NORTH Central teams expect to be highly-competitive at this year's Netball Victoria State Championships, to be played in Melbourne this weekend.
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The two-day championships are being hosted by the Lilydale and Yarra Valley Netball Association, with finals to be played on Sunday.
North Central has teams competing in the 17-and-under and 15-and-under divisions.
Competition for spots in both teams was fierce, with more than 150 netballers from across the region trialling for positions.
A quality 17-and-under team, coached by Carol Cathcart, is aiming to go one better than last season's runner-up placing when beaten by one goal by Jika.
North Central last won a 17-and-under title in 2015, with a team featuring many current day BFNL A-grade stars, including Sandhurst's Meg Williams, Kangaroo Flat's Annie Spear and Milly Wicks, and Eaglehawk's Abbey Ryan and Elley Lawton.
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This season's squad is high on quality and star-power, headed by South Bendigo A-grade star Chloe Langley, who was this season's BFNL rising star award winner, a Victorian Netball League premiership player, and a key in the Bloods' rise to finalists for the first time in nearly 20 years.
She is joined by fellow BFNL 17-and-under squad representatives Ruby Turner, who won A-grade and A-reserve premiership medallions with Sandhurst this season, Golden Square's Abbey Grindal and Eaglehawk's Arriah Keogh.
Fellow Hawks player Jasmine Condliffe, Gisborne's Amity Drayton and Maryborough's Bella Westbrook make it seven BFNL players in the 10-player team.
They are joined by Elmore sharpshooter Abbey Hromenko, Lara Judd (Echuca and District Netball Association), and Ella Harvey (Deniliquin Netball Association), who was a member of last season's 15-and-under team.
Langley and Turner were members of last season's 17-and-under team, while Grindal and Westbrook were both training partners.
North Central opens its campaign on Saturday morning against Goulburn and will play 17 qualifying round matches across the two days.
The 15-and-under team has drawn Barwon in its opener, with the team again to be coached by Echuca region stalwart Betty McCoomb.
The squad includes four BFNL players in Ava Hamilton, Isabelle Shoebridge, Kiralee Collings and Shae Clifford, two from the Heathcote District (Cayde Hayes and Emily Jones), one from the Loddon Valley (Jasmine Gallagher) and three from Echuca District (Lilli Oliver, Lily Devlin and Maia Roberts).
Hayes, an A-grade player with Elmore this season, is the lone player returning from last season's team.
North Central is not fielding an open team this season.
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