Move over girls – a boys netball team is calling Eagle Stadium home.
The Wyndham Netball Association has started up a boys team for teenagers still keen on the sport.
Co-coach Louise Mason Saunders said currently, boys can only play netball with a girls team up until under 13s level. After that they can no longer play in a mixed setting.
When Ms Mason Saunders’ 14-year-old son Foster reached the end of his run earlier this year, her and husband Alf decided to try and start a boys team.
Each Saturday morning the team has been playing against any girls under 15 team that was having a bye.
“It’s [a boys netball team] quite a hard thing to get up and running, but we’ve persevered this year,” Ms Mason Saunders said.
“Even when we’ve only had three players available, we’ve filled the gaps with some girls so that the boys that want to play, can play.
“Slowly, over the year, the team’s grown and we’ve now got seven to eight boys that are there most of the time.
“There’s an Australian men’s team, a Victorian men’s team … at a men’s level, it’s got quite a lot of people in it, but at a boys level, not so much.”
Among the teams members is 13-year-old Connor Lilly, who attends Maribyrnong College to focus on his netball game.
Last week, Connor and Foster were both named in the Victorian under 17 development team, and will play in a tournament on the Gold Coast next year.
For more information, email masonsaunders1@gmail.com
