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The Gippsland Stars will return to Traralgon for a major Round 15 Victorian Netball League home game, with local supporters encouraged to get behind the region’s elite netball program.
The Stars will host Hawks Netball at the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium, bringing another high-quality VNL matchday to Gippsland and giving local players, families, clubs and supporters the chance to see Victoria’s state league competition in their own backyard. The Round 15 fixture shapes as another exciting opportunity for the Gippsland netball community to come together and support the Stars, with the program continuing to build strong momentum and visibility across the region. Adding further interest to the matchday will be the local Gippsland League connection within the Hawks Championship side, with Ash Mawer, Sienna Green and Olivia Barnett all set to feature. The trio are well known across Gippsland League netball circles and their involvement in the VNL competition highlights the strength of talent being developed across the region. Their presence in the Hawks line-up adds an extra storyline to the Round 15 clash, creating a strong local connection for supporters and showcasing the broader pathway opportunities available to Gippsland League players through the Victorian Netball League. For the Gippsland Stars, home games in Traralgon continue to play an important role in connecting the program with the wider netball community. Each home match provides an opportunity for young players to watch elite netball up close, for clubs to engage with the Stars program, and for supporters to experience the speed, skill and intensity of VNL competition. The Stars have proudly represented Gippsland throughout the 2026 season, with the program continuing to grow its profile both on and off the court. The support shown at Gippsland-based home games has been a key part of that growth, with strong crowds helping create a genuine home-court atmosphere for the players. Round 15 provides another chance for the region to rally behind the Stars and celebrate the pathway from local community netball through to the elite VNL level. Supporters are encouraged to secure their tickets online ahead of the matchday and get along to Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium for what promises to be another great day of netball in Traralgon. VNL Round 15 Ticket Information Gippsland Stars v Hawks Netball Round: 15 Venue: Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium, Traralgon Tickets: Available online via https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1545123 The Gippsland Stars look forward to welcoming clubs, players, families and supporters to Traralgon as the region comes together for another exciting VNL home game. Get along, wear your Stars colours and help create another big home game atmosphere in Gippsland. #GippyStars26 #VNL2026 #GippslandStars Gippsland League is proud to unveil a special Indigenous dress design that will be worn by the Gippsland Stars during the Victorian Netball League First Nations Round on Wednesday, May 27. The VNL First Nations Round aligns with National Reconciliation Week and celebrates the culture, stories and contributions of First Nations peoples within netball communities across Victoria. Clubs throughout the competition will wear specially designed dresses and take part in cultural initiatives to recognise and celebrate Indigenous heritage. The Gippsland Stars will proudly wear the dress when they take on Bendigo Strikers as part of the competition-wide celebration. The Gippsland Stars’ commitment to honouring First Nations Round is proudly supported by our partner, VACCA. Strong Aboriginal families and communities means strong Aboriginal children. As Victoria’s peak voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency has protected and promoted the rights of Aboriginal children, young people, families and community since 1977. VACCA has supported the Gippsland League since 2024 and, in 2026, has come on board to support the Gippsland Stars and this special project. Designed by Leonie Solomon Green (Monaro Ngarigo), the dress tells a powerful story of Country, culture and community connection across Gippsland. The dress has been designed with strong Gippsland influences, featuring symbols representing rivers, hills and mountains throughout the region. The blue oval shape surrounded by gold dots represents each girl within the program, while the symbols inside reflect Gippsland stories and identity. Stars featured throughout the design symbolise belief, pride and aspiration for the athletes who wear the dress. The Gippsland Stars are honoured to have the design featured on the dresses and to help share its meaning, while also recognising its special connection to Gippsland Stars representative Anna Solomon. A proud Dunghutti/Ngarigo Monero woman, Solomon has become a respected leader within the Gippsland Stars and broader Victorian netball pathway system. Solomon captained Victoria’s First Nations side in 2025 at the Netball Australia First Nations Tournament, after being selected to lead the state team for a second consecutive year. The Victorian Netball League First Nations Round forms part of the 2026 VNL season and is one of the competition’s key celebration rounds, highlighting Indigenous culture while continuing to strengthen pathways and opportunities for First Nations athletes across the state. Led by Solomon and Gippsland League General Manager Daniel Heathcote, the project continues the Gippsland Stars and Gippsland League’s ongoing commitment to celebrating First Nations contributions to netball and football. It follows the introduction of the Gippsland League’s Indigenous Round in 2025, which will again continue in 2026, led by Drouin Football Netball Club and Wonthaggi Power Football Netball Club. The Gippsland Stars have continued to showcase the strength of their regional pathway program throughout the 2026 Victorian Netball League season, with a number of athletes making their VNL debuts across Championship, 23 & Under and Reserves levels.
Round 1 saw five players make their Championship debuts for the Gippsland Stars, with Abbey Barrientos, Jordan Pyle, Keighley Starrett, Sam Silvester and Abby Williams all pulling on the Stars dress for the first time at the competition’s highest level. The 23 & Under program also welcomed a new wave of talent, with Lara Noblett, Marley Wallace, Mia Arnberger, Mia Williams and Tyla Peters all making both their Gippsland Stars and Victorian Netball League debuts during the opening rounds of the season. Additional debutants throughout the year have highlighted the continued success of the Gippsland Stars development pathway, with several athletes progressing through the State Super Netball Series and development programs into VNL competition. Lainey Downie became player 45 to represent Gippsland Stars at VNL level after progressing through the Stars development pathway and SSNS Eastern Premiership programs before earning a 2026 23 & Under contract. Amber Holt followed shortly after, becoming player 46 to represent the Gippsland Stars at VNL level in Round 4. Chloe Felsbourg then became player 47 at VNL level after also progressing through the Gippsland Stars pathway system and SSNS programs into the 23 & Under side. Reagan Joyce became player 48 to represent Gippsland Stars at VNL level after captaining the 2026 VNL Reserves side and developing through the Stars pathway since year one. The Gippsland Stars also celebrated Heidi Allen stepping up from the 19 & Under program to make her VNL Reserves debut after being recognised as the 2025 17 & Under Rising Star. The continued emergence of new VNL athletes reflects the Gippsland Stars’ ongoing commitment to providing elite pathway opportunities for regional athletes and developing the next generation of Gippsland netball talent. |
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