Live stream: Geelong’s Mia Aitken to captain Victoria’s 17U team at national netball championships

Mia Aitken reveals her shock at being named co-captain of Victoria’s 17U squad and how she plans to help her team succeed at the national championships. Catch the action LIVE from Tuesday.

Mia Aitken didn’t expect to be handed leadership duties for Victoria ahead of next week’s National Netball Championships in Frankston.

But that isn’t stopping the Geelong teenager from making the most of the opportunity, aspiring to help her teammates keep their ‘heads in the game’ during an intense six-day tournament against Australia’s best.

You can watch Aitken and her teammates LIVE at the 17U, 19U spectacle from April 9 as part of a three-year partnership between Netball Australia, KommunityTV and all News Corp Australia mastheads.

Check out the LIVE STREAM schedule below.

Aitken will co-captain Victoria’s 17-and-under team alongside Barooga’s Mackenzie O’Dwyer, the team aiming to better last year’s fourth place finish when play gets underway.

HOW TO WATCH NETBALL NATIONALS LIVE AND EXCLUSIVE

“When I got the (captaincy) call I was a bit shocked, I didn’t really expect it,” Aitken told KommunityTV.

Mia Aitken in action for Geelong Cougars' under 23 VNL team.

“But that’s something I’m really looking forward to.”

The 16-year-old, who plays VNL for Geelong Cougars and locally at St Mary’s, is one of four returnees for Victoria’s 17U team, coached by Jacinta Todd.

YOUNG GUN GETS BIG BREAK AFTER SELECTION HEARTBREAK

She will be joined at the championships by Cougars’ teammates Charli Hoey and Charlotte Morey, who will both line up for Victoria’s 19-and-under team.

With eight players making Victorian 17U debuts, Aitken is expected to be a leading figure both for the team and within defence.

“Lots of new girls but it will be an exciting side, I think,” she said.

Aitken believes last year’s 17U losing bronze medal match will be a motivating factor for Victoria to push for a placing — or even better, their first gold medal in a decade — on home soil.

“That’s the idea, we want to really be competitive over the week and see what we can put out there as a team,” she said.

FIND OUT HOW EACH STATE IS SHAPING UP FOR THE NATIONALS

The rangy defender said she hoped to use her experience from last year’s nationals when leading this year’s squad.

Mia Aitken (far right), with this year’s Victoria 17-and-under netball team.

“Just supporting those girls on-and-off court, because it’s also a bit difficult mentally,” she said of the tournament.

“Just building them up in those moments, like if they get an intercept, really getting around them to make them feel like they really belong in the team, I think is really important.”

Aitken also remembers, when losing a player to injury late last championship, it posed a difficult challenge as they ‘tried to keep our heads in the game’.

“What I want to be really strong about, is making sure we’re all really good mentally and checking up on everyone about how they’re feeling over the week,” she said.

As for her role on court for Victoria, Aitken, who can play both GK and GD, is excited by what she sees as a ‘tall’ defence.

She also hopes her growing leadership qualities can extend to her own performance.

“I’m probably a quiet defender so that’s something I’ve had to work on, to be a bit louder and being more of a voice in the defensive end to really get around the girls,” she said.

“Just having courage to have a fly and being confident in myself.

Aitken is looking forward to the captaincy challenge.

“And having that communication with my other defenders... wherever I’m playing.”

Aitken was confident Victoria’s preparations had them on the right path, with the team travelling across the Bass Strait last week to play three games against Tasmania ahead of nationals.

“That kind of gave us an idea of how we’d go, and we were really strong over that (trip),” she said.

Originally published as Live stream: Geelong’s Mia Aitken to captain Victoria’s 17U team at national netball championships