Souwest Jets to launch inaugural Mavericks Academy for 2023, flag inaugural WANL men’s team for 2024

As attention continues to grow within the Australian men’s netball scene in the wake of the historic Trans-Tasman Men’s Netball Series, the South West’s WANL representative team looks set to lay the foundations to launch its own development program for boys and an eventual men’s team.

Souwest Jets have recently announced the club will be taking expressions of interest ahead of holding trials for its inaugural Mavericks Academy, geared for young boys keen to hone their netball skills.

The inaugural development program is set to mark the beginning of a clear pathway for interested male athletes to grow and continue developing their netball.

It comes as the Jets announced during their club presentation night last month their interest in developing a men’s team to make its WA Netball League debut in 2024.

The WA Netball League men’s competition has just four teams, all of which are affiliated with Perth-based clubs Western Roar, West Coast Warriors, Southside Demons and Curtin-Hamersley Comets.

Souwest Jets president Megan Burvill told the South Western Times there had been a lot of interest throughout the region for a men’s netball scene and it was a matter of making it happen.

“We’re thinking at this stage the men’s team will be Perth-based but we would like to think we’ve got sustainability underneath that to ensure that we have young men coming through into that team for many years to come,” she said.

“The Trans-Tasman men’s netball matches have certainly helped in allowing our youth to know there is a pathway and a high performance pathway for them.

“Knowing that there’s other athletes at a higher level and that they can reach that higher level if they want to has been wonderful.”

Souwest Jets already have a well-established development pathway for young girls in the Jets Academy, providing girls aged 15 and under a pathway as a precursor to the Jets’ 20 & under team, as well as their annual six-week Jetstars program.

Groundwork for developing the boys program began several months ago when the Jets hosted a mixed netball carnival at Bunbury’s South West Sports Centre in July, which saw teams compete in 14 & under and 16 & under age divisions.

The Jets also hosted their annual Susan Fuhrmann netball carnival in Busselton last weekend, which featured mixed teams in its 10 & under and 12 & under age divisions, as well as a boys 14 & under competition.

“We certainly loved the response we got with our two recent mixed carnivals and the boys loved being a part of it,” Burvill said.

“We’ve certainly had interest in terms of more mixed carnivals that people would like to see.

“There’s a lot of boys already playing throughout the region, particularly in Bridgetown, and I guess what we have been finding is that young men play until they’re 12 but then once they’re a bit older, they aren’t eligible to play within local competitions.

“I guess the Academy is hoping to gain interest from those that are quite young or those who have played previously that haven’t been able to play in local competitions and give them a pathway to continue their netball.”

Trials for the Mavericks Academy are set to take place in November ahead of the program’s eventual commencement next year, while trials for the Jets’ 20 & under team and Jets Academy will take place in Collie later this month.