With the aim of giving junior netball players more playing experience and the ability to compete with players their own age, juniors now have the option of playing twice a week.

MIANA president Bonnie MacRae said the committee voted to move the junior competition to Wednesday nights and create more junior age divisions while allowing those juniors with enough ability to also compete in the senior Sunday competition.

"The whole idea behind moving the juniors to Wednesday is to give our junior players more opportunity to play," Macrae said.

"We have a number of very talented juniors in Mount Isa but when they go away to representative competitions they are at a disadvantage because of a lack of court time."

MacRae said juniors in other centres have the chance to play up to twice a week and it was time MIANA gave its rising stars the same opportunity.

In 2012, the Wednesday night junior competition will feature U9, U11 and an intermediate competition for juniors aged 12-17. The junior competition is open to boys up to the age of 12.

"The juniors will have more competition and more practice and by playing mid-week we can also hold on to some of those youngsters who may play another sport or can't play on Sundays," MacRae said.

"We feel it's important that juniors have the option to play against players their own age and this season we will see that happen with the new format."

However, for those junior players aged 12-17 and any exceptional younger talents, the chance to play in the senior ranks on Sunday will also encourage and aid development.

"The intermediate juniors (12-17) and maybe one or two exceptional younger stars will also be eligible to play in the senior competition," MacRae said.