Victorian Netball League
Netball league in Australia
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The Victorian Netball League (VNL) is a state netball league featuring teams from Victoria, Australia. The league is organised by Netball Victoria, with the modern league beginning in 2009. It replaced an earlier state league as the top level netball competition in Victoria. On a national level, the VNL is effectively a third-tier league, below Suncorp Super Netball and the Australian Netball Championships.
| Founded | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Victoria |
| Divisions | Championship 23 & Under |
| Number of clubs | 11 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Current champions | City West Falcons |
| Most championships | City West Falcons (7 Championship titles) |
| Website | vic.netball.com.au |
From 2009-2011, due to sponsorship and naming rights arrangements, the VNL was known as the Holden Cruze Cup. Between 2018-2020, the league was sponsored by Bupa and was known as the Bupa Victorian Netball League.
A change at the end of the 2023 season saw three divisions (Championship, Division 1 and 19 & Under) become two - with Division 1 and 19 & Under replaced with a 23 & Under division. It also saw the inclusion of new clubs Bendigo Strikers, Gippsland Stars and Western Warriors. The Stars will initially field a 23 & Under team, before entering the Championship division by 2027.
Nine existing clubs (Boroondara, Casey, City West, Geelong, Hawks, Lightning, Blaze, Waves and Saints) had their licenses renewed, with foundation club Ariels a casualty of the restructure.
The league's most successful team, City West Falcons (originally known as Hume City Falcons), have won seven Championship titles and 17 premierships in total, to the end of 2023.
History
Foundation
The modern league began in 2009, replacing an earlier Netball Victoria state league as the top level netball competition in Victoria. The earlier league featured eighteen teams but, after restructuring, the number was reduced to ten. The founding ten members of the new league were Ballarat Pride, Boroondara Genesis, Geelong Cougars, Hume City Falcons, Monash University Central, North East Blaze, Peninsula Waves, Southern Saints, VU Western Lightning and Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels. The league featured three divisions – Championship, Division 1 and 19 & Under. The ten teams entered a team in each of the three divisions. The new structure was designed to encourage player development.[1][2][3][4]
City West Falcons
The league's most successful team has been City West Falcons, who have won seven Championship titles and 17 premierships in total, across three divisions.[5] As Hume City Falcons, they won the inaugural Championship in 2009 and claimed it again the following year[2][6][7] With a team that included Kathleen Knott, they won their first Championship as City West Falcons in 2012[8][9] and again in 2013.[10][11] In 2018, Falcons won their fifth Championship title.[12][13] Falcons won their sixth Championship title in 2022, also winning the 19 & Under Grand Final.
Victorian Fury
The Australian Netball League team Victorian Fury is effectively the representative team of the VNL. In turn, Fury is the reserve team of Melbourne Vixens.[14][15][16]
Teams
2023 teams
| Team | Home venue/base | Home city/town/suburb | Debut season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boroondara Express[17][18] | Boroondara Sports Complex | Boroondara | 2009 |
| Casey Demons[19][20][21] | Casey Stadium | City of Casey | 2019 |
| City West Falcons[5] | Maribyrnong College[7] | Maribyrnong | 2009 (as Hume City Falcons) |
| Geelong Cougars[22][23] | - | Geelong | 2009 |
| Hawks Netball[24][25][26] | - | - | 2009 (as Monash Storm) |
| Melbourne University Lightning[27][28][29] | Parkville Campus | University of Melbourne | 2009 (as VU Western Lightning) |
| North East Blaze[30][31] | Community Bank Stadium | Diamond Creek | 2009 |
| Peninsula Waves[32][33] | - | Mornington Peninsula | 2009 |
| Wilson Storage Southern Saints[34][35] | - | City of Bayside | 2009 |
| Bendigo Strikers | Red Energy Stadium | Bendigo | 2024 |
| Gippsland Stars | - | - | 2024 |
| Western Warriors | - | - | 2024 |
- Notes
- ^1 Ariels VCNA previously played as Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels.
- ^2 Boroondara Express previously played as Boroondara Genesis.
- ^3 Casey Demons are affiliated to both the VFL Casey Demons and Melbourne Football Club.[21]
- ^4 City West Falcons previously played as Hume City Falcons.[7]
- ^5 Hawks Netball previously played as Melbourne Central, Monash University Central, Monash University Storm. In 2018 they adopted their current name after forming a partnership with Hawthorn Football Club.[12][24][25][26]
- ^6 Between 2009 and 2014, Melbourne University Lightning had a partnership with Victoria University and played as VU-Western Lightning.[7][27][36]
Former teams
Championship Grand Finals
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009[2][5][17] | Hume City Falcons | 47–44 | Boroondara Genesis | SNHC |
| 2010[5] | Hume City Falcons | SNHC | ||
| 2011[17][25] | Monash University Storm | Boroondara Express | SNHC | |
| 2012[8][9] | City West Falcons | 42–37 | VU-Western Lightning | SNHC |
| 2013[10][11] | City West Falcons | 44–41 | Peninsula Waves | SNHC |
| 2014[44][45] | Southern Saints | 48–42 | City West Falcons | SNHC |
| 2015[46][47] | Boroondara Express | 50–44 | City West Falcons | SNHC |
| 2016[48][49] | Melbourne University Lightning | 53–52 | City West Falcons | SNHC |
| 2017[50][51] | North East Blaze | 49–46 | Melbourne University Lightning | SNHC |
| 2018[12][13] | City West Falcons | 56–48 | Geelong Cougars | SNHC |
| 2019[52][53][54][55] | Geelong Cougars | 69–55 | Casey Demons | SNHC |
| 2020 | No competition due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2021 | No finals series played[56] | |||
| 2022[57][58] | City West Falcons | 49–47 | Geelong Cougars | Parkville |
| 2023 | City West Falcons | 60-54 | Boroondara Express | Parkville |
| 2024 | City West Falcons | 64-53 | Boroondara Express | Parkville |
| 2025 | City West Falcons | 60-58 | Hawks | Parkville |
Notable players
The VNL is effectively a feeder league for the Suncorp Super Netball teams Melbourne Vixens and Collingwood Magpies. VNL players have also played for the Australia national netball team and other international teams.[14][59]
Internationals
Melbourne Vixens
Collingwood Magpies
|
Award winners
- Margaret Caldow Trophy
The Championship MVP award is named after Margaret Caldow.
| Season | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2009[2] | Brooke Thompson | VU Western Lightning |
| 2010 | ||
| 2011[60] | Melinda Cranston | Boroondara Genesis |
| 2012[8] | Caitlyn Strachan (Note 1) | Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels |
| Mwai Kumwenda | Peninsula Waves | |
| Helen Barclay | Monash University Central | |
| 2013[10] | Caitlyn Strachan(Note 2) | Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels |
| Brooke Thompson | VU Western Lightning | |
| 2014[44] | Chloe Watson | City West Falcons |
| 2015[46] | Kathleen Knott | City West Falcons |
| 2016[48] | Maggie Lind | City West Falcons |
| 2017[50] | Micaela Wilson | North East Blaze |
| 2018 | ||
| 2019[61] | Julia Woolley | Geelong Cougars |
| 2020 | Not awarded | |
| 2021[56] | Julia Woolley (Note 3) | Geelong Cougars |
| Maggie Lind | City West Falcons | |
| 2022[62] | Nyah Allen | North East Blaze |
- Notes
- Player of the Championship Grand Final
| Season | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2009[2] | Ashlee Howard | Boroondara Genesis |
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | ||
| 2012[8] | Christie Barnes | City West Falcons |
| 2013[10] | Elizabeth Watson | City West Falcons |
| 2014[44] | Leah Percy | Southern Saints |
| 2015[46] | Sarah Yule | Boroondara Express |
| 2016[48] | Dani Stewart | Melbourne University Lightning |
| 2017[50] | Micaela Wilson | North East Blaze |
| 2018 | ||
| 2019[53] | Vanessa Augustini | Geelong Cougars |
| 2022[63] | Zoe Davies | City West Falcons |