Some were carving it up while others were learning the rules.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was all smiles as Warrnambool City Netball Association (WCNA) brought back its open mixed netball competition on Wednesday.
Four teams battled it out on the opening night and WCNA's Marg Morgan says there are more teams on the way.
"I've had enquiries for another two teams to start next week and there's another team floating around," she said.
READ MORE:
WCNA, buoyed by the fact it had half a year of open mixed netball last year, had wanted to run a year-long competition this season.
But it couldn't get enough teams until now.
It's sweet relief for Morgan who has wanted to see a competition take flight.
"I feel pretty happy because I've been trying since February to get it going," she said.
One side itching to get back on court was the Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School teachers team.
The squad, which played in the past two seasons, has been keen to play since the start of the year.
"We had to wait six months and it's been a good long wait and we're finally here," Dean Kilpatrick said during his team's half-time break.
Morgan added that it's certainly not too late for teams to join the fixture which runs until the end of November.
"We're going to be able to accept teams along the way through the season but they to need to contact us first," she said.
Morgan said the WCNA could add more teams due to the long length of the season.
It's all part of Netball Victoria's broader goal of getting more males involved in the sport.
Males make up approximately 49 per cent of the state's population but only three per cent of Netball Victoria's membership.
"It's a great step towards that goal," Morgan said of the mixed competition.
She said she hoped WCNA could get enough players to establish a male-only competition.
But first she wants to see what sort of feedback she gets from males about what they would like the association to offer.
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.
