North Central boys gunning for State Titles success

A SOURCE of inspiration and pride for the North Central Netball Region, the 17-and-under male boys team is leaving no stone unturned in the quest for a benchmark performance at next year’s State Titles.

While selectors and coaches continued the task of pruning the region’s open, 17-and-under and 15-and-under female squads into teams during December, the 10-player boys team was already finalised last month, giving them a valuable headstart in their preparation.

Their coach Vanessa Saunders hopes a little extra time together and a few additional training sessions will bring out the best in her players ahead of the popular tournament, to be held at the State Netball Centre in Parkville from 7 to 9 March.

North Central will be entering a team in the 17-and-under boys division for the fourth time.

They finished just outside the semi-finals last year in fifth spot, winning three games and losing four – two of them only narrowly.

Eight regions fielded teams in the tournament, won by Parkville-based Elmer Region, with North Central and Gippsland the only non-metropolitan sides.

The definite aim next year is a top four finish in what Saunders declared would be a real achievement, with the odds stacked against them.

“We’ve generally always finished mid-range,” she said.

“The metro teams get to train together all the time and a lot of the boys play together in the VMMNA (Victoria Men’s and Mixed Netball Association) and the M-League on Wednesday nights, which I’m involved in as a coach as well.

“They have their academies down in Melbourne that they go to.

“Our boys, while a couple of them do the Bendigo academy, or they do their local squad, they don’t get together a lot.

“We have a little comp at the Castlemaine association, but it’s for 11-and-unders all the way up to 17s.

“For the boys to win a few games and finish mid-range is a real achievement.”

The team is largely comprised of players affiliated with the Castlemaine and District Netball Association, where Saunders runs development squads, including the male team.

It is boosted by two players from the Bendigo-based Central Victorian Netball Association competition – Isaac Collins and Izaiah O’Meara – and two from the Echuca District Netball Association.

 

Saunders is assisted as coach by her daughter and North Central open team representative Tegan Maddern, with Leticia Laurien on board as team manager.

In the few years since its inception, the team has undergone a makeover, as under-age teams always do, and is not without its success stories.

“Some of the originals have aged out, but some of the boys have been involved for a couple of years and we have some newbies coming in,” Saunders said.

“Levi Mountford is one of them who has been there a while. His brother Caleb made the 17-and-under state team this year but has aged out, so Levi has moved into that older bracket.

“Sebastian Pratt was there last year and is younger than Levi and is back again.

“Jedd Oxley played last year as well. He and Levi have been involved in my development squad down here in Castlemaine for a while and have moved into the North Central team.”

Previous squad members have included Ollie Ryan, a current Victorian men’s state representative, and Jack Davidge, a former state 17-and-under development team member.

In a pointer to growing interest and competition for spots, North Central held trials for the boys team this year, ensuring spots were hard-earned and open to players beyond the Castlemaine-based competition.

“It’s a real positive that we have been able to spread out and include some boys from the Central Vic competition and Echuca,” Saunders said.

“They are going to be a younger team than previous years, but hopefully that means we are doing the groundwork for the following year or the one after that.

“Unfortunately, there is not the pool of players like the girls.

“There are … and I’m seeing more and more … a lot of really good male netballers, but we are still competing with cricket and basketball and that makes it very hard.

“But the ones in the team are the one that want to really have a crack at playing at this next level.

“It’s tough netball, so finishing mid-range or anywhere above that is great for our region.”

The team: Zachariah Laurien (CDNA), Levi Mountford (CDNA), Sebastian Pratt (CDNA), Marlon Von Bulow (CDNA), Jaxon Foley (EDNA), Mason Farrugia (CDNA), Isaac Collins (CVNA), Seth Oliver (EDNA), Izaiah O’Meara (CVNA), Jedd Oxley (CDNA).

Coach: Vanessa Saunders.

Assistant coach: Tegan Maddern.

Manager: Leticia Laurien.