Victorian Netball League
The Victorian Netball League is a state netball league featuring teams from Victoria, Australia. The league is organised by Netball Victoria. The modern league was first played for during the 2009 season. It replaced an earlier state league as the top level netball competition in Victoria. On a national level, the VNL is effectively a third level league, below Suncorp Super Netball and the Australian Netball League. Between 2009 and 2011, due to sponsorship and naming rights arrangements, the VNL was also known as the Holden Cruze Cup. Since 2018, the league has been sponsored by Bupa and, as a result, it is also known as the Bupa Victorian Netball League. The league features ten teams who enter teams in three divisions – the Championship, Division 1 and an Under-19 division. Historically, the league's most successful team has been City West Falcons. Originally known as Hume City Falcons, they have won five Championships and fourteen premierships across all three divisions.
Founded | 2009 |
---|---|
Country | Australia |
Region | Victoria |
Divisions | Championship Division 1 Under-19 |
Number of teams | 10 |
Level on pyramid | 3 |
Current champions | Geelong Cougars |
Most championships | City West Falcons (5 Championships) |
Website | vic.netball.com.au |
History
Foundation
The modern league was first played for during the 2009 season. It replaced an earlier Netball Victoria state league as the top level netball competition in Victoria. The earlier state league featured eighteen teams but, after restructuring, this 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 new league featured three divisions – the Championship, Division 1 and an Under-19 division. The ten teams enter a team in each division. The new structure was designed to encourage player development. [1][2][3][4]
City West Falcons
Historically, the league's most successful team has been City West Falcons who have won five Championships and fourteen premierships across all three divisions.[5] As Hume City Falcons they won the inaugural Championship in 2009 and then retained it in 2010. [2][6][7] With a team that included Kathleen Knott they won their first Championship as City West Falcons in 2012 [8][9] and then retained it in 2013. [10][11] In 2018, Falcons won their fifth Championship title. [12][13]
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
2020 teams
Team | Home venue/base | Home city/town/suburb |
---|---|---|
Ariels VCNA [17][18] | Maroondah Nets [19] | Heathmont, Victoria |
Boroondara Express [20][21] | Boroondara Sports Complex | Boroondara |
Casey Demons [22][23][24] | Casey Stadium | City of Casey |
City West Falcons [5] | Maribyrnong College [7] | Maribyrnong, Victoria |
Geelong Cougars [25][26] | Geelong | |
Hawks Netball [27][28][29] | ||
Melbourne University Lightning [30][31][32] | Parkville Campus | University of Melbourne |
North East Blaze [33][34] | Community Bank Stadium | Diamond Creek, Victoria |
Peninsula Waves [35][36] | Mornington Peninsula | |
Wilson Storage Southern Saints [37][38] | City of Bayside | |
- 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. [24]
- ^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][27][28][29]
- ^6 Between 2009 and 2014, Melbourne University Lightning had a partnership with Victoria University and played as VU-Western Lightning. [7][30][39]
Championship grand finals
Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up | Venue |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 [2][5][20] | Hume City Falcons | 47–44 | Boroondara Genesis | SNHC |
2010 [5] | Hume City Falcons | SNHC | ||
2011 [20][28] | 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 [47][48] | Southern Saints | 48–42 | City West Falcons | SNHC |
2015 [49][50] | Boroondara Express | 50–44 | City West Falcons | SNHC |
2016 [51][52] | Melbourne University Lightning | 53–52 | City West Falcons | SNHC |
2017 [53][54] | North East Blaze | 49–46 | Melbourne University Lightning | SNHC |
2018 [12][13] | City West Falcons | 56–48 | Geelong Cougars | SNHC |
2019 [55][56][57][58] | Geelong Cougars | 69–55 | Casey Demons | SNHC |
2020 | ||||
Notable players
The VNL is a 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]
Internationals
Melbourne Vixens
Collingwood Magpies
Award winners
- Championship MVP – Margaret Caldow Trophy
Season | Player | Team |
---|---|---|
2009 [2] | Brooke Thompson | VU Western Lightning |
2010 | ||
2011 | ||
2012 [8] | Caitlyn Strachan (Note 1) | Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels |
2012 [8] | Mwai Kumwenda (Note 1) | Peninsula Waves |
2012 [8] | Helen Barclay (Note 1) | Monash University Central |
2013 [10] | Caitlyn Strachan (Note 2) | Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels |
2013 [10] | Brooke Thompson (Note 2) | VU Western Lightning |
2014 [47] | Chloe Watson | City West Falcons |
2015 [49] | Kathleen Knott | City West Falcons |
2016 [51] | Maggie Lind | City West Falcons |
2017 [53] | Micaela Wilson | North East Blaze |
2018 | ||
2019 | ||
- 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 [47] | Leah Percy | Southern Saints |
2015 [49] | Sarah Yule | Boroondara Express |
2016 [51] | Dani Stewart | Melbourne University Lightning |
2017 [53] | Micaela Wilson | North East Blaze |
2018 | ||
2019 [56] | Vanessa Augustini | Geelong Cougars |
Main sponsors
Years | |
---|---|
GM Holden Ltd/Holden Cruze [2][60][61] | 2009–2011 |
Devine Homes [8][10] | 2012–2013 |
Bupa [12][55][62][63] | 2018– |
References
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