Malta Netball Association

History of Team

Netball in Mellieħa started in 1982 when May Fenech, then Incorvaja, took the initiative and got a group of local ladies interested in the game and they started training together. Most of these players were girlfriends or relatives of football players who used to meet up at the Mellieħa Sports Club.

The team started training sessions at the Mellieħa primary school and trained there for many years until the netball court was no longer available. They were then constrained to train for 2 years in the 5-a-side pitch at the Mellieħa Football Ground. This was hardly ideal but they made do with what they had available. In 2013, new sporting facilities were built in Mellieħa, known as the Selmun Family Park. This park included a netball court and finally the Mellieħa team had a proper court for training. Mellieħa has had a team playing in the national league every season since its foundation. Some seasons even saw Mellieħa participating with two teams; Mellieħa A in the First Division and Mellieħa B in the Second Division. For Season 2016/2017, Mellieħa SC introduced another team in the U21 national league which then changed to the U17 league. Mellieħa SC played in the Second Division for a number of years. Sometimes they challenged in the upper table and sometimes they positioned in the middle. This changed in season 2019/2020 where they won the division and were promoted to the First Division.
Mellieħa players have over the years won prestigious awards from the
Malta Netball Association. Antoinette Corby received the Best Player
Award for 5 times, Tania Bugeja twice and Judith Cilia and Chayenne
Muscat once. The Best Official of the year was also won twice; once by Simona Bugeja and once by Joyce Vella-Dean.

Mellieħa players have done and still do voluntary work within the MNA committee. Simona Bugeja has previously served as Secretary of the Association for a number of years. Presently, Joyce Vella-Dean is Finance Officer, Antoinette Corby is Vice Secretary on Special Projects, Alexia Fenech and Chayenne Muscat are in the sub committee.

We are not just a team on court, but we are also family and friends off court. Our aim is to always keep the game of netball alive in Mellieħa and in Malta.

Coach & Captain Names

Coach – Tania Bugeja
Asst Coach – Judith Cilia
Team Manager – Antoinette Corby
Team Captain – Judith Cilia

Positions and players

GS	Nicole Cilia, Antoinette Corby, Mariella Spiteri, Simona Bugeja
GA	Nicole Cilia, Antoinette Corby, Mariella Spiteri, Simona Bugeja
WA	Shania Gheiti, Alexia Fenech, Doreen Best, Josianne Buttigieg, Simona Bugeja
C	Tania Bugeja, Shania Gheiti, Alexia Fenech
WD	Judith Cilia, Alexia Fenech, Maria Buttigieg, Doreen Best, Josianne Buttigieg, Lauren Stanton
GD	Judith Cilia, Maria Buttigieg, Chayenne Muscat, Michelle Trapani, Analise Caruana,
GK	Chayenne Muscat, Michelle Trapani, Analise Caruana, Bernadette Vassallo, Lauren Stanton

Contact Details & Name of contact person for the Club

Tania Bugeja 9942 7514
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/153885173637/

Training Days/Times & Location of training:

Location: Selmun Family Park
Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays
Time: 19:00 until 20:30 hrs

MELLIEHA SC U17

History of Team

Mellieha has for many years had a netball nursery where children from the age of 7 could participate in playing and learning netball.  For season 2016/2017, Mellieha SC introduced an U21 netball team in the National league. The aim was to give some experience to these young players who had just started to play the game. In fact they only managed a few points and classified at the bottom of the table for 2 consecutive years.

Progress & development of the team and achievements through the years

For season 2018/2019 the U21 league changed to U17. This was advantageous to the Mellieha team since the team was very young and in their third year of competing. They won all their games and became champions for that season. Mellieha player Chayenne Muscat was awarded best U17 Player for that season.

For season 2019/2020  Mellieha lost some key players due to age restrictions, introduced some new players and managed to place second having lost only 1 game by 1 point.

In 2018, 2019 and 2020, there were 5, 4 and 2 players respectively from the Mellieha U17 team, who were selected to form part of the Malta National team.  They took part in the Netball Europe U17 challenge in Dublin in 2018, Gibraltar in 2019 and the Isle of Man in 2020. 

Chayenne Muscat and Analise Caruana who were both part of the Mellieha U17 team, have been assisting coach Joyce Vella-Dean and Assistant Coach Judith Cilia in the U17 and netball nursery for season 2019/2020. 

Nicole Cilia and Shania Gheiti, both players for the U17 team, also formed part of the Mellieha SC senior team since season 2018/2019. 

Coach & Captain Names

Coach:  Joyce Vella-Dean

Asst Coaches:  Judith Cilia, Chayenne Muscat, Analise Caruana

Team Manager:  Analise Caruana

Team Captain:  Shania Gheiti

Team Vice Captain:  Nicole Cilia

Positions and players

GS	Nicole Cilia, Yanika Debono, Emma Cutajar, Rebecca Cutajar
GA	Nicole Cilia, Rebecca Cutajar
WA	Shania Gheiti, Casey Gove, Kelsey Camilleri, Cherise Debono
C	Shania Gheti, Casey Gove, Cherise Debono
WD	Hayley Cauchi, Alana Muscat, Kelsey Camilleri, Natalie Cutajar
GD	Hayley Cauchi, Alana Muscat, Natalie Cutajar
GK	Emma Cutajar

Contact Details & Name of contact person for the Club

Contact: Joyce Vella-Dean

Mobile: 79345030

Email: joycevelladean@gmail.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/153885173637/

Training Days/Times & Location of training:

Location: Selmun Family Park

U15:

Days: Mondays

Time: 17:30 till 18:30

U21:

Days: Mondays

Time: 18:30 until 20:00