JOINT coach of Bendigo Football Netball League's open netball team Carol Cathcart is confident of being able to mix it with the best at this weekend's association championships in Melbourne.
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After reaching the semi-finals of last year's round-robin tournament, Cathcart believed the league had chosen a squad capable of challenging for the title on Sunday.
"I haven't seen the draw yet, but I think we have a good side and as long as we play well on the day we'll certainly be really competitive," she said.
"We don't really have a lot of height in defence, but in saying that, I think we have got some quality defenders and we'll be able to have full-court defence.
"We need to put pressure (on the opposition) all the way down the court, we are not relying on just our backline."
Joining Cathcart as joint coach is Strathfieldaye’s 2015 grand final coach Mali Roberts.
The squad, to be captained by Kangaroo Flat's Karly Elvey, contains a good blend of youth and experience.
What the group lacks in height at the defensive end of the court is more than compensated in the shooting circle through experienced hands Gabe Richards (Golden Square) and Michelle Fletcher (Kyneton), with backing from Kangaroo Flat young-gun Ruby Barkmeyer.
The 15-year-old has capped a remarkable season at BFNL and school competition level by being selected in the School Sport Victoria 15-and-under team to contest the national championships in Adelaide next month.
Cathcart believed the pairing of Richards and Fletcher had the potential to make things difficult for more than a few teams.
"With their basketball background, they do things just a little bit different to what traditional netball is," she said.
"I think that will be good for us, given we play shortened games - teams won't have a long time to adapt.
"With Ruby, she's more a traditional player and young, it will be a really good mix of youth and experience."
Elvey will partner with Strathfieldsaye skipper Brianna Dalrymple-Monro, Sandhurst's Brooke Bolton and Kangaroo Flat's Chelsea Sartori in a deep mid-court rotation.
Reigning Betty Thompson Medal winner Heather Oliver leads a defence that includes her Dragons teammate Carly Van Den Heuvel and Kangaroo Flat's Zoe Davies.
Three players, Golden Square's Ashley and Abbey Ryan and Gisborne's Maddy Stewart were unavailable for selection due to Victorian Netball League commitments.
Demonstrating representative netball as alive and well, Cathcart said all players asked had chosen to make themselves available.
"We were really pleased people wanted to play," she said.
"We had three sessions leading up this weekend working on making sure we get to know each other and getting some systems and strategies in place.
"I think we have a good understanding of how we want to play and what I like about this team is it has a lot of flexibility."
The BFNL was eliminated by eventual premiers Geelong in last year's semi-finals.
The championships will be contested at the State Netball and Hockey Centre.
