Echuca's Belinda Lees (front right) coached the Netball Victoria 17-and-under team to a bronze medal at the recent national netball championships. Photos: Joanna Margiolis/Netball Australia.
Echuca’s Belinda Lees led the Netball Victoria 17-and-under team to a bronze medal at the recent national netball championships held in Melbourne.
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The side replicated its finish at the 2025 edition, but came agonisingly close to going one step further and reaching the gold medal match.
Victoria was locked at 35-35 in its semi-final with NSW with just three minutes of game time remaining, but was unable to find another gear, the latter netting the final five goals to progress with a 40-35 victory.
With drums being played, horns blown and packed crowds, the atmosphere at matches, particularly during thrilling finishes like the semi-final, created a very different environment to what Lees is used to.
Having the ability to lead the team while surrounded by elevated noise and pressure was a learning curve for Lees, who was proud of how she fared coaching the side for the first time at nationals.
“I absolutely love sitting in this role. I feel like it’s something that I’m good at and I really enjoy,” Lees said.
“A real strength was to be able to put a team together that were playing for something greater than themselves, which is really difficult when there’s so much on the line for the individual athlete, with it being an Australian selection tournament as well.”
Lees coaching at the national championships.
As a result of their performance at the tournament, Lees was able to help six girls from the Victoria side be chosen in the Australian 17-and-under squad.
She also oversaw Victoria going on an almost identical run as it did in 2025, the side finishing second with a 6-1 record and the best percentage during the group phase, as it did last year.
The 2025 group also lost to NSW at the semi-final stage and then beat Western Australia in the bronze medal match, the same opponent Lees’ side beat to third place this year, winning that match 55-35.
This result was particularly impressive after Victoria lost to WA in the group phase 42-35.
Despite not coming home with a gold medal, Lees led Victoria to a couple of impressive feats, as it was the only team to defeat every other state and territory at the tournament.
Although Victoria lost to NSW in the semi-final, an earlier 37-31 win came against the same opponent in the group phase, while at the same stage the side also defeated eventual gold medallist South Australia 47-27.
Lees’ Victoria was the only team to beat every other state and territory at the tournament.
Results are not necessarily the most important measure of success for a side at nationals, but Lees was able to oversee the continuation of Victoria’s streak of semi-final appearances, having reached this stage in each of the past five editions of the tournament.
“I don’t think any coaching role comes without expectation, but in that setting it’s about the growth of the athletes, both in their high-performance behaviours on and off the court, in their technical and tactical abilities and skill execution, and then also making sure that we’re achieving as a team and then getting athletes nationally identified,” Lees said.
“So there are a lot of KPIs that need to be hit, which is just learning, setting you up to be in a setting where that is every day.”
Although coaching at the state level, Lees, who previously oversaw Echuca’s A-grade side and is a current player, certainly has her finger on the pulse when it comes to monitoring local talent.
She scouts at association championships to identify any prospects coming through the local system for the talent academy pathway, her knowledge of the netball scene in Echuca and its surrounds undoubtedly an asset in this regard.
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