By Stephanie Smarrelli
The Mavericks’ maiden season did not go to plan, with multiple injury woes challenging the club from the get-go.
It took a while for the Mavs to gel but by Round 4 they had their first win on the board, a showstopping one-goal victory against the Lightning.
All things considered the Mavs can hold their heads high, they finished in fifth place missing out on finals in their debut year by the slimmest of margins.
With the 2024 season under their belt and connections growing stronger each outing the Mavs will be confident they will be in the mix for finals again next season.
BEST WIN
The Mavericks really struck a rhythm in Round 10 against the Firebirds. The side put together their first strong four-quarter performance to win by 12 goals.
Gabby Sinclair shot at 100 per cent accuracy with seven Super Shots and 12 goals while Shimona Jok only missed two attempts in her 47-goal haul.
Sinclair was a key player in the Mavericks' Round 10 win.Defensively the Mavs shone with 11 gains compared to the Firebirds’ six. Most importantly the Mavs ensured they capitalised on their gains with a 73 per cent gain to goal rate.
Molly Jovic was prolific in the midcourt spearheading the side with 38 feeds and 29 goal assists.
MVP
At the start of the season Shimona Jok was signed as the Mavs’ eleventh player and was sitting on the sidelines.
But when her opportunity came she took it with both hands and reminded everyone she’s a powerhouse shooter in her own right.
The Mavs looked at their strongest when Jok was at her best. Jok finished the season with 424 goals at 93 per cent accuracy.
She took out the Mavericks’ inaugural Maverick of the Year Club Champion award having shown throughout the season why she should have been signed to a club’s contracted 10 in the first place.
Jok consistently stood up for the Mavericks throughout the season.The 25-year-old's strongest performance came against the Firebirds in Round 6 where she collated 91.5 Nissan Net Points scoring 50 goals at 91 per cent.
FOCUS AREAS
With injury after injury to their contracted 10, the Mavs were unable to execute their original vision in 2024.
Going into 2025, one of the big tasks head coach Tracey Neville will be focused on is finding her strongest line up.
With Sasha Glasgow and Lauren Moore expected to return to the court Neville will have the opportunity to move around her chess pieces once again.
On the court, the Mavs will need to focus on reducing their penalties. The side finished the 2024 season with the second highest number of penalties in the league, averaging 61 per match.
Staying in play will be key to the side winning ball back and will help them to avoid giving away free shots on goal.
