2021 Finish – 11 wins 3 losses (3rd)
2022 Leadership group – Courtney Bruce (Captain) Jess Anstiss (Vice-captain)
Key to 2022
2021 was a rough season for the Fever.
We all know that they started with negative 12 premiership points, which they promptly erased in four matches, before finishing the regular season with eleven wins and three losses.
After knocking off the Lightning in the Minor Semi Final, their season ended against the GIANTS in the Preliminary Final with a heart-breaking three-point loss.
But the group will take a lot away from the experience, and new Head Coach Dan Ryan should inherit a squad that is brimming with self-belief after two seasons overcoming some serious hurdles.
They’ll be hoping to play more than four matches in-front of their home crowd in 2022, which will be crucial in the second half of the year where they play five of their last seven matches at RAC Arena.
Claim some big scalps on the road in the first half of the season then make the most of a friendly back half, and the Fever should be well placed for a third straight finals campaign come season’s end.
Predicted starting 7
GK – Courtney Bruce
GD – Sunday Aryang
WD – Stacey Francis-Bayman
C – Jess Anstiss
WA – Verity Simmons
GA – Sasha Glasgow
GS – Jhaniele Fowler
That’s a starting seven built to bring Perth it’s first ever netball premiership.
The reigning Liz Ellis Diamond Courtney Bruce captains the side for another year and is arguably the best goal keeper in the league, if not the world. She’s coming off an enormous season where she led the league in deflections, defensive rebounds and gains and trailed just Shamera Sterling in intercepts.
She’s joined by fellow Diamonds defender Sunday Aryang, who has exploded onto the scene since joining the side in 2020.
Stacey Francis-Bayman rounds out the defensive setup looking to put together a huge SSN season ahead of July’s Commonwealth Games. A solid season playing across all three defensive positions would make it hard for the England selectors to leave her out of that squad.
Vice-captain Jess Anstiss is one of the league’s quiet achievers and should continue to be that consistent contributor and high-effort player across the midcourt that she always has been.
No player knows how to get the ball into the hands of best shooter in the league like Verity Simmons, who brings that speed and creativity to the attack end that every team needs.
In our eyes, this should be the year Sasha Glasgow surpasses Alice Teague-Neeld as the first-choice goal attack for the Fever. She’s just too good and too dynamic to leave on the bench as a situational substitute.
And the big target of this side is reigning MVP Jhaniele Fowler, who is showing no signs of slowing down, coming off another season leading the league in points scored, shooting percentage and Nissan Net Points.
Round-by-round
A true tale of two halves for the Fever in 2022, with two home games in the opening half of the season and just two away games in the run to finals.
They open their season at home vs the Lightning before hitting the road for three straight away games vs the Magpies, Firebirds and Vixens.
They’ll back themselves into all four of those matches, which should setup a blockbuster Sunday afternoon match against the Swifts at RAC Arena.
It’s back on the plane for the next two rounds, with a huge match-up against the GIANTS in Sydney and a “Western Derby” against the Thunderbirds in Round 7.
If they can come out of that road-trip heavy opening half with four to five wins, the Fever should be well placed to come home strong, thanks to five home games in the final seven matches to finish the regular season.
After the Magpies visit, the long trip to the Sunshine Coast looms in Round 9, before the Vixens, GIANTS and Firebirds travel to Perth.
The last road game of the season comes in Round 13 against the Swifts, then they close-out the regular season against the Thunderbirds at RAC.
With a list as strong as this, it all comes down to how they handle that road-trip heavy opening seven rounds. If they are coming into Round 8 with four to five wins, lock them in for a top four finish, at least.
Prediction – 1st
This team is ready to win it all, right now so we’re picking them to top the table.
Superstars all over the court who have all been playing together for a number of years, means any question marks you might have about a new coach coming into the building should probably be laid to rest.
Couple that with a friendly second half fixture, that includes five home games, means this is a side that should be humming come finals time.
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