The wait is over with Round 1 of the 2022 Victorian Netball League (VNL) season kicking off on Wednesday night. After two interrupted seasons, 2022 is full steam ahead as the 10 clubs look to get their hands on the elusive silverware.
There are plenty of fresh faces joining all divisions with talented netballers from across the state set to take the court across 19/Under, Division 1 and Championship.
Round 1 Fixture:
Boroondara Express vs Melbourne University Lightning
Peninsula Waves vs Casey Demons
City West Falcons vs North East Blaze
Hawks Netball vs Geelong Cougars
Wilson Southern Storage Saints vs Ariels
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Championship:
After a dominant year in 2021 the City West Falcons will be eager to impose themselves once again. Jane Cook is a powerhouse under the post and a player to keep an eye on throughout the clash with North East Blaze. Cook is a clever player that uses her body to position strongly in the circle and withstand the pressure of surrounding forces. Her height and experience also enables her to command the ball, and most importantly she is accurate to post. The goal shooter has the ability to score quickly and efficiently, making her unstoppable when she gets going. Cook has a great sense of timing and is strong in the air, able to rip in the ball and consistently absorb the physical contest.
Division 1:
Named captain of the North East Blaze this season, Samantha Coppinger is no stranger to the spotlight. A real workhorse through the midcourt, Coppinger can weave her way through traffic credit to her impressive vision and evasiveness. Coppinger is effective at both ends of the court thanks to her two-way running and court awareness. She has the capacity to transition from attack to defence in an instant and is crafty around circle edge to feed into the goalers. Her deft touches and timing are also key components of her game play.
19/Under:
Named in the Australian 17/Under squad, Fionnuala McKeagney-Stubbs has plenty of tricks up her sleeve. A former attacker, McKeagney-Stubbs swapped bibs last year and has not looked back. Now playing in goal defence, the up and coming star has proven time and time again that her read of the play makes her a threat. She is not afraid to go out hunting and pick off the intercepts making her a real livewire for City West Falcons. The young defender has a great aerial presence and is a threat through transition to help move the ball from one end of the court to the other. The City West Falcons defender will be eager to make a real splash and continue to build on her form off the back of last year.
