 23&Under division so far this year.
New defender Harry Nelson brings great elevation, which will be required to fill the void of 2024 division MVP and Dana Button, who has moved overseas.
Fellow 2024 athlete Stacie Gardiner, who plays for and coaches Gippsland Stars in the VNL, has joined the team’s coaching panel after recently announcing her pregnancy.
Victoria Open Mixed 2025 team list
Bryn Boyes
Jessica Black
Shannon Blackman (vice captain)
Olivia Cawthray
Remy Church
Sam Dugan (vice captain)
Indya Forde
Joel Gosbell
Harry Nelson
Jarryd Pentony (captain)
Bridget Ryan
Ashlee Smith
Daniel Stone
Head coach: David O’Hare
Assistant coach: Stacie Gardiner
23&U MEN
In: Joel Brown (elevated from 20&U Men), Blake Cachia (elevated from 20&U Men), Tristan Comans, Christian Doukas (elevated from 20&U Men), Carter Morrissey, (elevated from 20&U Men), Kye Vahland (elevated from training partner), William Whiteacre (elevated from 20&U Men)
Out: Tom Fisher (elevated to Open Reserves Men), Terron King (elevated to Open Men training partner), Ryan Lovell (injury), Zac Mabilia (NSW Open Men), Shane Maniapoto (elevated to Open Men training partner), Jake Novak, Flynn Pospisil (elevated to Open Reserves Men)
23&U Men teams will join a new Nationals division this year playing against Open Men Reserve sides. The combined division means fewer games on the overall Nationals fixture, allowing all matches to be livestreamed, and creating capacity for evening games.
Despite the new division, VMMNA head coach Murphy expects the 2024 winning Victorian side to still be competitive and challenge Open Men Reserve teams. The Victorian Open Reserve and 23&U sides have been playing each other in practice matches, with alternating teams coming out on top. “The goal is for both to be in the grand final,” Murphy said.
Victoria’s 23&U team boasts a young but formidable shooting lineup in 19-year-old 209cm tall goal shooter Carter Morrissey, agile 19-year-old Brodie McCleish, and 17-year-old William Whiteacre who impressed with his long range accuracy and composure playing in the winning 2024 Australian FAST5 team.
Midcourter Reikken Brodie is one to watch as he follows up a 2024 division MVP performance.
2023 captain Tristan Comans is back leading the team.
Victoria 23&Under Men 2025 team list
Reikken Brodie (vice captain)
Joel Brown
Blake Cachia
Riley Colafella
Tristan Comans (captain)
Christian Doukas
Daniel King
Harrison Lefebure
Brodie McCleish
Carter Morrissey
Kye Vahland
William Whiteacre
Head coach: Greg Heinrich
Assistant coach: Kayla Young
20&U MEN
In: Luke Allen, Riley Bevis (elevated from 17&U Boys), Campbell Brown (elevated from 17&U Boys), Aidan Conheady (elevated from 17&U Boys), Declan Gallard (elevated from 17&U Boys), Noah Hartney, Ben Holehouse (elevated from 17&U Boys), Oscar Hughes (elevated from 17&U Boys), Nicholas O'Meara, Oliver Ryan (elevated from 17&U Boys), Jonty Stickland (elevated from 17&U Boys)
Out: Joel Brown (elevated to 23&U Men), Blake Cachia (elevated to 23&U Men), Christian Doukas (elevated to 23&U Men), Joshua Feeney, Josh Ferris, Leighton Miller, Jacob Mudie, Carter Morrissey (elevated to 23&U Men), Patrick Warr, William Whiteacre (elevated to 23&U Men)
Victoria’s 20&U Men team finished runners up in 2024 with a five-goal grand final loss to West Coast Thunder (Western Australia).
Defender Kane Wilson will lead the way as the only remaining player in the side, with many 2024 athletes being elevated or ageing out of the division.
Eight young guns have stepped up from the 2024 17&U Boys team, including midcourters Oliver Ryan and Declan Gallard, and shooter Aidan Conheady who all made their division’s All Star 7. Fellow elevated shooter Campbell Brown was the 2024 17&U tournament MVP.
Nicholas O'Meara is returning to the state program and brings great height to this side’s attacking end.
Both Luke Allen and Noah Hartney will make their Victorian debuts.
Victoria 20&U Men 2025 team list
Luke Allen
Riley Bevis
Campbell Brown
Aidan Conheady
Declan Gallard
Noah Hartney
Ben Holehouse
Oscar Hughes
Nicholas O'Meara
Oliver Ryan (vice captain)
Jonty Stickland
Kane Wilson (captain)
Training partners: Connor Drysdale, Ben Morgan, Rory Taylor, Hayden Zani
Head coach: Craig Moore
Assistant coach: Cameron Hughes
17&U BOYS
Following a thrilling one-goal overtime win in 2024, Victoria’s 17&U Boys team will have a new look for 2025 as all players have aged out of the division except for Harrison Hand, who steps up as captain. The 16-year-old is an exciting athlete who brings both agility and height in the shooting circle.
Hand is joined by some familiar faces in midcourters Fred Soumilas and Finn McLeod who were both 2024 training partners with the team.
There are also some family ties in defender Edward Sexton whose cousin Charlotte Sexton is a Melbourne Vixens training partner; and midcourter Lawson McCleish who is the brother of 23&U athlete Brodie McCleish, son of Open Reserve Men assistant coach Guy McCleish, and twin of 17&U Reserve Boys’ Ayden McCleish.
Victoria 17&U Boys 2025 team list
Tom Bryant
Finn Dawson
Harrison Hand (captain)
Thomas Lane
Lawson McCleish
Finn McLeod
William Meldrum
Caleb Mountford
Jimmy Russell-Atai
Edward Sexton
Fred Soumilas (vice captain)
River Zielinski (vice captain)
Head coach: Sarah Hogan
Assistant coach: Jen Dewhurst
17&U RESERVE BOYS
The local location of this year’s Nationals has allowed Victoria to field a second team in 17&U division. The Reserve team are the younger of the two, with most athletes aged 14 and 15 years old.
The addition of a 17&U Reserve team will further strengthen Victoria’s male pathway and provide more opportunities to young players across the state.
Victoria has been particularly dominant in the 17&U division in recent years, dropping only one game over the past three Nationals tournaments.
Victoria 17&U Reserve Boys 2025 team list
Samuel Adams (vice captain)
Charlie Cox
Darcy Lockhart
Declan Crombie (vice captain)
Max Major
Ayden McCleish (captain)
Wynter Morgan Eeles
Blake Morison
Oliver Stenhouse
Harrison Stritthof
Seamus Sullivan
Oliver Watson
Training partners: Jackson Andrews, Elijah Bakker, Luke Cunneen, Jack Donovan, Angus Sandow
Co-coaches: Jasmine Lefebure and Vanessa Saunders
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Stream the 2025 AMMNA Championships via Sideline Sports
View the 2025 AMMNA Championships fixtures
Purchase tickets to watch the 2025 AMMNA Championships at the State Netball Centre
