THE young stars from the Bendigo United netball club will be on Brisbane's courts next week when they compete at the ninth annual Southern Skies tournament.
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Bendigo United will pit its skill against teams from as far afield as New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Malaysia, and from across Australia.
Players to represent Bendigo United are Karley Hynes, Marnie Ross, Danielle Wilson, Emily Ladiges, Laura Wilkie, Erica Rivett, Ashlee Bardwell, Ella McRae and Emily Moss.
The team is coached by Gayle Hynes, with Amanda Wilkie the manager.
Several parents will be courtside to watch Victoria's sole representative in the under-16s.
The five-day Southern Skies tournament starts on Monday.
Bendigo United's opponents on the netball court include Gill College, South Africa; Mercedes College, Perth; Te Kuiti High, Waikato, New Zealand; Amuri Area School, South Island, New Zealand; Rockingham Senior High, Perth; and All Hallows, Brisbane.
Bendigo United fields three teams in the Golden City Netball Association's action each Saturday on the West Bendigo courts.
'‘This tournament will be a great challenge for all of the girls,'' said Hynes.
‘‘The tournament is school-based and is much about the social experience and interaction with players from many other areas,'' said the coach.
‘‘It's a great experience that all the players are looking forward to. This is our first time to the tournament, so we are learning as we go.'' The players have not only worked hard on court, but also off it with various fundraising drives.
The netball action will be hosted by Metropolitan Districts Netball Association at Wembley Park, Coorparoo.
The round-robin will be on Monday and Tuesday, with teams to be seeded for the semi-finals.
A rest day on Wednesday includes a visit to a theme park.
Semi-finals will be on Thursday, with the tournament to wind up on July 7 when teams contest grand finals and consolation finals.
