Australian netball team within reach for Camperdown teenager

Camperdown's Aidan Conheady was part of the Victorian under-17 boys' side which won gold at the national championships in Brisbane.

The Mercy Regional College student, 16, was then invited to a three-day national camp in Sydney from May 3-6 to put himself in the frame for an Australian tour of New Zealand later in 2024.

Conheady, who also plays football for Hampden league club Camperdown, is hopeful of making the Australian side after earning all-star seven honours for his performances at the national championships in April.

"It's been pretty exciting and pretty busy too - camp was straight after the nationals so it was pretty full on," he said.

"The camp was very intense and hard but it's what you expect when you go to that higher level.

"We did lots of match-play, drills, fitness like the yo-yo test. I gave it my best and that's all you can really do."

Conheady can play a mixture of centre and goal attack - the latter being his preferred position and where he shone in a most-valuable-player performance in the grand final.

Victoria won the gold medal after defeating South Australia by one goal in overtime.

The teenager, who lives on a dairy farm near Camperdown, is also part of M-League club Darebin and plays when available.

It comes after he first came across netball when he was a pupil at St Patrick's Primary School in Camperdown.

"When I was younger I got dragged along to my sister (Ruby's) netball games so I watched her and then I started playing one day," he said.

Conheady, the middle of three siblings, made his Victorian debut in 2023 and has gone from strength to strength since then.

"I was a late call-up (for the national championships), got called up during the week so this (year) was my first proper one," Conheady said.

Men's netball is gaining in popularity but players, when selected for tournaments and camps, must pay their way - something those in the sport hope will change in coming years.

Former Warrnambool basketballer Liam Killey played for Victoria at men's level and was invited to an Australian camp in late May.

Conheady said it was pleasing to see men's netball, which features a mix of pace, strength and elevation, pique people's attention.

"A lot more people are getting involved which is good," he said.

"Each year more people are trying out."