Injury-hit Hampden netball side bullish about teenagers' potential

The Hampden league side sits at the bottom of the ladder, winless after nine rounds of the 2024 season.

But coach Emma Sommerville can see positives shining through at the half-way point of the campaign, including from their latest defeat, a 74-52 loss to finals contender Warrnambool.

Ella Sevior - aged just 17 and the captain - will represent the league's open-grade side at the Netball Victoria association championships in Melbourne on Sunday, June 16.

Grace Cleaver, Molly O'Brien, Saskia Gould and Maddox Ryan are all teenagers who are regulars in the Roos' top side too.

"Maddox is just 14. In wing defence...her progression has been amazing to watch," Sommerville said.

"Grace was more in the midcourt at the start. She plays defence in 17s but the last few weeks with myself and Mim (Chun) out, she's gone more into the goal ring for us as well defensively.

"She matched up on (Victorian representative) Eva Ryan yesterday in the 17s and in open and just played an absolute ripper both games."

Injuries have hit the Kangaroos too.

Sommerville is five weeks into an eight-week ankle ligament injury while Mimi Chun - a talented footballer - fractured her foot two weeks ago and is expected to miss the season.

The coach's sister Kellie Sommerville is also unavailable for the next four weeks.

"When you're working with so many juniors and such a fresh team, throwing injuries into the mix definitely makes it a bit more challenging," she said.

"It has been hard but at the same time it's probably been more rewarding.

"Overall the girls have just been going ahead in leaps and bounds. I am so happy with the development of them.

"Their responsiveness to my coaching and feedback, they're just so willing to learn and so eager and having Kel and Clare (Crawford) on the court, just those older heads helping them out, is good."

Sommerville believes the Kangaroos are setting themselves up for the long-term.

But she is hopeful they can make some strides on the scoreboard when play resumes after the mid-season bye.

"We did want to decrease margins by the second time around. It will be challenging with injuries and having Kel away as well," Sommerville said.

"At the moment for us, missing any senior player on the court can be hard even just for the leadership component.

"But overall we're looking forward to the second half of the season because the girls are really starting to find their own, have more confidence and are running through the plays better - all those little things that make a big difference overall."

In other round nine games, Cobden accounted for Terang Mortlake 61-46, Koroit was too strong for Port Fairy 68-38, North Warrnambool Eagles defeated Camperdown 64-44 and South Warrnambool crushed Portland 75.25.

The Roosters sit on top of the ladder at the half-way mark with an imposing 8-1 win-loss record.

The Bombers and Saints (both 7-2) round out the top-three with the Eagles and Blues (both 6-3) in fourth and and fifth respectively.

The Magpies (4-5) are sixth, the Bloods (4-5) seventh, the Seagulls (1-7-1) eighth, the Tigers (1-7-1) ninth and winless Roos 10^th.