In June, Warrandyte Netball Club celebrated four autumn premierships, eight grand finals, and a junior program bursting with life and energy.
Together, those achievements painted a picture of a club in excellent health but, as we said at the time, they told only part of the story.
Another part plays out away from Warrandyte on weeknights and Sundays, where Warrandyte players combine with players from other clubs to play representative netball.
Warrandyte has a proud history of players being selected for higher-level competition.
Back in 2014, the Warrandyte Diary reported a then-record 31 Warrandyte players chosen to play in association representative teams.
That strength continues this year, with Warrandyte players selected in all but one of the Manningham Netball Association’s 11 representative teams across the 13U, 15U and 17U age groups, as well as several Manningham 11U teams.
But this story begins much earlier, with junior players learning fundamental skills while developing a love of netball that can stay with them for life.
Last month, close to 50 Woolworths NetSetGO and 9U players packed the Warrandyte clubrooms for an end-of-season pizza night.
They came from 11 different primary schools and represented the growing base of players making friendships and learning their first netball skills at Warrandyte.
NetSetGO is the first step in Netball Victoria’s player pathway and from there, players can progress through club netball and, if interested, trial for representative teams.
For most Warrandyte players, that means Manningham, where the players they normally line up against on Saturdays become teammates instead of opponents.
Making a representative team brings an increased level of commitment, adding extra training, midweek competitions, and Sunday tournaments while continuing to play for Warrandyte each Saturday.
The strongest Manningham teams also take on other associations at the Central East Association Championships, where Warrandyte players made their mark this year.
Although all the Manningham teams competed strongly, the 17U teams enjoyed the best results with 17U/1 team reaching the semi-finals of the championship division, while 17U/2 team finished runner-up in the reserve division.
Higher up the player pathway is the opportunity to represent one of Victoria’s regions.
The State Titles may be held earlier in the year than the Association Championships, but they sit above association level in the representative pathway.
Manningham is part of the Chisholm region, which selects teams to compete at the Netball Victoria State Titles each March.
This year, more than 600 of the state’s best emerging players converged on the State Netball Centre for three days of intense competition.
Three Warrandyte teammates pulled on the Chisholm dress, with one returning home as a state champion after a thrilling extra-time victory.
Netball Victoria’s talent scouts watch players closely at both the State Titles and Association Championships and selected athletes are invited to trial for the Talent Academy and Victorian 17U and 19U state programs.
From there, some players progress to the Victorian Netball League, while a select few eventually reach Suncorp Super Netball.
Manningham is the main representative association for Warrandyte players, but it is not the only one, and the club is proud to support every player wherever their representative journey takes them.
While the club recognises and celebrates its representative players, representative netball is only one way to enjoy and develop in the game.
It is not the goal for everyone, or even for most Warrandyte players.
Warrandyte’s premiership teams have shown that players can enjoy success, improve their skills, and form wonderful friendships entirely through club netball.
The two pathways work well together.
Representative players bring new skills, ideas, and experiences back to their Saturday teams, while strong performances for Warrandyte give selectors plenty of reason to keep an eye on the club.
None of this happens without parents making extra weeknight trips, giving up Sundays, and finding room for more netball commitments in already busy weeks.
Nor does it happen without the Warrandyte coaches who introduce children to the game, build their confidence, and develop their skills to the point where they can trial for representative teams.
For a club already enjoying success on Saturdays, Warrandyte’s presence across so many Manningham and other association teams is another encouraging sign of its strength from top to bottom.
From children making their first passes at NetSetGO to teenagers testing themselves against some of Victoria’s best, the future looks bright.
Manningham is yet to announce dates, but trials for its 2027 representative teams will be held over successive Sundays in October.
Interested players can keep an eye on the Manningham Netball website or subscribe to the Warrandyte Netball Club newsletter, where trial dates will be announced once released.
Warrandyte Diary, August 2026
