By SARAH MATTHEWS

Southern Mallee Giants netballers will continue to work on pre-season fitness despite uncertainty surrounding the 2020 Wimmera Netball Association season. 

All AFL Wimmera Mallee club activities have ceased until at least May 31, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Giants are taking a different approach to coaching this season, appointing a ‘team of coaches’ for A, B, C and 17-and-under grades rather than individuals.

Emma Mill, Phoebe Uebergang, Kat Landrigan and Cathy Moore are coaching as a collective. 

Mill said pre-season had been enjoyable and successful before activities were called off due to the COVID-19 threat. 

“We were training a couple of times a week and had reasonable numbers, between 15 and 25 each time, which is good for us, particularly with tennis still going,” she said.

“We had an emphasis on fitness and we were starting to get into ball skills. 

“Our plan was a short, sharp pre-season.”

Mill said netball leaders had provided home training session information on the club’s social media platforms. 

“We’re encouraging everyone to keep doing what they were doing and try to stay fit,” she said.

The Giants were about to start team selections when they received the directive to cease training.

Mill said player retention at the club, which serves the Beulah and Hopetoun communities, was ‘not too bad’.

“We lost a few players, some had moved overseas, some are having babies and some are injured,” Mill said.

“But we have kept a few players from last year, including A graders, which is great.”

Southern Mallee has retained goalie Steph Thomson and defender Marnie Lehmann.

“Brylee Schache, a local Hopetoun girl who lives in Melbourne, is going to come back to play, which we are all excited about,” Mill said.

“Brylee can play in attack or defence.

“Gemma Lehmann, who plays in the centre court, is also coming back, as is Codie Robins.”

Mill said Robins would shoot alongside Thomson, while Schache would likely play defence alongside Marnie Lehmann. 

She said netball leaders were also looking at making a couple of juniors part of the A Grade team.

She said junior development was a key focus in 2020.

Southern Mallee will field all grades bar C Reserve and 15 and under, due to player availability. 

The Giants had a tough year in 2019, winning four matches in A Grade.

Mill said she would like to see the club be competitive across all grades this season.

“We were looking pretty good,” she said.

 “We had a couple of practice matches lined up that fell through, because the other teams didn’t have the numbers.

“We were planning on trying to have another practice match before the season started.”

Mill said postponing the football-netball season had a major effect on the southern Mallee communities.

“We were really happy with the way we were travelling, so it’s a massive dampener,” she said.

 “Football and netball is such a big part of small communities like ours.

“It’s hard to no longer be able to see everyone a couple of times a week. 

“Football and netball bring people together and create an opportunity to spend time with family and friends. 

“Now it’s the unknown, as to whether we will even have a netball season. 

“We will know more by the start of May, but at the end of the day, health and safety comes first. 

“As much as we want the season to happen, we can go without football and netball if it means keeping people safe.”

 

A, B and C grades: Emma Mill, Phoebe

Uebergang, Kat Landrigan and Cathy Moore

17 and under: As above

13 and under: Jayne Shannon and  Mez Allan

Net Set Go: Courtney Williams and Rachel Watson

 

The entire April 1, 2020 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!