The Gippsland Stars first home match scheduled for Round 7 of the Victorian Netball League 2024 season, originally scheduled for Drouin, will take place at the State Hockey Netball Centre.

The fixture was originally scheduled to take place at Bellbird Park Sports Centre in Drouin, however the committee has made the decision to revert the game back to the State Hockey Netball Centre, after receiving advice from Netball Victoria regarding the court run off section.

The committee made the decision due to the existing team benches at Bellbird Park being inside the 3 metre run off regulation & the advice of the requirement to move the benches for the match into the existing grandstand. This requirement would remove the ability to cater for adequate spectators for both the Stars and travelling Casey teams. With no alternate venues available in the region for the fixture that meet the run off regulation & having the ability to cater for adequate spectators, the unfortunate decision was made not to host our first home match in Round 7.

We would like to thank the team at Bellbird Park for moving around weekly social competition schedules to cater for the original booking of the match. 

We are looking forward to the Round 19 fixture later in the season where Netball Victoria will host matches at Traralgon's Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium where the Stars will be playing Boroondara Express in the 23 & Under match.

The Gippsland Stars VNL squad is starting to come together with the first batch of signed players.

Congratulations to the players who have made the extended 15 player squad for 2024 so far 

23 & Under Female Squad
Alison Dwyer
Brooke de Riter
Charlize Bird
Charlize Traumanis
Emma Felsovary
Hollie Bugeja
​Sophie Lecchino

Trials for players interested in participating in the Gippsland Stars netball programs either in the VNL or the development teams in 2024 are encouraged to register for our screening sessions.

The session will take place at Latrobe Leisure Morwell on Saturday 14/10/23 from 9am. Registrations close on Wednesday 11/10/23 at 11:00PM sharp.

Please ensure you register for the correct age group below and wait to be contacted with further information. Please note that the start time of the older age group may vary depending on interest.

All registered players will be contacted on Thursday 12/10/2023 with details regarding the trial.

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Gippsland Stars (Screening Session & 2022 VNL players - Players born 2001 to 2004) Registration

https://netballtrials.com/register/gippsland-stars-screening-session-gippsland-s/
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Gippsland Stars (Screening Session - Players born 2005 to 2008) Registration

https://netballtrials.com/register/gippsland-stars-screening-session-players-bor/

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In a landmark moment for netball in Gippsland, the Gippsland League has secured a licence to operate a team in the Victorian Netball League (VNL). The Gippsland Stars will join the competition from 2024 in the newly created 23 & Under division before entering both the Championship and 23 & Under divisions in future seasons.
As Victoria’s premier netball competition, the VNL provides a pathway for talented athletes to develop and showcase their abilities in a competitive pre-elite performance environment. The VNL is a crucial step in the Netball Victoria pathway for athletes, coaches, and officials, and in 2024 will move to a new structure featuring 12 clubs across 2 divisions (previously 10 clubs across 3 divisions).

Gippsland players have a strong existing presence in the competition with over 15 registered 2023 Gippsland League players competing across various teams in the 2023 VNL Championship, Division 1 and 19 & Under competitions. The 2023 VNL Championship final between the City West Falcons and Boroondara Express featured four current/former Gippsland League players competing; including 2022 Gippsland League Team of the Year players Taylah Brown & Zali Anderson, 2018 Moe premiership player Bella Hodgson and 2019 Gippsland League best and fairest Montana Holmes who also claimed the match MVP honours.

The Gippsland Stars will be primarily based out of Traralgon and will encompass opportunities for players from the entire Gippsland region. The initial setup will include a team to compete in the VNL competition and a development team which will support the VNL program. Various other operational logistics will be confirmed in the coming weeks. Gippsland League General Manager Daniel Heathcote led the Stars’ bid to base a team in Gippsland “It is an exciting opportunity which has been a long-term goal for a few of us involved in the Gippsland League. To be in a position to develop a Gippsland team competing in the VNL competition is a major boost for the League and the region and we thank Netball Victoria for their vote of confidence in the Gippsland Stars program” said Heathcote.
  
 “We think this team will provide a greater opportunity for Gippsland players, umpires, coaches and staff to develop and aspire to follow the Netball Victoria pathways that may not have had the opportunity or been able to continue on due to the logistical commitments of travelling to a Melbourne based club”

The 2024 VNL competition will feature a number key of changes, including the addition of three new licensees – two based in regional Victoria – and structural changes to support the development of athletes, coaches, officials and administrators within the Victorian performance pathway.

“We’re excited to welcome the Gippsland Stars to the Victorian Netball League in 2024,” said Netball Victoria Performance Competitions Manager Stacey O’Neill. “The Stars’ inclusion will mean more opportunities for talented athletes, coaches and officials from across the Gippsland region. We know Gippsland is a passionate netball heartland and we’re looking forward to working with the club to ensure our competition is even stronger and more exciting in 2024 and beyond.”
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As a new program, the Stars will begin the process of implementing the off-court roles including coaching and administration. The Stars will aim to implement these off-court roles to hit the ground running before the October 1st date set by Netball Victoria where all teams can begin player recruitment and trials for the 2024 season. All roles will be advertised on gippslandstars.com.au and via our social channels @gippslandstars.