Whether it is football, soccer or netball, athletes from all sports want to be pushed to their limits to see if they are good enough, if they can perform on the big stage.

A group of central Victorian netballers are doing just that.

Ash Bradley, Bridget Murray, Zoe Davies, Emily Atkinson, Elley Lawton and sisters Abbey and Ash Ryan have all been selected to play with the newly formed Victorian Netball League team the Ballarat Sovereigns.

Strathfieldsaye teen Zoe Davies was selected in the 19-and-under team, she says she is excited to play against some of the best netballers in the state.

Davies got a taste of the elite competition when she was at the City West Falcons, as part of a VNL scholarship.

She said she learned a lot about fitness and what was needed to make it at the top level.

“It was mind blowing,” Davies said of her time with the Falcons.

“I remember my first fitness session, I nearly dropped dead half way through, I have never ever done anything like that before, it was incredible.

“They taught me so much and showed me different parts of the game that I hadn’t really learned about before.

“It helped me a lot.”

The 17-year-old said making the Sovereigns' list was the next step in her development as a netball player.  

Davies said she had already had to make the move from a goal defender to a mid-court player.

“I have been a ring defender for the five years I have been involved with netball, but since going to the Flacons I learned that I am pretty short, compared to the players in Melbourne,” she said.

“Being six foot doesn’t mean anything, so I am now trying to progress into a wing defence, centre player.”

Davies moved from the Heathcote Football Netball Club to Strathfieldsaye in the BFNL this year.

“BFNL is classed as one of the highest leagues and I wanted to test myself,” she said.

“I wanted to see how I would go.

“It was easy in the under-17 team last year at Heathcote because I didn’t have to push myself, whereas this year with the seniors it is been a bit better for me.”

The Bendigo Senior Secondary College student said her aim was to push for an A-grade spot with the Storm next season.

Midcourt player Bridget Murray is also gunning for a spot in the Kangaroo Flat A-grade team.

Murray was a part of the 17-and-under Roos' premiership side this year and is looking forward to the challenge of playing with a VNL team.

She said making the team was a pretty big deal, especially after suffering a knee reconstruction in 2013.    

“I am really passionate about my netball, so it was a pretty big thing for me to get back into the sport,” Murray said.

“When I did my knee, I had my operation and I still stuck with Kangaroo Flat.

“I would help out with the A-grade team, I did stats, still went to training and that kept me going.

“I love netball; it is my favourite thing to do, so that is what kept me strong.”

The SEDA student will be playing alongside Davies, the Ryan sisters and Echuca defender Emily Atkinson in the 19-and-under team. 

While Ash Bradley, a Lockington netballer, was named in Ballarat's open team. 

She said the aspiring netballers were put through their paces at the Sovereigns' trials. 

“There was some tough competition,” she said.  

“Even just to try out was a great experience, working with Natasha Choklijat and Eloise Southby and they were giving tips which was really good.

“The intensity was really high as well.”

Murray said she saw nothing but netball in her future.

“My ultimate goal is to make it to the Vixens, but at the moment my aim is to make it to a state team,” she said. 

For goal defender Elley Lawton, securing a spot on the Sovereigns' development team came as a surprise. 

"I thought this year that I would like to try out for a VNL team to see what it is like and I thought playing with Ballarat would be easier, travel wise, compared to playing in Melbourne," she said. 

"I only went to one trial because I got it in my head that I wasn’t quite ready for it. . . I wasn’t confident.

"Then I got the offer to make it into the development team and I realised that there was a few other girls from Bendigo that had also made teams, so I thought it would be a good opportunity, even just to get my fitness up for the next BFNL season." 

Golden Square A-grade shooter Abbey Ryan said she was looking forward to working with some new coaches at Ballarat and, hopefully, improving her game.

"This year I was a part of the zone academy and I thought playing with a VNL team would be the next step," she said. 

"It would be a good experience, meet some new coaches and even just to get my name out there."

Abbey made the change from the Bulldogs' 17-and-under team to the A-grade in just one year. 

She said she has learned a lot about her game since moving into the senior side.

"It is a lot harder, but it is good," she said.

"I think it is good playing on harder players because it helps to improve my game."  

Sister Ash said she wanted to test her netball capabilities by trying out for the VNL team.

"The standard of the VNL competition is so high, so hopefully it will improve my netball," she said. 

"I would like to see netball be my job. 

"I know it would be a small chance of that happening, but I will be able to test myself and see if I can make it." 

It is also the first time Ash Bradley has played in the VNL. 

"This year I made all the teams that I could, I played in the regional team, made the inter-league team and played at the state titles," Bradley said. 

"I thought I had nothing to lose, so I gave it a shot."

Murray also said the possibility of having a VNL team in Bendigo was exciting. 

“We do have the talent here to have a team,” Murray said.

Bendigo’s bid to join the VNL was unsuccessful earlier this year, with the Ballarat Sovereigns awarded the final licence in the competition. 

Davies agreed saying it would also ease the financial stress on young players and their families.

“It would mean not having to travel to Ballarat or Melbourne four to five times a week,” she said.

"You would be able to save money on petrol."

Melissa Ryan, a member of the Bendigo consortium working to get a VNL team to the city, said playing for the Sovereigns would be a great experience. 

"Our clubs can only benefit from that experience these athletes will be exposed to," she said. 

"Playing consistently at VNL level is a must for player development.

"Our working group will continue to explore options to create a VNL licence within our region to better support our own athletes."