Pro players role models for young netballers

THE Melbourne Vixens Netball were in town last weekend for a preseason warm up the courts of Red Energy Arena ahead of the Super Netball season.

Fans of all ages crowded in to watch the pro netballers in an open training session that player Keira Austin said was an opportunity to show young aspirants what’s possible.

“I think you have to see it to know that you can be it and I think coming out to their hometown it means a lot to them and you can see it when you meet them all, so it’s been really nice,” she said.

Austin spent the moments prior to the Vixens training session watching an exhibition match between Boroondara Express and the Bendigo Strikers,

“They’re really sticking it to Boroondara so it’s exciting for them I guess to be playing as well as they are,” she said.

“I think if you’re a regional town or people haven’t heard of you as much you want to able to go out there and say ‘this is what we can do’, so I think they’re really putting on a good performance.”

From the stands, young netball players like Abby Potter and Bridget Perryman who play for Boort, and Leila Cooney who’s a member of Eaglehawk, watched on.

The girls listed Vixens players Jo Weston and Hannah Mundy among their biggest inspirations in the sport.

“They’re good role models and have a good personality on the court and off the court, and just a good player in general,” Leila said.

Playing for a professional team is on the radar for the young players and participating in events like the morning’s training clinic with the Vixens is one step along the path.

“It’s great for them to be in Bendigo and for us to be able to watch them and train with them and see them in action without having to drive to Melbourne,” said Leila.

Also in the audience were City of Greater Bendigo mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf, a long time netball fan and former goaler, and municipal CEO Andrew Cooney, who sits on the board of the Strikers.