By Paddy Regester
Who doesn’t love finding out who made the Team of the Year at the end of every season? Celebrating our favourite players getting the love they deserve and hitting the comment section to light-up the selectors when they “get it wrong”.
Let’s get those good times rolling nice and early this year. I’m going to take last year’s Team of the Year (TotY) and make a case for the player I think is most likely to usurp each starter in the 2021 TotY.
Starting with…
Goal Keeper – Shamera Sterling, Adelaide Thunderbirds (2020 – Geva Mentor)
The best thing about doing this piece is it gives you an opportunity to sit down and realise just how stacked each position is. And I think Goal Keeper might just be the most talent rich position.
It’s not going to be easy to dethrone the mighty Geva Mentor after her gigantic 2020, but one look at some the names running around and you wouldn’t be shocked to see it happen.
I could see any of Courtney Bruce, Sarah Klau or Emily Mannix take the mantle of number one GK and would even listen to a case made for Phumza Maweni, Sam Poolman and Tara Hinchliffe.
But I’m backing Sunshine Shammy to have a big 2021.
She can be a little up and down at times but there are few players in this league that can single-handedly take over a game in the defensive end like Shamera Sterling.
If she’s on, look for her to get the nod at GK.
Goal Defence – Kim Jenner, Queensland Firebirds (2020 – Karla Pretorius)
After what I saw during the Constellation Cup series earlier this year, I was so tempted to throw Courtney Bruce in here. But I thought I should probably pump the breaks until I see her in the GD bib for the Fever more often.
While I fully expect Karla Pretorius to claim her fourth straight TotY starting nod, I think there’s a young gun down the highway ready to give the big South African a run for her money.
I’m talking, of course, about Queensland Firebirds Goal Defence Kim Jenner.
I strongly believe that this young ruffian is the next great Australian defender and is poised to explode for the Firebirds this year.
She’s such an intimidating presence and her physicality is simultaneously her best and worst attribute. She would do well to get those contact penalty numbers down, a stat which she led the league in last season with 161.
As this young team continues to get better, I think we’ll see Jenner back herself and show off that Bruce-like pass reading that she has shown flashes of in her young career.
Wing Defence – Amy Parmenter, GIANTS Netball (2020 – Gabi Simpson)
Plenty of exciting options here, which is surprising considering we’re talking Wing Defence!... See you all in the comments.
Gabi Simpson is the player to beat here, but she has some super tough competition eyeing off her spot.
Kate Eddy is a gun, Ash Brazill is back and should be pumped up, Maddy McAullife and Jess Anstiss are both always solid but it has to be the GIANTS’ Amy Parmenter for me.
The 2019 Rebel Rising Star winner is one of the most exciting midcourt prospects in the country, if not the world. She had a massive 2020, finishing in the top 10 in interceptions and deflections (25 and 62) and had the 14th most gains with 32. Wild numbers for a midcourter.
Quick, fearless, and smart, Parmy gives me Renae Ingles vibes and that is a pretty big wrap. Join the Parmy Army today.
Centre – Verity Charles, West Coast Fever (2020 – Kate Moloney)
For the Centre spot, I’m picking one of the most underrated players in the competition; Verity Charles.
While the two pillars up either end in Courtney Bruce and Jhaniele Fowler get most of the attention when discussing the Fever, I think the player that really makes this team tick is Charles in the guts.
Her relentless play and willingness to do the dirty work allows her teammates to do all the things that they do best, and I think it’s time Vez gets the love she deserves.
And she certainly has the numbers to back up a TotY nod. She had the third most feeds and goal assists in 2020 with 265 and 451.
She’ll be up against some stiff opposition, of course, with another unsung hero in Paige Hadley at the peak of her powers, Jamie-Lee Price improving with every centre pass she takes and Kate Moloney no doubt hell-bent on going back-to-back with her Vixens.
Wing Attack – Kelsey Browne, Collingwood Magpies (2020 – Liz Watson)
Speaking of the Vixens, with their superstar Wing Attack Liz Watson set to miss the 2021 season, this is the one position we know will have a new starter in the TotY.
With that in mind, I’m going to throw out a name that I think is in-line for a massive bounce-back season: Kelsey Browne.
The Magpies’ speedy WA never really looked 100% in the eight matches she played in 2020 as she recovered from a ruptured ACL she suffered during the 2019 campaign.
But I’m tipping her to be flying once the 2021 season arrives, and that’s not just based on her health. With Ash Brazill returning from a knee injury, a fearsome defensive setup at her back and the ever-improving Shimona Nelson in the circle to feed it to, the table is set for Browne to get back to doing those incredible things we know she can.
With players like Laura Scherian at the Lightning charging around, whoever gets to pass the ball to Jhaniele Fowler the most at Fever and Maddy Proud in a very assist and feed friendly situation at the Swifts, there are some really strong options to choose from at WA.
But I’m trusting my gut and backing one of the most exciting players in the sport to get back to her best and stake a claim for a spot in that 2022 Commonwealth Games Diamonds team.
Goal Attack – Helen Housby, NSW Swifts (2020 – Kiera Austin)
When she’s fit, firing and pumped up, Helen Housby might just be the best player on the planet and I’m predicting that 2021 could be the year that everything goes right and Housby sets this place alight.
And we haven’t seen that in a little while now. Even in their 2019 Grand Final run, Housby battled through injuries all year and limped through to the premiership medal ceremony.
She is fast, so smart, can score from anywhere and is a fearsome competitor who loves nothing more than to rip opposition hearts out when on, particularly now with the Super Shot.
Staying on the court and staying at 100% fitness has been the England internationals biggest struggle. She’s missed six games in the last two season and clearly played through some injuries in several others.
I’m tipping Kiera Austin to have another strong year with the GIANTS, Alice Teague-Neeld to put up huge assist numbers again at the Fever and Gretel Bueta to have a huge year after taking last season off while she prepared for motherhood.
But, if she can stay healthy, I think Helen and her Swifts could be in for massive 2021 seasons.
Goal Shooter – Mwai Kumwenda, Melbourne Vixens (2020 – Jhaniele Fowler)
I’m basing this prediction entirely off what I think needs to happen if the Vixens are to have any chance of defending their 2020 premiership title.
Mwai Kumwenda needs to play 800+ minutes and score 600+ goals. If she can do both of those things, the Vixens are going to be good, and MJ should push for the starting GS spot in the team of the year.
And she certainly has it in her!
With Caitlin Thwaites and Tegan Philip both exiting the club after the 2020 season, Kumwenda will be the number one target in the Vixens attack end, similar to the role she played in the back half of last season.
In the five games she played 50 or more minutes in 2020, MJ averaged 44 points scored per game, which is on track for 613.2 points over 14-rounds. Now that’s a number Vixens fans would love to see MJ hit and a number I think she can eclipse.
As we know, MJ brings so much more to the Vixens than points scored. She’s a true barometer for the team and provides her fellow goalers with plenty of opportunities to score because of her hard work and athleticism. If she keeps that up while averaging 45+ points a game, she’ll give Jhaniele Fowler a run for her money as the starting GS.
