THE Bendigo Strathdale Netball Association is bursting at the seams, after unprecedented interest from the region's clubs.
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A surge in player numbers has led the association to roster a full schedule of matches on Friday nights, amid fears its Flora Hill Stadium base is at capacity.
Association vice-president Tracey Rigney said the arrival of new clubs made for a hectic two days of netball.
"We cannot put anymore girls on the court than what we've got," Rigney said.
"At the moment we run from 5pm to 9.30pm on a Friday night; Saturday morning we kick off at 8.30am and finish up at 4.30pm.
"And that's every court filled up for the whole day."
A total of 138 teams have registered this season, up from 131 last year and 105 in 2014.
They range from youngsters in grade three at primary school to the open sections for players aged 18 and under.
This year's competition has expanded to include a few teams from the cross-town Golden City association and even visiting teams from Castlemaine.
"But quite a few of them (newcomers) are new kids who have never played netball before," Rigney said.
"Strathdale juniors have grown - they have 25 teams this year ... Zodiacs have maintained 18 teams.
"Girls just want to come and play netball."
The player surplus has placed pressure on clubs to find enough coaches and also umpires.
The association held on scheduling Friday night games last year, but felt it had no choice to act this year to accommodate the groundswell of interest.
Rigney believed the association’s standard-based format, opposed to age-based, was a big factor in players choosing to participate in the competition.
"Once they go above age 13, 13s and 18s play in the same competition and are graded,” she said.
"We actually find we have mixed ages in our teams and they are of a similar standard.
“Some kids who are only year 7 and year 8 are playing up in section one or two if they have the ability.
"We are giving these girls the opportunity to play at the level they are capable of.”
The association offers competition in sections one, two, three and four, under 13A, 13B, grade 6 A, grade 6 B, grade 5 A and B, grade 4 and grade 3.
With continuing growth in the primary section, Rigney said the number of games being played each weekend represented “a lot of netball”.
“We've grown to the point where we cannot grow any longer,” she said.
