Bulldogs to host home carnival

NETBALL players from three western Victorian all-abilities clubs will hit the local courts for a home carnival from the Ballarat Bulldogs Football Netball Club.

Taking place from 10.30am this Sunday at the Ballarat Netball Association Centre, the event will see the local club go head-to-head with the Wimmera Whippets and the Warrnambool Stingers.

“Each club will bring one to two teams and we all play off in a fixture carnival so every team gets a chance to play one another,” said netball coach Kelsey Shaw.

“We’ve been doing these carnivals for about 18 months and it’s been a great outcome for our netballers.”

The competing clubs are part of the Regional All Abilities Netball League which was founded recently between Ms Shaw and representatives of the carnival’s other clubs.

The Bulldogs held their first home carnival under the new league in September last year as well as a follow-up in June, which Ms Shaw said was a resounding success.

“That was our first time during the middle part of the season,” she said. “It was a great turnout and all the clubs attended.

“We had enough for two teams and one of them came home with five wins and the other with two. It was a great day especially on our home turf.”

Ms Shaw estimated about 35 to 40 players overall will compete in the carnival.

“At this stage, it looks like [the Bulldogs] will have two full teams with interchange so that’s a really good outcome for us,” she said.

“In the past, we’ve often been limited and often had one full side as well as a few in interchange but due to our football season ending we’ve had that increase.”