Experienced coach Janine Southby will be at the helm of the Southern Blast team to contest the 2026 National Netball League.
A resume bursting with achievements across the sport’s top echelon both domestically and internationally, Southby’s appointment is a coop for the south’s emerging players.
“Netball has been a big part of my life through playing and coaching for a very long time and I saw this opportunity as a way of giving back and helping that next level down which I have always been really passionate about,” she said.
“Coaching at any level is great but at this stage they are like sponges. I’m keen to support Netball South in the development of these young players and hopefully give them the confidence and the skillset they need to be moving forward into the Steel.”
Creating tangible pathways was vital for the sport’s future and the NNL represented one of the most significant stages for players determined to reach the elite ranks.
“I feel like at school level players are catered for really well with the different opportunities they have but beyond school there’s a massive step up to make an ANZ franchise team. Not everyone is going to do that, but I feel really passionate about enabling young players to put their hand up and show they are keen to be there and want to keep taking that next step.
“It takes time, it’s not a linear progression by any stretch of the imagination, but I do feel at the moment this is a really important pathway and our southern players need to get the chance to experience it.”
The Blast team has proved competitive in recent years, despite the NNL finals proving elusive.
“There’s a lot of people out there who feel equally as strong about ensuring we provide this opportunity for young players throughout our southern zone. They fight hard and they have guts and determination – it’s just that experience which is a crucial part of the equation,” Southby said.
“I understand there’s a lot of financial pressures out there and it’s hard to keep stumping up money to put campaigns together but it’s really important as a netball community we provide the chance for them to do this.”
Coaching roles locally at club and Dunedin Netball Centre representative level has enabled Southby to witness the emerging talent.
“There’s a lot of players who keep putting their hands up and they turn up to club netball every Saturday and, with no rep programme to cater for them anymore, this is their chance.”
Southby was focused on finalising the structure of the programme before trials are held in a couple of weeks.
“It will be an intense short campaign so once the squad is confirmed it will be all guns blazing,” she said.
“Naturally you go into any campaign wanting to win. I need to see who’s there, what it looks like, what the work is to get us there. First and foremost, it is about exposing them to this as a new level and showing them what it takes to put the players in a position where we are ready to go at game one.
“There will certainly be some big challenges to overcome. Geographical location is always hard to get that important preseason so we have to be a bit creative and innovative about how we do that.”
Netball South chief executive Sonya Fleming said Southby’s appointment represented a new chapter for the Blast.
“It is exciting to welcome Janine back to Netball South in this new role and I have no doubt our players will benefit from her leadership and vast experience,” she said.
“We also pay tribute to Abbey McKenzie, who has been integral to the Blast environment over the past eight years and we value the contribution she has made immensely.”
