The Riddell District Netball League will take a powerful side to Inverloch on Saturday in its bid for an interleague victory over Alberton.
The RDNL side of 10 includes seven players on current Victoria Netball League lists, including championship division players Lauren Close and Sara Febbo.
Other VNL players in the squad are Alex Maher, Toni Lind, Danielle Wilson, Tess Abbott and Melissa Laird.
The remaining three members – Hope Evans, Christine Harris and Cayley Armstrong – are just as experienced, all having previously represented the league.
Riddell’s Jarrad Walker, in his first year coaching in the league, is now at the helm of the interleague squad.
“It’s very exciting and I’m absolutely loving it,” said Walker, who also coaches Southern Saints in the VNL’s division 1. I’ve always loved the country leagues; it’s a different atmosphere to the Victorian Netball League. The VNL is a lot stricter whereas in country leagues you can have a bit more fun …it has a real community feeling to it.”
Only three players from last year’s team – Abbott, Evans and Harris – are in this year’s side.
“I wanted to take a full-strength side to Alberton … I need them to implement things straight away,” Walker said.
“I said to a lot of them, ‘We want you in the team not just because you’re VNL players, but you need to want to play in the game’.”
Walker says he’s looking forward to working with some players he would normally coach against.
“I’ve coached against Toni [Lind] for a number of seasons [in VNL]. I’ll get an insight into her mind and how she gets the ball down the court. I’m also loving the chance to work with Hope [Evans]. She’s a good shooter … I’ll work with her to see how she likes to get the ball fed to her in the circle.”
Walker says he’s confident his side has what it takes to win the match.
“I’m taking down a team which I expect Alberton will have to adjust to – not us adjusting to them,” he said.
Rupertswood head coach Di McCormack will coach the RDNL under-17 side. McCormack coached the senior interleague team last year.
The U17 squad is: Rupertswood’s Bec Said, Danielle Scardamaglia, Emily Ktona, Eloise Freeman, Leshae Hogan, Holly Keating and Tilly White, along with Macey Drayton (Gisborne), Christie Brinkhauis (Romsey), Brittney Bowen (Woodend-Hesket), Cassandra Hocking (Macedon) and Nash Bennett (Melton Centrals).
