A RAY of hope has emerged for central Victorian-based netballers playing in Victoria's premier netball competition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Victorian Netball League has set its sights on an August 7 return to the court, pending State Government restrictions currently in place to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
A heavily revised season will culminate with grand finals being played on Wednesday, October 28, with matches to be played with limited or no spectators.
In a statement released by Netball Victoria on Tuesday morning, the organisation said it had been a leading advocate in the return to play for women and girls across the state throughout the pandemic, and the commencement of the state's top netball league was an exciting development in this plan.
"The last few months have been unprecedented times for our whole netball community, so this is a fantastic opportunity for the Bupa VNL clubs to return to play," Netball Victoria's pathways manager and VIS netball development coach, Cathy Fellows said.
"As we know, the VNL is the elite development competition for Victorian athletes, coaches, technical officials and administrators, so it will be wonderful to have the clubs back on court showcasing the best that Victoria has to offer."
With spectator access limited, Netball Victoria is continuing to work closely with its broadcast supplier to livestream matches each week.
"Given the current environment, we believe that delivering the Bupa VNL season virtually provides an even wider audience the chance to see some of the best netballers in the state at play," Netball Victoria's chief executive officer Rosie King said.
"It's a wonderful way for us to showcase what Victorian netball has to offer."
"Our team that works to deliver the Bupa VNL here at Netball Victoria has worked hard with the clubs and their counterparts across the country to find the best model for us here in Victoria.
"I think this is a great outcome for the 2020 season considering the circumstances."
A long list of players on VNL rosters with past and present ties to the BFNL competition includes reigning Betty Thompson medallist Ashley Ryan, Clare Vearing, Ruby Barkmeyer, Chelsea Sartori, Sophie Shoebridge and Abbey Ryan (Boroondara Express), Maddy Stewart, Claire Oakley (Melbourne University Lightning), Zoe Davies, Chloe Langley, Olivia Rodda (City West Falcons) and Meg Williams, Keara Fitzgerald, Ruby Turner (North East Blaze) and Charlotte Crook (Hawks).
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.