FIXTURE
All teams will be on the road in a split round for Round 5, with six clubs hosting home games across the state.
Wednesday 9 April
- City West Falcons vs Geelong Cougars (Altona)
- Casey Demons vs Boroondara Express (Casey) – PURCHASE TICKETS
- Gippsland Stars vs Peninsula Waves (Warragul)
- North East Blaze vs Bendigo Strikers (Bundoora) – PURCHASE TICKETS
Read the round wrap so far.
Wednesday 16 April
- Hawks Netball vs Wilson Storage Southern Saints (Stonnington) – PURCHASE TICKETS
- Melbourne University Lightning vs Western Warriors (Darebin) – PURCHASE TICKETS
BROADCAST
Wednesday 16 April
Netball Victoria Facebook
Hawks Netball vs Wilson Storage Southern Saints
7pm – 23&U
8.30pm – Championship
KommunityTV
Melbourne University Lightning vs Western Warriors
7pm – 23&U
8.30pm – Championship
**Access is free for existing Herald Sun subscribers.
ROUND HIGHLIGHTS
Championship
- Both Melbourne University Lightning and Western Warriors have started the season not as they’d liked, but this just gives both sides more motivation to turn things around. Lightning will be without captain Claudia Mawson due to injury, so this is a major opportunity for Emma Winfield and Alex Booker to step up in the shooting circle.
- Hawks Netball has started the season as sure premiership contenders and will need to combat an impressive Wilson Storage Southern Saints list. Hawks’ Sienna Green has made her presence felt as part of their Championship division side for the first time and will have her work cut out for her against Jordyn Adams who continues to be the engine in the Saints’ midcourt.
23&Under
- Top of the table North East Blaze will host the third-placed Bendigo Strikers with both sides undefeated. Blaze is coming off a dominant 26-goal win in Round 4, while the Strikers just got over the line against the Falcons. Mia McCrann-Peters for the Strikers will have a tough job ahead of her, but there’s no doubt she’ll make a major impact on the scoreboard quickly.
- Altona will see a cracking matchup between City West Falcons and Geelong Cougars. Both sides will be missing key players with the National Netball Championships beginning this week in Sydney. Each team currently sits fourth and fifth on the ladder respectively and will want to get the upper hand with fourth position in their sights.
ONE TO WATCH
Zoe Davies has made her fulltime turn to the Victorian Netball League and has been integral for the Bendigo Strikers. The experienced defender returns after a stint overseas with the Leeds Rhinos as the Bendigo local makes her presence felt in the league. Last week, she came up against her former club the City West Falcons, where she won two premierships in 2022 and 2023. Davies brings the physicality to the contest and isn’t afraid to go for a hunt to keep her opponents on their toes.
Read the round wrap (so far)
