Written by Amelia Barnes
Australia’s national men’s and mixed netball competition – the Australian Men's & Mixed Netball Association (AMMNA) National Championships – kicks off on Sunday at Perth’s Bendat Stadium on Whadjuk Noongar Country.
Founded in 1985, AMMNA Nationals is an annual competition that sees the country’s male and mixed players compete in a weeklong tournament-style event.
Victoria is sending six teams in 2023 – one in each of the Open Men, Men’s Reserve, 23 & Under Men, 20 & Under Men, 17 & Under Boys, and Open Mixed divisions.
Most divisions will play two games a day against squads from NSW, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia. The Men’s Reserve division also includes the ACT, Singapore, and Australian Defence Force (ADF).
The Victorian teams will be led by new Victorian Men’s and Mixed Netball Association (VMMNA) head coach, Gerard Murphy.
Murphy says teams have been training weekly since November and are excited to get out on court. In particular, the Open Men’s team are looking to go one better in 2023 after several injuries and losing the grand final to NSW last year.
“The team I think is fitter than previous years and all tested very well. They are performing well in match play and are injury free,” Murphy said.
Several games a day (covering a cross-section of states and divisions) will be livestreamed on Cluch TV from Sunday 9 April–Thursday 13 April, in addition to all finals games played by the Victoria Open Men on Friday 14 April–Saturday 15 April.
Viewers can purchase a tournament pass ($8.99) or day pass ($2.49) from Cluch to watch. Tickets are also available to watch the games in person.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Victorian teams and players to watch at the upcoming event:
Open Men
There will be plenty of interesting matchups in the Open Men division over the week. Many Australian players are represented across the five states who are coming off a highly successful international season, having won the Trans Tasman Cup against New Zealand in the first ever international men's series to be shown on mainstream television.
The grand final rematch will occur on Sunday 9 April at 2.30pm AWST/4.30pm AEST (no livestream) when Victoria first take on NSW. It will be a test for both teams, with NSW presenting a new-look side following the departure of 6’8” shooter Patrick Piliae (now playing in Open Mixed) and other player retirements. The second outing between NSW and Victoria will be livestreamed on Wednesday 12 April at 7.45pm AWST/9.45PM AEST.
Another key matchup will be Victoria against the in-form Western Australia team on Monday 10 April at 7.45pm AWST/9.45PM AEST. “WA is probably looking like the most consistent team from last year, so I think they’re in a good position to possibly win their first title,” said VMMNA head coach Gerard Murphy. “They’re probably hitting a peak where they’ve got a big opportunity to play well and be a strong competitor this year.”
Victoria’s Open Men team is stacked with talent, including Australian Open Men squad members Brodie Roberts (GA/GS/WA), Riley Richardson (C/WA/WD), Alastair Punshon (GD/GK), Tim Malmo (GK/WD/GD), and versatile defender/shooter Jake Hederics.
Keep an eye on shooters Jayden Cowling and Australian training partner Cameron Allum who are looking to repeat their strong performances from 2022.
New additions to the team include 19-year-old Ronan Pring who’s been elevated from the 20 & Under Men, James Sutton (elevated from Men’s Reserve) and Tom Hardwick (elevated from 23 & Under Men).
Men’s Reserve
The Victoria Men’s Reserve team are seeking a premiership after losing the grand final by three goals to NSW in 2022.
There will be no shortage of action across the week, with nine teams competing in the division (up from six in 2022) with the addition of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), Western Australia, and new competition entrants Singapore.
Victoria’s first hit out against Singapore will be live streamed on Wednesday 12 April at 4.15pm AWST/6.15pm AEST.
6’8” shooter Liam Killey comes into the Victorian Men’s Reserve lineup for 2023, presenting a strong shooting target for the team.
Stalwart defenders Simon Cartwright, Tom Giliberto, Daniel King and Andrew Burgess will provide great support disrupting play in the defensive end.
23 & Under Men
Another team looking for a stronger finish to their AMMNA Nationals are the Victoria 23 & Under Men squad. After finishing the regular rounds on top of the ladder in 2022, the team fell just short in the grand final with a 45-49 loss to Queensland.
The 2023 Victoria 23 & Under Men team will be led by a new leadership team with Tristan Comans stepping up as captain, supported by vice captains Cameron Hughes and Ethan Spiteri.
Standout players to watch include long-time state representatives Callum Baird, Connor Lilly, and Tom Fisher.
Livestream the team’s first match of the competition against Western Australian on Sunday 9 April at 10.45am AWST/12.45pm AEST.
20 & Under Men
It will be a more competitive outing for Victoria’s 20 & Under Men who won convincingly over Queensland Regionals in 2022. This year, they’ll face an additional Queensland team, as well as NSW.
Josh Fell is the team’s new captain, supported by vice captains Terron King and Jacob Mudie. The squad will benefit from the experience of returning players Benjamin Gosbell and Joshua Feeney – both part of the 2022 Australian 20s team.
Watch the Victorian 20 & Under Men against NSW in one of the first live streamed matches of the competition on Sunday 9 April at 9am AWST/11am AEST.
17 & Under Boys
Victoria’s 17 & Under Boys are hoping to continue their dominance in 2023 after an undefeated 2022 AMMNA Nationals performance.
Shooter and Australian representative Brodie McCleish steps up as captain for the side. A dynamic and strong player, McLeish is following in his father and uncle’s footsteps, who also played for Victoria. The 17 & Under Boys team will benefit from McLeish’s experience playing in the Men’s Premier Division of MLeague (Victoria's premier men's and mixed netball competition), and Australian 17s team.
Other Australian 17s representatives in the Victoria’s 17 & Under Boys team are Blake Cachia, Zac Mabilia, and 14-year-old training partner Will Whiteacre.
Tune in to the Victoria 17 & Under Boys’ clash against Western Australia in their first livestreamed match of Nationals on Monday 10 April at 9am AWST/11am AEST.
Open Mixed
Victoria’s Open Mixed team is the only mixed side representing the state in 2023. They’ll again face Western Australia, Queensland, and NSW across the week in the four-team division.
The relatively new-look side for 2023 includes four returning players (Dale Mason, Elly Randall, Sam Dugan, and Daniel Stone), alongside five players elevated from last year’s Mixed Reserve team (Jamie Clark, Jessica Black, Jamie O’Hare, Ryan Towers, and Brendan Nick).
The team is looking to come out strong against some fierce competition, particularly the NSW and Queensland teams that feature former Open Men’s players.
Four of Victoria’s Open Mixed games will be streamed throughout the regular rounds, starting with their match against Western Australia on Sunday 9 April at 7.45pm AWST/9.45PM AEST.
The details
View the full 2023 AMMNA Nationals fixture
View the livestream schedule on Cluch
Keep up to date with the VMMNA teams throughout the week on Instagram
2023 AMMNA Nationals Victorian team lists
Open Men
Cameron Allum
Josh Byron
Jayden Cowling
Thomas Hardwick
Jake Hederics
Timothy Malmo
Jake Noonan
Ronan Pring
Alastair Punshon
Riley Richardson
Brodie Roberts
James Sutton
Men’s Reserve
Andrew Burgess
Simon Cartwright
Jake Dambrauskas
Michael Dower
Adam Franz
Tom Giliberto
Liam Killey
Daniel King
Steve McCallum
Alexander Nichols
Joshua Smith
23 & Under Men
Callum Baird
Tristan Comans
Tom Fisher
Adam Hoogwerf
Cameron Hughes
Connor Lilly
Anthony Maniapoto
Riley Owen
Flynn Pospisil
Ethan Spiteri
William Uerata
20 & Under Men
Riley Colafella
Joshua Feeney
Joshua Fell
Joshua Ferris
Benjamin Gosbell
Daniel King
Terron King
Harrison Lefebure
Ryan Lovell
Shane Maniapoto
Jacob Mudie
Jamie Shannon
Hudson Ebbage (training partner)
Kye Vahland (training partner)
17 & Under Boys
Eric Billing
Reikken Brodie
Joel Brown
Blake Cachia
Christian Doukas
Connor Drysdale
Djay Elliott
Zac Mabilia
Brodie McCleish
Nicholas O'Meara
William Whiteacre
Kane Wilson
Campbell Brown (training partner)
Aidan Conheady (training partner)
Ben Holehouse (training partner)
Hayden Zani (training partner)
Open Mixed
Jessica Black
Jamie Clark
Sam Dugan
Georgia Hellyer
Dale Mason
Leighton Miller
Brendan Nick
Jamie O’Hare
Elly Randall
Bridget Ryan
Daniel Stone
Ryan Towers
Mia Washington
James McGann (training partner)
Jarryd Pentony (training partner)
Niamh Vahland (training partner)
