The Wimmera Netball Association has introduced a new senior grade for the 2020 season.
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Clubs can now include a C Reserve team to help bolster their senior ranks and provide greater pathways for junior players.
2020 Wimmera Netball Association president Toni Stewart said five clubs had indicated they could field sides.
"Two or three more expressed an interest that there was a possibility they might be able to have a side, but couldn't confirm it at the time of the meeting during the week," she said.
"Clubs are still in the selection process for their 2020 teams and would know more in the coming weeks.
"We will be having another meeting before the season starts to confirm which clubs would be putting in a C Reserve side."
Stewart said introducing a C Reserve grade had been in talks since the 2019 season.
"There are a few clubs who didn't have a lot of juniors, and in particular under-17s," she said. "I think the options were looked at from a whole league perspective and there was a toss-up between re-introducing a junior 15B age group or a C reserve.
"A C Reserve grade would fit better for those clubs which didn't have a large number of junior netballers."
Stewart said introducing a C Reserve grade allowed players coming through the junior ranks to see a future playing in netball.
"Some club's senior teams don't alter very much," she said. "For players coming through from juniors there weren't as many positions available within senior teams but with another senior team added into the league the juniors should be able to find a senior team to continue their netball career within clubs."
For clubs playing a C Reserve game, the netball match times on a normal match day will be:
- 13-and-under - 9AM
- 15&U - 10AM
- 17&U - 11AM
- C Reserve - 12:15AM
- C Grade - 1:15PM
- B Grade - 2:15PM
- A Grade - 3:30PM
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