Newcastle Netball already has West and Souths.
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Now, newcomers Norths are aiming to become another big-hitter in the association's premier competition.
Norths Netball Club have replaced University of Newcastle in the Tri Series, which comprises championship, opens and 23s divisions.
University featured in the past two championship grand finals, losing both to five-time champions West Leagues Balance, but they did not have a junior base.
Successful University coach Traci Baber has stepped into a coaching co-ordinator role with Norths.
Rian Hodges, who has plenty of experience in the competition as a player and has assisted Baber, will be Norths championship coach and a strong contingent of University players are expected to join the club.
Norths were established with one under-11 girls team in 2019 by Fern Bay's Andrew Fawcett.
The club has quickly grown to this year having several junior teams ranging from under nines to 17s.
"It just started gaining more and more interest," Fawcett said.
"As it started to grow we started to think where our girls would go in the next few years in regards to 23s knowing that they'd have to leave the club to do that, so that's where the conversations with Traci began."
Fawcett said Norths received a strong response to their expressions of interest. The club held their first phase of Tri Series trials over the weekend with the final selection phase on November 12.
"Considering Tri Series is three teams, 30 positions available and we received 85 expressions of interest, which was more than I was ever expecting," Fawcett said.
Hodges was looking forward to the new challenge and said Norths would be aiming for finals in their first year.
"Making the grand final two years in a row, the talent is there," Hodges said.
"And it's nice as people retire you can bring others in, younger ones in and having Norths we can feed up with that. It's nice to be a community now.
"It's going to be good to have such passion below as well, so that we can have that level for the girls below to work up to and have a really strong club underneath us."
President Cheryl Hernando said Newcastle Netball welcomed Norths' inclusion in their premier competition.
"Norths Netball Club has been fostering a junior base since its inception and the pathway now provided for its juniors is well set up," Hernando said.
"This is what the Tri Series is about: developing our juniors, providing competitions for all ages and development pathways that will engage and retain our players."
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