BFNL unveils inaugural 15-and-under rep team

A NEW era for the Bendigo Football Netball League with the establishment of a 15-and-under netball competition will coincide with the breaking of new ground in representative netball.

In an exciting step forward in its junior pathway development, the BFNL has unveiled its inaugural 15-and-under representative netball squad.

To be coached by Strathfieldsaye’s Steph Freemantle, the initial training squad comprises 14 players, bolstered by three training partners.

They are Piper Fynch (Castlemaine), Ava Hope, Maddison Ryan, Regan Hay (Golden Square), Mia Smith (South Bendigo), Alana Borchard, Elle Gilchrist, Ellie Macumber, Evie Gretgrix, Harper Gordon and Sienna Raco (Sandhurst), with Lily McKee (South Bendigo), Alicia Crowley and Ruby Kelly (Sandhurst) as the three training partners.

An eventual team of 12 will be chosen to represent the league in games this season, highlighted by an interleague clash against Ovens and Murray on Saturday 23 May at the QEO.

In what proved a tough task for selectors, 44 players from across all league clubs trialled across two sessions in the hopes of making it through to the training squad phase, indicating a healthy appetite for representative netball.

The selected squad will take part in a structured program, including training sessions, local tournaments, region Association Championships and interleague under Freemantle’s guidance.

BFNL manager Tom King said the introduction of a 15-and-under representative team marked a significant milestone for the league, providing emerging netballers from across the region with the opportunity to showcase their talent on a representative stage while further developing their skills in a high-performance environment.

“The BFNL has a proud history of developing talent, and the addition of the 15-and-under representative netball team further reinforces its commitment to the future of the game at a grassroots level,” he said.

“For those selected, the opportunity to wear the BFNL colours for the first time is a moment to be celebrated and one that signals the beginning of an exciting new chapter for representative netball in the league.”

Seven clubs are fielding teams in the league’s inaugural 15-and-under competition.

Golden Square heads the ladder after two rounds with two wins, while Sandhurst, Kangaroo Flat and South Bendigo are all unbeaten with each having only played one game.