The Victorian Netball League is a statenetball league featuring teams from Victoria, Australia. The league is organised by Netball Victoria. The modern league was first played for during the 2009 season. It replaced an earlier state league as the top level netball competition in Victoria. On a national level, the VNL is effectively a third level league, below Suncorp Super Netball and the Australian Netball League. Since 2018, the league has been sponsored by Bupa and, as a result, it is also known as the Bupa Victorian Netball League. The league features ten teams who enter teams in three divisions – the Championship, Division 1 and an Under-19 division. Historically, the league's most successful team has been City WestFalcons. Originally known as Hume City Falcons, they have won five Championships and fourteen premierships across all three divisions.
History
Foundation
The modern league was first played for during the 2009 season. It replaced an earlier Netball Victoria state league as the top level netball competition in Victoria. The earlier state league featured eighteen teams but, after restructuring, this number was reduced to ten. The founding ten members of the new league were Ballarat Pride, Boroondara Genesis, Geelong Cougars, Hume City Falcons, Monash University Central, North East Blaze, Peninsula Waves, Southern Saints, VU Western Lightning and Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels. The new league featured three divisions – the Championship, Division 1 and an Under-19 division. The ten teams enter a team in each division. The new structure was designed to encourage player development.
City West Falcons
Historically, the league's most successful team has been City West Falcons who have won five Championships and fourteen premierships across all three divisions. As Hume City Falcons they won the inaugural Championship in 2009 and then retained it in 2010. With a team that included Kathleen Knott they won their first Championship as City West Falcons in 2012 and then retained it in 2013. In 2018 Falcons won their fifth Championship title.
The VNL is a effectively a feeder league for the Suncorp Super Netball teams Melbourne Vixens and Collingwood Magpies. VNL players have also played for the Australia national netball team and other international teams.
