Leap of faith almost fulfilled

JAKE Hederics is on the cusp of realising his sporting dream of cracking a starting berth in the Australian men’s netball side.

The Sunraysia product was named in the Australian squad after starring for Victoria in their recent unbeaten run to open men’s title glory at the national championships in Brisbane.

Hederics, who is part of Sunraysia netball royalty, will learn by late next week if he’s been selected in the Kelpies’ starting seven for a four-Test series against arch rivals New Zealand this year.

He has already represented Australia in the world netball Fast 5 – but an elevation into the Kelpies’ best seven is akin to a cricketer rising from the T20 ranks into the Test arena.

The 31-year-old has just finished an intensive training camp with the Kelpies squad at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.

“It was a full-on four days, where you’re up against the best of the best,” said Hederics, who primarily plays at goal defence.

“I was probably in the best form of my career at the nationals, and the selection camp went well for me.

“Am I 100 per cent confident of selection in the starting seven? No. But am I really proud of what I’ve put out there and am I in strong contention? Yes.”

If Hederics is picked for the Kelpies, he will be part of a national men’s team playing New Zealand in the curtain-raiser to the women’s main event, where the Diamonds clash with the Silver Ferns for the Constellation Cup this year.

It will be a four-Test series for both the men and women, with two games in Australia and two in the Land of the Long White Cloud.

It would be dream for Hederics, who now lives in Melbourne after a stint in Adelaide, to play Test netball in front of packed crowds.

“I’ve been in this netball space for 10 years now. When I played for South Australia, my first year I was selected as a training partner for the Australian under-23s,” he said.

“Since then, I have always been in the Australian bubble. But I have never cracked the open Australian men’s team.

“I’ve always been just on the outer as a training partner, or I’ve been injured.

“It is absolutely a dream of mine to make this team. I’ve committed so much to netball, with intensive training and playing.”

In terms of his training regime, he said that in the build-up to nationals, the Victorian team were having three court sessions a week, two of which would have a gym workout afterwards.

“Outside of that, we were expected to do another two gym sessions a week in our own time,” Hederics said.

“And then we tried to fit in match play between all of that. It was about four months of hard work in preparation for the one tournament.”

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Playing catch-up to women

Men’s netball, which plays second fiddle to the popular women’s game, hardly rates a mention in the national sports media.

But, according to Jake Hederics, it’s not barking mad to think the Kelpies won’t be getting closer to the Diamonds’ profile in the next five years.

“The profile of men’s netball is growing. In sport at the moment, there seems to be a lot of pioneering going on, particularly in women’s sport,” Hederics said.

“You’re seeing it with women’s AFL, cricket and, of course, soccer with the Matildas – who are now the best followed national team – as well as the WNBA in America.

“There’s certainly not that level of growth yet for men’s netball, but I do put it in the same basket as this new space that is developing.

“I have the utmost respect for all the past elite players in the decades of history of men’s netball. But it feels like doors are just starting to open for us now, in terms of elevating our profile.”

Victoria and South Australia were the founding members of the All Australia Men’s Netball Association in 1985, before the first national championships were held in 1994.

In 2010, Victoria confirmed its dominance of men’s netball when it won all six divisions at the national championships for a third consecutive year.

By 2019, AusPlay data indicated there were more than 100,000 males playing netball across Australia.

Hederics said men’s netball was again experiencing exponential growth since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns.

“From elite to social level, it has been growing between 200 and 400 per cent every year for some time now,” he said.

He said it wouldn’t be long until a national league, such as the Big Bash in cricket, was being held for the super-fast elite men’s netball.

“That’s what we are trying to pave the way for,” he said.

“I’d like to think people like me are putting in the work now that the next generation of players will have those sorts of opportunities.”

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Siblings’ mutual respect

Jake Hederics is the brother of Wentworth SFNL star Amanda Edwards, whose once-in-a-generation A Grade side have not lost since the 2019 grand final, and son of former Wentworth mayor and Roos’ club stalwart, Melisa.

Jake, a primary school teacher in Toorak, and Amanda were 540km apart when they were interviewed by Sunraysia Daily this week.

But their hearts and minds couldn’t have been closer, as Jake revealed how he always wanted to emulate his big sister’s sporting prowess.

“Amanda’s been my idol since I was a kid,” he said.

“Even when she was playing at a high standard in basketball (for Mildura Heat), I wanted to be like her and play basketball. And netball, likewise.

“Amanda and I talk netball every few days, and she tells me about the new drills she’s doing with the girls.

“I love those Wenty girls. They are a special group, and the legacy they are leaving is already showing that.

“There may not be a netball team as good as this again in the SFNL.”

He gave an insight into how Amanda rolled as a leader of her club.

“She is very competitive and has high expectations of herself and her players,” he said.

“She may be too humble to admit it, but I’ll say it: She is a big part of their success. I’m extremely proud of her.”

But then the inevitable brotherly ribbing kicked in.

“I will say, though, she is lucky she doesn’t have to play against me. I’d give her a thrashing,” he said, laughing.

With Jake at GD and the hot-handed Amanda at goal shooter, it would be a fascinating match-up.

But the Roos veteran admitted: “Yeah, he’s probably got me covered now.

“I have age against me though,” the mum of two said, laughing.

The final word goes to Amanda on how she sees her brother’s netball success on the national stage.

“His work ethic is insane. He’s had to work so hard, particularly with the male pathway being so different and limited, compared to the women,” she said.

“He has a smart netball brain and I’ve learnt from all the experience he’s had.

“I’m so proud of him.”