How Lachie Arbuckle is blazing a path for South Coast male netballers

In fact, he was more concerned about finding other men to pass the ball with.

While men's netball isn't the most publicised code, it has enjoyed a spike in popularity in Australia in recent years.

And Arkbuckle is one person who benefited from the post-COVID rise.

The teenager tried the sport for the first time in primary school, but has become a regular on the netball court over the past few years.

Arbuckle - who is a training partner at NSW Premier League club South Coast Blaze - has shown plenty of natural talent in the wing defence position.

He recently represented the NSW U17s team at the Australian Men's and Mixed National Championships, with the side claiming bronze.

The 15-year-old's good form at the tournament has seen him called up to an Australian Men's U17s selection camp on the NSW Northern Beaches this weekend.

Run by the Australian Men's and Mixed Netball Association, the camp is a key selection trial for the Aussie team to compete in their international program later this year.

"I'm over the moon (to be picked), it's pretty cool," Arbuckle told the Mercury.

"(The national championships) was a really good learning experience because it was the third time that I've gone to that. I went in with a different mindset this time. The last two times, it was all still relatively new, but this time I knew what I was in for and I wanted to focus on what I've been working on.

"From this camp, the top 12 will be selected to go and represent Australia against Samoa and New Zealand."

2024 also marks Arbuckle's second year with the South Coast Blaze.

He joined the NSW Premier League club in early 2023 - as a coach - by leading their junior team at the Blaze Cup carnival.

However, his playing abilities became apparent pretty quickly and the Ambarvale native participated in several skills clinics before being selected into the Blaze's Talent Identification Program.

The teen become a Blaze training partner in the latter stages of last season on his way to being named the 2023 TIP Athlete of the Year.

Arbuckle was their first training partner selected for 2024, and he continues to attend sessions with the club's U23s and opens sides.

In between these duties, he has continued to help run skills clinics for the Campbelltown District Netball Association and drives to Sydney each Wednesday night to support Blaze players from the sidelines.

Since Arbuckle has become a Blaze member, the club has introduced two more male training partners - Stephen Brice and Danian Makeham.

"There's been major growth post-COVID in men's netball. The amount of people now playing is crazy," Arbuckle - who hails from an Aussie rules background - said.

"When I started, I found it difficult to even find a team for men. So it's been good to see."