WITH the Victorian Netball League done and dusted and the Suncorp Super League in its finals run over the next few weeks, all eyes turn to the Victorian Mens and Mixed Netball Association (VMMNA). 17 teams will compete across the two Premier League divisions on Wednesday evenings at the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Parkville, with matches taking place from the end of August and running through to finals in early December.

VIC M-League 2019
Men’s Premier Division – Round 1
28/8/19
8:20pm

Geelong are back again after a successful 2018 run where they were named premiers. They may have changed their name during the offseason, but the Geelong side will be keen for back-to-back victories regardless of name and player changes. While they’re a big threat to a number of teams in the competition, the real challenge in this match is for the Ariels – who come into the Men’s Premier division for the first time having played in Division 1 in 2018. This will be the Ariels’ first opportunity to take on a team the calibre of the highly talented Cougars, meaning this is surely a game to watch.

In other games, third and fourth place-getters last season in Southern Seahawks and Melbourne City Blackhawks will face off, while new sides to the fray – St Therese’s, Sirens Netball and Pasifika Sharks – will take the court for the first time, along with DDNA who finished in sixth last year, having won only two matches for the season. While these new teams are mostly unknown quantities, there is plenty of experience taking the court, with the likes of Junior Levi lining up for the Sharks as just one of the big names in the competition.

Sirens Netball v. Pasifika Sharks
Geelong Cougars v. Ariels
DDNA v. St Thereses
Southern Seahawks v. Melbourne City Blackhawks