GIPPSLAND League netballers have blitzed their opponents at the weekend, winning five titles on offer at the Netball Victoria Eastern Zone Association Championships.
Five hundred of the region’s best players took to Traralgon’s Agnes Brereton Park across 51 teams, travelling from as far as Orbost and Bunyip, to play as many as 13 matches throughout the day.
Gippsland League performed a clean sweep, taking out the under 17s championship, under 15s championship and reserve, and under 13 championship and reserve grades.
Five from six of Sale Netball Associations teams played off in the finals, with the associations under 13 and under 15 sides finishing the day as runner-up.
The championship sides are now poised to head to the state finals in Frankston on June 23.
Gippsland League under 15s coach Jo Ballinger described the result as amazing.
Its the first time that Ive been involved that weve won all five titles, she said.
The girls get an opportunity to play against other players in the state and it means the Gippsland League is heading in the right direction in promoting netball for juniors. Were very happy.
Ballinger said the coaching team restructured its approach in the lead-up to this years event, with plenty of training and a decision to compete in the Sale Netball Association tournament a fortnight earlier.
We chose to enter because we though it would be the best preparation for the girls, she said.
We were able to get our teams to gel a lot better.
