Melbourne Vixens

Victoria University is proud to be a major sponsor of the Melbourne Vixens netball team. The sponsorship, part of our sponsorship agreement with Netball Victoria, highlights our growing reputation as a leading sport university and our commitment to women’s sport at all levels.

Representing Victoria in the Suncorp Super Netball, the Vixens are arguably the leading women's team in any Australian sport based on membership, audience and social media following.

The sponsorship between VU and the Melbourne Vixens is the first of its kind between an Australian university and an elite women's sporting team.

Melbourne Vixens players Emily Mannix and Khao Watts at VU Footscray Park campus.

Education & placement

We work with community and elite sporting organisations when designing our sport programs, so students benefit from industry-relevant curriculum and graduate job-ready.

As part of our courses, students have the opportunity to complete placements with Netball Victoria and the Vixens in areas including:

exercise science
massage
management
psychology
nutrition
marketing
accounting.

Netball Victoria CEO Rosie King says:

"Our partnership with VU has unearthed some potential next generation leaders in sport. Following work placements at Netball Victoria a number of students have secured employment, both prior to and following graduation. They have also been given the opportunity of participating in formal learning as well as networking and interacting with the best in the business. All of these things are really important to help these students get off to a fantastic start to their sporting career."

Find out more about VU's student work placements.

Work integrated learning at VU.

Research & training

VU’s internationally renowned sport scientists work alongside elite sporting organisations to provide teams with access to cutting-edge research, the latest technologies and state-of-the-art facilities.

In turn, VU staff benefit from access to professional athletes to help inform their research into human movement and sports science – rated well above world standard by the Australian Research Council.

Find out how PhD graduate Alice Sweeting, now research fellow at the Western Bulldogs, helped Australian netballers gain a winning edge.

VU Under 19s Netball Academy

The VU Under 19s Netball Academy is a program for junior netballers to train at an elite level. It's a stepping stone for many girls and boys as they work towards selection to a Victorian Netball League (VNL) team. The Academy targets athletes in the 13, 15, 17 and 19 & under age brackets.

It was established in 2010 to address a shortage in sport development and competition opportunities for young athletes in Melbourne's west.

Head coach at the VU Netball Academy, Bianca Chatfield, is a former captain of the Melbourne Vixens, Australian Diamonds representative and Netball Victoria Legend of the Game.