Southern Dragons on the rise after AMMNA 2022 Championships

It was the most anticipated Championships in AMMNA history, but after 1080 days the nation’s best male and mixed athletes hit the court in Adelaide to compete in the 2022 Australian Men’s and Mixed Netball Association (AMMNA) Championships. This was also the first time since 1995 that Adelaide had hosted the AMMNA Championships.

For almost 3 years, athletes have been training tirelessly to represent their state in one of the following divisions: Open Men’s, Reserve Men’s, Open Mixed, Reserve Mixed, 23 & Under Men’s, 20 & Under Men’s or the 17 & Under Boys divisions.

South Australia’s representative team the Southern Dragons entered teams in the Open Men’s, Reserve Men’s, Reserve Mixed, 23 & Under Men’s and the 17 & Under Boys divisions.

After not competing since 2019 it was hard to predict where the Southern Dragons teams sat in comparison to other states.

The Open Men’s team, led by Head Coach Brian Lines, had a successful week. Despite results, this team has proven their best can match it with any team and the association is excited to see what the young group can do in the years to come.

The Reserve Men’s team can hold their heads high after an extremely competitive championships, finishing 3rd overall, narrowly missing out on a Grand Final appearance.

Despite a disrupted preseason due to injury, the Reserve Mixed pulled together nicely during the championships securing a number of wins against quality opposition.

The 23 & Under Men’s team showed extremely promising signs for the future. These young athletes showed grit, determination and a desire to be better each and every game. A highlight for this team was their 1 goal win over Western Australia in the Bingham Cup match. The boys narrowly missed out on a Grand Final appearance, finishing 3rd overall.

After a nail biting 2 goal win over Western Australia in the Semi Final, the 17 & Under Boys secured themselves a Grand Final position against Victoria. This was the first time a Southern Dragons team had made an AMMNA Championships Grand Final since 2015. The boys only lost 1 minor round match against Victoria and were determined to take it all the way in the Grand Final.

The boys put up a great fight in the GF against Victoria, however unfortunately, Victoria were just too good on this occasion. Despite the final results, the boys have done South Australia proud! We cannot wait to see what they can achieve in the future.

It is safe to say that Men’s and Mixed Netball in South Australia is on the rise! With The Dragons had 4 out of 5 teams making the finals and the 17 & Under Boys team making the Grand Final. We cannot wait to see what the Southern Dragons can do in 2023 and beyond.

A number of Southern Dragons athletes were recognised for their outstanding performance throughout the Championships on Saturday Night at the 2022 AMMNA Awards Night. We congratulate these athletes on this excellent achievement.

A special congratulations goes to the South Australian athletes, coaches and managers who were selected in Australian representative teams. For the full summary, be sure to follow the Southern Dragons socials or visit the South Australian Men’s and Mixed Netball Association’s (SAMMNA) website.