Premier League Netball Program
This season, Westminster has been allocated an additional Premier League spot. This is an exciting addition to the Premier League (PL) program and one we have been thoughtful about how to use. In shaping how we use this opportunity, we consulted widely across the school, school community, and netball program to ensure the direction we took was well considered and in the best interests of our players.
As a result, the Premier League Pathway (PLP) team has been created, a purposeful program designed to provide genuine exposure to high-level training, coaching, and competition for players in Years 9 and 10 who have shown strong potential through the trials process.
What does this look like?
The Premier League Pathway team is not a step below Premier League. It sits within the Premier League program and gives players access to the same training environment, coaching, and competition opportunities.
The Premier League Pathway team sits alongside the Premier League team and operates as part of the broader Premier League program. Premier League Pathway players will train alongside and with both the Premier League and Premier League Reserves (PLR) squads, giving them regular exposure to a high standard of play. All three teams will benefit from the same level of planning, feedback, and development.
Coaching
The coaching team behind this program is one we are incredibly proud of.
Cathy Fellows leads all three teams as Head Coach. Cathy is the Adelaide Thunderbirds Assistant Coach and was the Australian U21 Head Coach in 2025.
Darren Saul will coach Premier League and Premier League Reserves. Darren is the Head Coach of Contax Premier League Reserves and Head Coach of the SA U17 State team. Rachel Capetanakis will assist when Cathy is travelling with the Thunderbirds. Rachel is the Head Coach of Tango Premier League and Adelaide Thunderbirds Metro Academy Head Coach.
Sarah McKay and Caleb Barnden will coach Premier League Pathway. Sarah is a former Australian Diamond and long-standing coach at Westminster. Caleb is part of the SA Dragons men's netball program as a player and is an intermediate accredited coach.
The program is overseen by Head of Netball, Carly Heinrich, who is also the Adelaide Thunderbirds Emerging Academy Head Coach and a selector in the state pathway program.
Across the coaching group, there are strong ties to state and national pathway programs. Players have direct access to that experience and knowledge every week.
Training
Premier League Pathway players will train as part of the broader Premier League program, with access to both strength and conditioning and court sessions.
Court training begins Thursday 24 April, 3.45pm to 5.30pm. Prior to the first court session, there will be a compulsory Values session at lunchtime in the Thomas Pavilion on Thursday 23 April. All Premier League Pathway players are expected to attend.
S&C sessions with Gerard and Kane will run on Monday mornings, 7.15am to 8.15am, starting Monday 28 April.
Competition
The Premier League Pathway team will compete weekly in the Premier League spot not filled by Walford, which means they will play in Walford's core group rather than at the same venue as the Premier League and Premier League Reserves teams. We recognise this may be disappointing for some, but the opportunity to be playing in the top division every week is a trade-off we believe is well worth it.
The Premier League Pathway team will also not have an intercol match. We want to be upfront about this. While we understand this is a significant part of the Westminster sporting experience, the Premier League Pathway program offers opportunities that would not otherwise be available, including competing in the top division every week and access to elite coaching.
Representative Opportunities
Premier League Pathway players will compete in the 9/10 Knockout competition together as a unit.
They will also have the opportunity to travel to Melbourne to represent the school at the Waverley tournament. This is a fantastic experience and one that is unique to being part of this program.
Selection
All players in the Premier League Pathway team have been selected through the trials process.
Player movement
From time to time, players may be required to move between teams within the Premier League program. Any movement will be based on who is the best fit for that particular round, with Premier League Reserves players typically being the first called upon.
Premier League Pathway players may be called into the Premier League team if they are the most suitable player for that particular round.
If the Premier League Pathway team is short of players for a given round, replacements will come from 9A or 10A. Premier League Reserves players will not be pulled into Premier League Pathway.
This is a program we are genuinely proud of. It brings together strong coaching, quality training, and weekly Premier League competition in a structure that has been carefully built to give these players the best possible environment to develop. We are excited to introduce this to an already strong program and believe it will complement it well.