Zac’s Aussie honour

KILCUNDA’S Zac Mabilia will represent Australia in netball later this year in New Zealand after starring in the recent national championships.

The talented sportsman, who also plays footy for Inverloch and basketball in the Korumburra Basketball Association, was named the MVP in the national championships grand final for male netballers aged 17 and under.

His performance helped lead Victoria to victory and caught the eye of national selectors who named him in a men’s Australian team that will play in competition for those aged up to 23.

Zac is thrilled to have another chance to represent Australia, something he has previously done in basketball as part of the Australia Country team.

“It’s pretty special and it will be really fun,” he said of the latest opportunity to don the green and gold.

While he is competitive on court, Zac enjoys playing and loves the social interaction netball offers, having made many friends through the sport.

Playing as a centre or wing attack, Zac relishes the opportunity to cover plenty of court and assume significant responsibility for the team’s fortunes.

“You’re in the action a lot of the time,” he said of his usual positions.

The now-16-year-old Zac represented Wonthaggi Power in the Gippsland League as a bottom-aged player for as long as possible before reaching the age limit for boys to play in the competition.

He has since played in mixed leagues in Melbourne, adding to mum Michelle’s many kilometres of driving to allow Zac to pursue his sporting passions.

It’s something she’s happy to continue doing as long as Zac is enjoying his sport, but Michelle said his multiple sporting pursuits present some scheduling nightmares.

Zac isn’t daunted by the prospect of taking on older, bigger-bodied netballers in New Zealand, and looks forward to the challenge.

His footy experience will no doubt prove handy in dealing with the expected increase in physicality.

COVID has largely put Zac’s netball aspirations on hold in the last couple of years.

“He’s done a fair bit of training for not much reward,” Michelle said.

Zac’s netball journey started with the NetSetGo program from about the age of seven, with the fact his cousins played the sport encouraging him to become involved.

He said although many people are still surprised to discover men play netball, it is now much more widely accepted than was once the case.

Zac contrasted men’s competition with mixed and girls’ netball.

“It’s a faster-paced game and, a lot of the time, it’s more physical,” Zac said of the male approach to the sport, noting that whereas female players tend to rely on fast short passes, blokes like to deliver the ball longer and higher.

While competition in New Zealand is likely to take place in September, details are yet to be confirmed.