By SARAH SCULLY

Creating opportunities for junior development and retaining families at clubs are key benefits of the introduction of a new Wimmera netball grade.

Wimmera Netball Association leaders have confirmed details of a C Reserve competition for the 2020 season.

Association president Toni Stewart said introducing another senior grade had been in the pipeline for a couple of years. 

“We liked the idea of C Reserve because in juniors, sometimes you are short in one grade and then next year you might be short in a different grade,” she said. “C Reserve is a good way to filter through juniors because you can play at any age, adults as well. 

“It allows us to have a wider group of ages, which creates a lot of opportunities.

“With netball, numbers are restricted because you can’t sub people on or off and sometimes you have players leave and go to another club because they can’t get a game.

“We want to be able to provide more spaces to keep families at clubs.”

The Wimmera association is following in the footsteps of Horsham District Football Netball League, which successfully introduced a C Reserve grade in 2014. 

“It has been voted through but it needs a minimum of five teams for it to run each year,” Mrs Stewart said.

“At the moment we have five teams indicating they intend to put in a C Reserve team this year, so it will go ahead.”

Mrs Stewart said clubs would soon receive application forms for Wimmera squad coaching postitions.

“If anyone is thinking they might like to coach a representative team this year, they should keep an eye out for them,” she said.

Netball times for 2020: A Grade, 3.30pm; B Grade, 2.15pm; C Grade, 1.15pm; C Reserve, 12.15pm; 17 and under, 11 am; 15 and under, 10am; 13 and under, 9am.

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