By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
Netball Victoria revealed on Friday 11 October the venues that will be hosting the 2025 Association Championships, marking a huge milestone in the organisation’s high-performance pathway.
The Mountain District Netball Association, located at the Knox Regional Netball Centre, will be hosting the Central East region competitions for the 15-and-Under and 17-and-Under male categories on Sunday 1 June 2025.
Netball Victoria has carefully chosen venues and associations across the state that not only meet stringent safety and operational standards but also serve as outstanding ambassadors for the sport in their communities.
Mountain District Netball Association’s head coach for the Under-13s Dani Colosimo said the team has worked incredibly hard to be selected as the host for the state’s netball competitions.
“Recently, we’ve undergone a big restructure and welcomed new head coaches over the past couple of years too – we’ve really tried hard to create a great culture around the association and then obviously, mixed with the addition of new courts, this recognition by Netball Victoria is incredibly meaningful for the association,” Ms Colosimo said.
“We’re a huge part of the Knox community, and we hope to advertise and showcase local businesses during event days, which is something we’re very passionate about.”
The Association Championships offer over 180 Victorian associations and leagues a vital platform to compete, forming an essential part of Netball Victoria’s development pathway.
“As part of our recent restructure, we’ve opened up a lot more competitions, including a boys’ network competition on Friday nights – and we’re looking forward to hosting this boys’ competition for the association and hope to enhance our development initiatives as well,” the head coach said.
She said the association is eager to highlight the dedicated group of volunteers who are working tirelessly to grow netball in the area – to help offer as many opportunities for as many people to play netball as possible.
“We’ve got a range of different competitions on and some trainings on that we offer and being able to have information about them on display whilst they’re being hosted, is something that we’d love to get across as well,” Ms Colosimo said.
These events provide talent identification opportunities for athletes, umpires, and coaches throughout the tournament.
This year, Netball Victoria proudly celebrates 25 years of the program, which has been a foundational steppingstone for numerous netballers who have gone on to represent the Melbourne Vixens and the Australian Diamonds on the international stage.
The head coach has been playing netball since she was merely 7 years old, she this is an exciting opportunity not only for the association but also for her personally.
“I’m thrilled to have the highest level of netball showcased at our centre,” she said.
