Ballarat Sovereigns’ inaugural Victorian Netball League season starts now with back-to-back fixtures on Saturday and Sunday, followed by a third round on Wednesday, all in Melbourne.

This is what this city, its major sporting bodies and the wider western Victorian region lobbied so hard to get when its last pathway was blocked.

Fitness across all three Sovereign division teams, led by head coach Natasha Chokljat and high performance manager Eloise Southby, has been a whole new intensity, unlike anything this city’s netballers have ever experienced.

Sovereigns’ pre-season regimen has made coaches in other sporting codes in the region take note.

Now, this must all come together on court.

AFL Goldfields netball manager and Sovereigns division one coach Kim Bailey said there was plenty of talent in the squad but players had even surprised themselves in practice matches – they needed to start believing in their own ability.

Bailey said championship captain Cynna Kydd and Melbourne Vixens’ Carla Dziwoki, when available, would be a formidable goaling combination, while the 19/unders were shaping up strong.

Teams should push for finals, but Bailey said next year in the 2016 VNL season was when the Sovereigns should make a huge impact.

“Our focus is on fitness for such a condensed season this year, and when you’re playing two games a week, like this week, that fitness helps body preservation and depth through the squad,” she said.

“We’ve been largely fitness-based at things with skills and incorporating the basics into training, but we can focus on basics and skill training while keeping fitness training going that sometimes the players don’t even know we’re doing it.”

The Sovereigns have attracted players from across Warrnambool, the Wimmera and Bendigo, to Geelong and metropolitan suburbs, but the bulk of players, particularly in division one, come from the AFL Goldfields and Central Highlands leagues.

Bailey said that from an AFL Goldfields perspective, this highlighted the strength of the region’s netball competition.

Sovereigns have selected a development squad to help bridge the gap from club and representative teams to the VNL, which in turn will help strengthen Sovereigns’ foundations.

Junior development players, coached by Katie Williams, will play in the Central Highlands Regional State League against open representative teams from the Ballarat, Riddell District, Maryborough Castlemaine and Wimmera football netball leagues, and an equivalent development team for VNL rival Geelong Cougars.

Central Highlands RSL competition started on Friday night.

Bailey said the Sovereigns program also developed coaches and they were already learning so much from Chokljat, Southby and visiting coach Liz Boniello, each an Australian representative player.

There is plenty of community interest in how the Sovereigns may fare and they can hardly wait to show what they have got.

melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au

FIXTURE FOR 2015

Round 1: v Peninsula, February 7

Round 2: v Yarra Valley, February 8

Round 3: v DC North East, February 11

Round 4: v Monash University, February 18

Round 5: v City West at Wendouree Sports and Events Centre, February 21

Round 6: v Southern, February 25

Round 7: v Melbourne University, March 4

Round 8: v Boroondara, March 18

Round 9: v Geelong at Wendouree Sports and Events Centre, March 22

Round 10: v Yarra Valley, March 25

Round 11: v Peninsula, April 1

Round 12: v DC North East, April 8

Round 13: v City West, April 22

Round 14: v Monash University, April 29

Round 15: v Geelong at Christian College (Geelong), May 3

Round 16: v Melbourne University, May 6

Round 17: v Boroondara, May 13

Round 18: v Southern, May 20

*All matches to be played at State Netball Hockey Centre unless otherwise stated.

PLAYING SQUADS

Championship division

GOALERS: Jordyn Bibby (Ballarat), Carla Dziwoki (Melbourne Vixens), Laura McDonald (Clayton), Cynna Kydd (Ballarat).

MID-COURT: Lauren Atkinson (Ballarat), Kelly Conroy (Ballan), Jane Costello (Ballarat), Ashlea Melnikas (North Melbourne), Tessa Burton (Bendigo).

DEFENDERS: AShley Bradley (Lockington), Erin Riley (Box Hill), Sanonu Robertson (Ballarat).

COACH: Natasha Chokljat. Assistant coaches: Mark Melnikas, Kate McMahon.

DIVISION ONE

GOALERS: Hayley Fidler (Colac), Jess Parry (Navarre), Amy Starzer (Avondale Heights).

MID-COURT: Danni Davidson (Sunbury), Lee Chicas (Ballarat), Amy Conroy (Ballarat), Sidonie Moore (Ballarat), Samantha Karakinos (Wheelers Hill).

DEFENDERS: Rhiannon Banner (Melton), Elenoa Costello (Ballarat), Katie Lindkvist (Buninyong), Sarah Milton (Narre Warren).

COACH: Kim Bailey. Assistant coach: Jordan O’Keefe.

19/UNDERS

GOALERS: Lauren Jew (Ballarat), Sasha McDonald (Edenhope), Zoe Ottavbi (Cambrian Hill), Abbey Ryan (Bendigo).

MID-COURT: Kathryn O’Dwyer (Ballarat), Emily Ktona (Essendon), Bridget Murray (Bendigo), Ashley Ryan (Bendigo).

DEFENDERS: Emilly Atkinson (Moama), Zoe Davies (Bendigo), Claudia Masek (Jan Juc), Bridget Smith (Warrnambool).

COACH: Kerry Lightfoot. Assistant coach: Garry Cooke.

DEVELOPMENT

GOALERS: Elonie Hooper (Ballarat), Monique Nagle (Melbourne).

MID-COURT: Bree Hearn (Ballarat), Hannah Kuhar (Melborune), Sarah McCabe (Ballarat), Carla O’Brien (Geelong), Meikah Johns (Riddells Creek).

DEFENDERS: Lara Keating (Melbourne), Elley Lawton (Bendigo), Bridget Macciotta (Sunbury), Stephanie Mundy (Ross Creek), Georgia Stone (Castlemaine).

COACH: Katie Williams.