Sport
24 May, 2026
NETBALL: Teams try to keep warm
A Grade coach Carly Isaac said the club would play internal practice matches if an outside opponent can’t be found.
THE WITHDRAWAL of St Arnaud from A Grade North Central netball this season is causing major headaches for some clubs.
The Saints pulled out due to a lack of player numbers before the season began, which has caused some unintended consequences.
Boort is scrambling to organise an A Grade practice match after the fixture nightmare saw them facing four weeks with just one competitive game.
The Magpies had last Saturday off for the league-wide bye for junior hockey championships and play top side Wedderburn this coming Saturday.
They were then due to play St Arnaud before another competition-wide bye for King’s Birthday weekend.
With that match with the Saints cancelled, Boort will have played only five games in nine weeks.
A Grade coach Carly Isaac said the club would play internal practice matches if an outside opponent can’t be found.
That is the likely scenario, with neighbouring leagues not having such a stop-start fixture as North Central.
“We want to get some work into the legs,” Isaac said, with match fitness crucial to her team’s plans.
St Arnaud’s initial request to stand out of A Grade was rejected by the North Central Netball Association, but a second request was approved.
The first rejection was because the association was concerned that junior St Arnaud players would not be able to aspire to playing A Grade netball, with the alternative being the Saints withdrawing from C Grade.
The association has gone silent on the fixture issue. Asked if she was comfortable with the way the season was progressing, association president Kim Fitzpatrick said, “We have decided not to make any comment.”
Boort is clearly the most affected club due to the vagaries of the draw.
However, Donald, Sea Lake Nandaly and Calder United have missed two consecutive weeks already, with Birchip Watchem and Wedderburn also to be similarly affected either side of the King’s Birthday break.
Charlton and Donald were drawn to meet St Arnaud three times this season, so with the four league-wide byes added, those clubs will have seven weeks without A Grade netball.
By comparison, the neighbouring Loddon Valley competition will have only one bye throughout its season.
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