AFTER withdrawing from the A grade competition just weeks before the 2019 season began, the Ararat Eagles Football Netball Club expects to field netball teams in all grades in 2020.
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Eagles netball director Melissa Murnane said the club, which is part of the Mininera and District Netball Association, was "very confident" it would be competitive in all grades in the new season.
"We have had very pleasing numbers at pre-season training over the last four weeks and we're really confident that we will field competitive teams in all grades," she said.
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"Our number one goal is to field an A side and it's looking very promising at the moment. We're having a summer break now and will resume training in early February."
Association by-laws state clubs are supposed to field an A Grade side above all others, but at the start of 2019 the club was struggling for numbers.
It applied to the Mininera and District Netball Association for an exemption, and only entered B and C grade teams to the competition.
Murnane said the club will announce its senior coaches early in the new year, but junior coaches have been locked in.
"Junior coaches have been announced this week with Aimee Harrison coaching the under 13s, Sian Wynd coaching the under 15s, and Caroline Rafferty coaching the under 17s," Murnane said.
"Senior coaches will be announced early next year in the lead up to training and tryouts.
"We would like to encourage families with young netballers and footballers to come long in the new season and get involved with our club."
Murnane also confirmed that work on the new netball courts at Alexandra Oval in Ararat had begun, further motivating potential netball players.
"We're looking forward to starting the 2020 season with great numbers and great state-of-the-art facilities," Murnane said.
The new season was looking bright for the Eagles' football sides too, Murnane said.
"Footy is in full swing."
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