Vixens elevate local young gun as eleventh player
Another Victorian pathway product has earned a Melbourne Vixens contract, with squad member Tara Watson named as the team’s eleventh player for the 2025 season.
The eleventh player initiative was introduced in 2024, offering Super Netball clubs the opportunity to sign an additional athlete who can be brought into the match day squad for tactical purposes throughout the season, not just in the case of injury or illness to a contracted athlete.
A defensive midcourter known for her work ethic and reliability, 19-year-old Watson made her mark with strong performances for the Victorian Fury in the 2024 Super Netball Reserves competition.
Hailing from Melbourne’s northern suburbs, she played her junior netball at Vixens captain Kate Moloney’s local association in Diamond Creek. Watson has made her way through Netball Victoria’s talent pathway, selected in state and national squads each year since 2021.
Watson earned her first training partner contract with the Vixens ahead of season 2025 and has impressed with her efforts across the pre-season, taking the court in numerous pre-season matches including at the Team Girls Cup tournament in Adelaide in March.
“Tara’s shown a great work ethic and appetite to learn in her time in our training environment so far, and we’re really pleased to be able to reward her efforts with this opportunity,” said General Manager, High Performance & Pathways Sharelle McMahon.
“This is a fantastic step for Tara’s development as a young athlete, she brings a great energy and drive to our group and it’s exciting to see another Victorian pathway talent progressing as part of our Vixens program.”
“I’m really grateful to the club and to Simone [McKinnis] and Di [Honey] for this opportunity, it’s an exciting next step for me and I feel like I’ve learned so much being part of the group already,” said Watson.
“It’s amazing to be part of a team with so much experience all over the court, I know my game is growing every week being able to challenge myself against the best.
“It’s also really special to be welcomed into a club with so much history and success, so I’m really soaking it up and can’t wait to see what the rest of the season holds.”
The Vixens face cross-town rivals the Mavericks in the season’s first Melbourne derby on Sunday at John Cain Arena.
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We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of all the lands and waters where netball is played throughout Victoria and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We also wish to recognise the tremendous contribution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to sport, and in particular netball in Victoria. We are committed to a journey of Reconciliation, working to break down barriers and ensuring equal opportunities for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across our state.
Netball Victoria is a proudly diverse and inclusive organisation, that actively celebrates LGBT+ diversity, inclusion and pride within the sport of netball throughout Victoria.
The Melbourne Vixens compete in Australia’s premier netball league, Suncorp Super Netball.
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