Hawks Netball is excited to announce it has been awarded a new Victorian Netball League licence, which will see the club remain at part of Victoria’s elite competition for at least the next five years.
The Hawks are one of 10 clubs to have been handed a new licence, which will run from 2019 until the end of the 2023 season.
Licences were awarded after a major reapplication process, in which clubs were assessed on their ability to develop athletes, coaches and club personnel, in addition to driving good governance practices, sustainability and on-court performance.
The news comes of the back of one of the most successful seasons in recent history for the Hawks, with the club’s Division 1 team winning a premiership, and the Championship team reaching finals for the first time since 2011.
Nine of the 10 clubs who participated in the Bupa VNL this season will remain a part of the competition, with new club Casey Demons to take the place of Ballarat-based Selkirk Sovereigns.
Netball Victoria CEO Rosie King said the five-year licences would ensure the competition remains a key pillar in the state’s high performance pathway.
“The Bupa VNL aims to be the strongest state league competition in Australia and is an integral piece of the Netball Victoria athlete, coach and officials’ pathways,” King said.
“Our Zone Academy continues to provide access to talent development for players and coaches.”
“A new operating model for the Zone Academy program is about to be launched to further drive development outcomes within the program and in the associations.”