2023 was a successful season for the Sunshine Coast Lightning, they may have missed out on playing finals, however, rising from eighth to fifth with a new head coach is a commendable feat.
The side won six matches in the home-and-away season and had eight losses, with the team housing a mix of experience and fresh talent.
They were dealt multiple blows before the season started with young gun Reilley Batcheldor injuring an ACL during the 2022 Australian Netball Championships and defender Tara Hinchliffe succumbing to the same injury during the Suncorp Team Girls Cup. To make matters worse during the season, replacement player Shannon Eagland made it a trifecta of ACL injuries on the Sunny Coast when she also went down.
However, the side persevered and were able to pull together a series of good performances throughout the 2023 season.
BEST WIN
Despite knowing they wouldn’t play finals the Sunshine Coast Lightning came out with a point to prove in Round 13.
The side won the first three-quarters of their clash against the premiership-bound Adelaide Thunderbirds to win the match by two goals.
The Lightning had a lower gain to goal conversion rate than their opposition, however, their dominant performance throughout the match enabled them to escape with the win against a charging Thunderbirds outfit.
The Thunderbirds scored seven out of the last ten goals, but the Lightning didn’t crack under pressure. During the final quarter the calm and experienced Steph Wood shot five from five alongside teammate Cara Koenen who also nailed five goals at 100 per cent.
In the defence end, the least experienced defender on the court Ashleigh Ervin soared, tallying five gains and four intercepts during the match.
GAMECHANGER
Cara Koenen had a blistering season shooting 536 goals for the Lightning, but it was Steph Wood who was a gamechanger for the Lightning again in 2023.
Wood finished the season with 241 goals, 260 goal assists and 54 Super Shots. Wood’s speed and connection with Koenen allowed the duo to split defenders and find themselves free in the goal circle time and time again.
The team’s captain led from the front bringing her teammates into the game and confidently putting up the long shots as required.
FOCUS AREA
With a shooting end that played a large role in winning Australia the Netball World Cup, the Lightning should focus on how they can improve other areas of the court assuming that the partnership of Wood and Koenen stays on the Sunny Coast.
Defensively, the Lightning defenders didn’t feature in the top five for intercepts or deflections in 2023. Talented South African defender Karla Pretorius sat just outside the five for intercepts, however, there’s room on the court for another powerful defender to come into the side.
The rumour mill has been working in overdrive with the idea that Courtney Bruce might be on the move to the Lightning to reunite with former West Coast Fever Assistant Coach Belinda Reynolds but whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen. Bruce would be a massive steal for the Lightning if she does move and would be an invaluable asset for the side’s up-and-coming stars like Ashleigh Ervin to learn from.
Another Fever player that could be a good fit for the Lightning is Jess Anstiss. The speedy midcourter would add a bit more grit to the Lightning midcourt and her ability to read the play would enable the Lightning to win more ball back with Anstiss tallying up 11 intercepts in 2023.
