Douglas Netballers scoring goals against region’s best
SPORT
A group of local netballers are taking on the best from around the region in the Kenfrost Homes Marlin Coast Regional Premier and Junior League Marlin Coast Challenge.
Douglas Netball Association (DNA) has three representative teams competing in the six-week round robin challenge, which kicked off on 23 February.
Teams from the DNA will come up against players from Mareeba, Tablelands, Innisfail, Tully and Cairns.
DNA coach, Sharon Beechey, said after two rounds the junior league team is undefeated while the two premier league teams are at one win each.
“The girls are doing really well and I am confident they will continue to hold their own,” she said.
“This gives them the opportunity to increase their skill level in a higher level of competition and it really develops their game.”
The premier league, which caters for players aged 14 to 17-years-old, will be used as a selection process for the Kenfrost Homes Vicki Wilson Marlin Coast regional academy.
The players will have the opportunity to impress coaches and selectors throughout the challenge in the hopes of being chosen for the touring academy teams for 2019.
Douglas Netball has been quite successful in this completion in the past with four local girls selected to represent the Marlin Coast in Singapore last year.
“Douglas Netball is really focused on developing its player’s skill levels and it really shows when they get selected in programs like this,” Ms Beechey said.
Current players and a crop of new contenders are trialling in the hopes of being selected for teams that will travel to Adelaide and Singapore to represent the region later in the year.
With numbers continuing to expand, a junior league was introduced into the challenge in 2018, catering for players 11 to 13-years-old.
This gives the younger players the opportunity to play in a similar league as their older counterparts.
In the fifth round of the challenge former Australian netballer and high performance coach, Vicki Wilson will also conduct a skill session, mentoring all players and coaches.
The intense pre-season challenge will allow players to prepare for their upcoming seasons, which for the Douglas Netball girls, starts on 19 March.
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