Positives galore for development Strikers in first VNL Reserves season

IT was a season of steep learning curves and plenty of positives for Bendigo Strikers’ VNL Reserves team in 2025.

The club’s development team’s 14-game season officially came to an end last Tuesday with a 68-58 loss to North East Blaze at the State Netball Centre.

It culminated in a 5-9 record highlighted by a pair of wins in their only two home games at Red Energy Arena against Peninsula Waves and Hawks.

Remarkably, the second of those victories – a 56-47 triumph over Hawks in round 11 – reversed a 65-32 loss to the same team in the opening round of the season.

Coach Jody Richards said it was tough to go past that win as the season highlight.

“Having a 40-goal turnaround was amazing but so was just being able to play in front of a home crowd twice. To get those two wins at home was really special for the girls,” she said.

“I was rapt to see them play so well at home.

“We did change it up a bit – we had a full bench. We were able to carry 12 players, but when we’ve gone to Melbourne, we’ve only had nine.

“We haven’t wanted to make girls travel only to not get court time. Going to Melbourne, everyone has least got a half.

“Having said that, sitting on the bench is part of the process and you just have to be ready to make an impact when you come on.”

Encapsulating the very nature of a development team, the Strikers used 21 players throughout the season, some playing most and others as few as one as injuries and illnesses intervened.

It led to the Strikers fielding anything ranging from a slightly to vastly different line-up from week-to-week.

“It (21 players) is essentially three teams, so it was hard to get consistency and structure, when you had different players in and out every week,” Richards said.

“But at the same time, it’s been really good to expose so many players to that level of competition.”

The obvious success story from the development squad was defender Harriett Whiteacre.

A training partner with the Strikers’ 23-and-under team, the young defender played the first four games of the season in the VNL Reserves before establishing herself as a permanent and key member of the 23s line-up.

Fellow 23-and-under training partner Claire McGee, who played 10 games in the VNL Reserves, also earned a 23s call-up for the May 7 clash against Gippsland Stars.

Richards said she could not be prouder of Whiteacre and her development this season.

Among the 21 players used, four -Maddy Black, Rose Byrne, Indiana Phillips and Jinaya Nurse – were members of the club’s emerging squad and definitely held their own when called upon.

Richards said while a few more wins would have been nice, the Strikers had made known their intentions from day dot following the formation of the VNL Reserves competition that developing players would always be the priority.

“A win certainly makes the drive home a bit more enjoyable,” Richards said.

“But at the same time my role is to prepare those girls for the next level and see who’s capable of stepping up, while exposing them to the level of training and commitment that’s required to do that.

“I’m hoping they can (make the step-up).

“Our 23s have been nothing short of amazing this year; it has been a great turnaround in their second season.

“The majority of that group are eligible to play 23s again (next season), so it’s going to be tough to break in.

“But that’s a fantastic place to be in.”

Further underlining the development team’s competitiveness and potential, two of their wins came against two of the four teams that qualified for finals, Boroondara Express, which finished top, and Hawks (third).

They also finished within one goal of Southern Saints (second) in round nine.

While there will be no more matches to play, the development and emerging squads will have one last training session, where players will break into their defence, midcourt and attack groups under their specialist coaches.

From there they will return to their local clubs across the Bendigo, Central Murray, Goulburn Valley and Murray leagues in a bid to steer them towards finals glory.

For Richards, her second season at the helm of the development team and first in the VNL Reserves competition was a blessing.

“It was great being able to coach games and not just training sessions,” she said.

“I’m sure we will refine the program for next year.

“When we picked the squad at the end of last year, we didn’t know that we would actually get a full season of games in, so it was very enjoyable from that aspect.”