SFNL netball coaches and players have raised concerns about playing conditions inside the new stadium at Mildura Sporting Precinct.
Sunraysia Daily asked South Mildura and Ouyen United players about how they found the new venue after their A Grade clash on Saturday.
Out of it came four issues: the relatively hot conditions, slippery surface, on-court glare and, perhaps the biggest talking point, the white goal ring against a white backdrop at the airport end.
Bulldogs playing coach Georgia Chase, who also plays basketball at MSP, was first up with her assessment of the playing conditions.
“It’s hot and slippery playing in here,” she said after her A Grade team lost by three goals to the Kangas.
“The glare is bad too, and one of our netballers also said the goal ring (at the airport end) is hard to see with the white on white.
“It needs a black band or something around the goal ring to make it stand out.
“When you’re rushing and you’ve got opponents in your face, you look towards the white background and the ring can get lost and it becomes a bit trickier to shoot.
“We train here during weeknights and we find the courts are a lot cleaner and more ‘grippy’ then.”
She said the club was passing on feedback to the stadium’s chiefs.
“Little by little,” Chase said. “We’re getting there. We give them feedback. It’s trial and error this year.
“Personally, I enjoy playing indoors more without the wind and sun.
“But it does get quite hot and humid in here. If we’re going to get nit-picky, it’s all these little things that we want to bring to the attention of the people in charge.”
Kangas coach Kyra Nathan said that “all my players commented on the heat in here today”.
“And with the slipperiness on the court, perhaps they need to clean it between games.”
Ouyen goal shooter Holly Mazza, who played A and B Grade games on Saturday, said the slippery surface “made it hard to take off” from a standing start.
She said she also struggled with shooting to a white goal ring with a white background.
SFNL vice-president Karen Martin said she would raise these matters at the league’s next board meeting.
“But at the end of the day, this comes back to the council and what they are prepared to do,” she said.
“I would also encourage South Mildura to take this up with the council.”
