Aspiring young players in the Mandurah Netball Association (MNA) will be given the chance to catch the eyes of talent scouts as they take to the court in Netball WA’s inaugural Metro League competition early next year.
The MNA is set to field teams in the competition’s under 14s, 16s, 18s and open divisions, which will give local players a greater opportunity to garner recognition from state and national talent pathways.
The Metro League will pit Mandurah’s representative teams against the likes of Fremantle, Rockingham, Swan Districts, Wanneroo, Joondalup and more in the two-month competition, which is set to be played across February and March at the State Netball Centre in 2019.
It is expected the competition will open the door for more players to gain exposure to high-level development pathways, which may lead into programs like the WA Netball League and West Coast Fever.
MNA president Jo Fitzpatrick said the Metro League would be a huge boost for grassroots players.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for young players who will be looking to showcase themselves and eventually move onto bigger and better things,” she said.
“It’s a much broader competition than many of them have played in before and there will certainly be doors opening for them through this league.
“We’re very excited. The Metro League is going to give more of our athletes better chances at moving on with their netball, and we think it will keep them involved in the sport for longer.
“It’s a great initiative.”
The MNA will be holding their first set of trials for players to try out for their Metro League teams this weekend at their Thomson Street base, kicking off with the under 18s and 16s outfits.
Trials for the under 14s grade will be held the following Sunday, October 21, before the association hits the Halls Head Recreation Centre courts for their open grade tryouts on Sunday, November 4.
The 18s and 16s trials kick off this Saturday, October 13 at 8am.
For more information about the competition or the Mandurah Netball Association, email mna@bigpond.net.au