Leading Central Highlands coach and top umpire Jordan O'Keefe says he is encouraged by Netball Victoria's stated commitment to regions after the decision of the Collingwood Magpies to pull out of the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) competition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Netball Victoria has positioned Commonwealth Games host cities such as Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo as possible homes to a second SSN team in Victoria going forward, committing to retain the second licence in this state.
O'Keefe, who coaches Learmonth in the CHNL, said even though Collingwood had pulled out, its players still needed a home to go to, with regional Victoria potentially in a position to support a club.
"It's really early days and there's a lot of work to do on a just on resourcing for one," he said.
"It's not unrealistic to have satellite training programs, but you might see something that's potentially metropolitan based and you have the home spots between Selkirk and Bendigo stadium, they would be suitable for pre-season type matches, knowing you generally get 6000-7000 for Melbourne Vixens games."
This week, Netball Victoria chief executive Andrea Pearman said the loss of the Magpies would now provide a possibility for expansion into regional Victoria.
"This is a tremendous opportunity to expand the elite competition into our heartland in regional Victoria, where participation is already high and the local netball team is an important part of so many communities," Pearman said.
"It is also a chance to build on the excitement and legacy of the upcoming Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games in cities like Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.
IN OTHER SPORTS NEWS:
"Commercially and on-court, the success of the Vixens demonstrates that we have the talent, resources and experience in this state to build a strong new team and create an exciting local rivalry that will last for many years."
The opportunity could open the doors to a Ballarat under-23 team taking to the court in the revamped VNL competition.
Ballarat has not hosted a VNL team since the Ballarat Sovereigns wound up in 2018, but O'Keefe said this was an opportunity that was work exploring.
"It's very interesting, I have been waiting with baited breath the past couple of days to see what would happen," he said.
"I'm really interested that Netball Victoria has a clear intention and belief in the standard of netball in Victoria. It's great they are looking to accommodate a second club."
Have you tried The Courier's app? It can be downloaded here.
