What to expect from SSN this year

Season seven of Suncorp Super Netball is about to begin and given last year's nail-biting finish, anything could happen in 2023. 

Here is a look at how the teams are preparing for the new year and what to expect when it all gets under way tomorrow. 

West Coast Fever - 2022 Finish – 10 wins, 4 losses (ladder finish 2nd)   
 
The West Coast Fever finally walked away with the Suncorp Super Netball trophy in 2022, but can they do it again? 

The 2022 premiership was 25 years in the making for the Fever and under the leadership of coach Dan Ryan all the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place.   

There’s much for the green army to be excited about in 2023 with the Fever only making one change to its premiership-winning team.   

Defender Stacey Francis-Bayman’s retirement has paved the way for dynamic defender Kim Jenner to make the move west adding more depth to an already stacked defensive end.  

The key to the Fever’s 2023 season will be to find a new way to keep the rest of the competition on its toes.  

Starting the season with a grand final rematch in front of their home crowd against the Melbourne Vixens, the Fever will be aiming to prove they’re still the team to beat. 

They’re already on the right path having defeated the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the final at the Suncorp Team Girls Cup.  
 
Predicted starting seven  

GS - Jhaniele Fowler  

GA - Sasha Glasgow  

WA - Alice Teague-Neeld  

C - Verity Simmons  

WD - Jess Anstiss  

GD - Sunday Aryang  

GK - Courtney Bruce  
 

Melbourne Vixens - 2022 Finish 12 wins, 2 losses (ladder finish 1st)    

Despite being last season’s minor premiers, the Melbourne Vixens fell short at the final hurdle in 2022.   

But can they go one better and come away with the trophy in 2023?   

With a round one date against the West Coast fever pencilled in, the Vixens will have to make their intentions clear from the start. 

Their first few rounds will be tough with matches scheduled against Collingwood and the GIANTS – who they narrowly defeated in the preliminary final.  

But they’ve got the talent to get it done. 

With Origin Australian Diamonds throughout the court in Kiera Austin, Liz Watson, Kate Moloney and Jo Weston the Vixens should have enough experience to make finals.  

They’ve also proven they can win consistently and with the extra incentive of the grand final to be held in Melbourne the Vixens will be determined to go all the way. 

 Predicted starting seven    

GS - Mwai Kumwenda     

GA - Kiera Austin     

WA - Liz Watson     

C - Kate Moloney      

WD - Kate Eddy     

GD - Emily Mannix   

GK - Olivia Lewis   


NSW Swifts - 2022 Finish 6 wins, 8 losses (ladder finish 5th)   
 
Without star shooter Sam Wallace, the Swifts struggled throughout 2022 but with Wallace set to return in 2023 will the NSW outfit return to the top?  

Premiers most recently in 2021, the Swifts still have the core group who know what it takes to go all the way.  

A key stalwart for the side Helen Housby stepped up in Wallace’s absence last year and will need to continue that form in 2023 to keep the opposition at bay. 

Origin Diamonds midcourt duo Paige Hadley and Maddy Proud will also need to continue to share the load while defensively the pressure will be on Sarah Klau and Maddy Turner to help the side when they falter further up the court.  

Proud was a standout last season for the Swifts, her relentless work in the midcourt was outstanding, she finished the season in the top five for Nissan Net Points.  

Romelda Aiken-George has also joined the Swifts as a training partner and has been named for round one while shooter Sam Wallace continues rehabbing an ACL injury.   
 
This potential starting seven knows how to win and they’ve arguably improved throughout 2022 from their 2021 premiership. 
 
Predicted starting seven  

GS – Romelda Aiken-George

GA - Helen Housby  

WA - Paige Hadley  

C – Maddy Proud   

WD - Tayla Fraser  

GD - Maddy Turner  

GK - Sarah Klau  
 

GIANTS Netball - 2022 Finish 8 wins, 6 losses (ladder finish 3rd)    

Will the GIANTS finally achieve the (so far) unachievable?    

They’ve been agonisingly close in previous years and missed out on last year’s grand final by the skin of their teeth. 

The good news for GIANTS fans is that the premiership dream is still within reach.    

The GIANTS had a rocky 2022 season but they showed a lot of fight with their biggest issue being consistency.   

When they’re on, they’re almost unstoppable with the shooting accuracy and sheer determination from Jo Harten able to lift the team into another gear no matter the margin.  

However, Harten underwent surgery in the offseason and has been ruled out for round one.

Reeling from the heartbreak of the preliminary final the GIANTS should hit the court running in 2023 with plenty to prove. They have a strong midcourt in Maddie Hay, Jamie-Lee Price and Amy Parmenter as well as the experienced head of April Brandley leading the charge in the defensive end alongside the smarts of Matilda McDonell.   

Round one against the Sunshine Coast Lightning is a winnable game for the GIANTS. They’ll have the home court advantage in the last round of the season when they go up against the Melbourne Vixens if the season goes down to the wire, but it’ll be a tricky run home as they'll also face last year’s premiers the West Coast Fever in round 13 and hometown rivals the NSW Swifts in round 12.  

Predicted starting seven   

GS - Matisse Letherbarrow 

GA - Sophie Dwyer   

WA - Amy Sligar

C - Jamie-Lee Price   

WD - Amy Parmenter   

GD - April Brandley   

GK - Matilda McDonell   
 

Collingwood Magpies - 2022 Finish 6 wins, 8 losses (ladder finish 4th)  

The Magpies slid into finals in 2022 based on percentage but are yet to be a real threat in the league. 

That’s not to say that they won’t make their mark in 2023. 

There’s plenty of talent on the Magpies list, with a strong midcourt trio in Kelsey Browne, Ash Brazill and Molly Jovic. The signing of Maddie Hinchliffe for 2023 will provide the Magpies’ midcourt even more depth. 

There’s also talent in the shooting end but this is where the biggest question marks appear. Shimona Nelson had her best season yet at goal shooter and was second overall for goals scored in 2022.  

While Origin Diamond Sophie Garbin found her feet at the AIA Centre and has gone on to string together several strong performances at goal shooter for the Diamonds on the international stage.  

They’ve also signed young gun Nyah Allen, however, Allen is expected to miss half of the season as she recovers from surgery to correct a musculoskeletal chest condition. In her place is former NSW Swift Kelly Singleton.

While down the other end of the court, defender Geva Mentor will need to fire, once regarded as the best goal keeper in the world, Mentor suffered from an injury early in 2022 and never quite looked her best.  

With matches against the Swifts, Vixens and Fever to start the year, the challenge will be for Collingwood to lock in a few wins early, fail to do so and it may come back to haunt them with their last two matches against the Vixens and Fever likely to go down to the wire. 
 
Predicted starting seven  

GS - Shimona Nelson  

GA – Sophie Garbin  

WA – Kelsey Browne  

C – Molly Jovic  

WD – Ash Brazill  

GD – Jodi-Ann Ward  

GK – Geva Mentor   
 

Adelaide Thunderbirds - 2022 Finish 5 wins, 9 losses (ladder finish 7th)   

There’s enough talent in the Adelaide Thunderbirds to compete for the trophy, however, inconsistent performances plagued them in 2022. 

They are the wildcards of the competition with their best good enough to beat anyone but their worst is far from it. 

Don’t be fooled by the seventh-place finish in 2022 though, the Thunderbirds are building. Yet to reach their full potential the key to 2023 will be for their midcourt to deliver.  

Defensively the Thunderbirds have arguably the best defensive duo in the league in Shamera Sterling and Latanya Wilson, however, that doesn’t count for much when the team is unable to work the ball down the court and convert.  

There will be a lot of pressure on the Thunderbirds’ attacking end to be impactful in 2023.  

They’ve recruited well bringing England Rose Eleanor Cardwell over from the UK and signing former training partner Lucy Austin but the big question mark over the Thunderbirds’ season will be whether the additions in the shooting end are enough to challenge teams consistently across four quarters in 2023.  

The Thunderbirds have the potential to soar up the ladder and play finals if all the pieces fall into place, however, they’ll face tough competition to get there.  

Predicted starting seven  

GS - Lucy Austin

GA - Eleanor Cardwell  

WA - Georgie Horjus

C - Tayla Williams   

WD - Hannah Petty  

GD - Latanya Wilson 

GK - Shamera Sterling   
 

Sunshine Coast Lightning - 2022 Finish 4 wins, 10 losses (ladder finish 8th)   

The Lightning missed out on finals for the first time in the team’s history in 2022. 

They were far from the top of the ladder last year and struggled to get the better of their opponents. 

The good news for Lightning fans is that they’ll be boosted by the return of South African superstar Karla Pretorius in defence. Pretorius finished 2021 with 33 intercepts and 50 deflections.  

They’ve also recruited well in securing up-and-coming defender Ashleigh Ervin and shooter Charlie Bell from the Firebirds’ training partners list.  

With the experience of Laura Scherian in the midcourt the Lightning will need to capitalise in the goal circle if they’re to stand a chance in season 2023.  

With the second lowest shooting accuracy in the league in 2022 and their lowest since inception, the Lightning will need to up the ante and get ahead of teams early so they’re not forced into taking the riskier super shots. The Lightning are in good hands though with Steph Wood and Cara Koenen both performing well in the Origin Diamonds since the last season ended.

The Lightning will also have a fresh mindset in 2023 with former Perth Orioles player and West Coast Fever Assistant Coach Belinda Reynolds taking the reins. 

However, they've been dealt a blow on the eve of the season with Tara Hinchliffe ruled out of the season with an ACL injury.  

Predicted starting seven  

GS - Cara Koenen   

GA - Steph Wood  

WA - Annie Miller  

C - Laura Scherian  

WD - Mahalia Cassidy   

GD - Karla Pretorius  

GK – Kadie-Ann Dehaney 
 

Queensland Firebirds - 2022 Finish 6 wins, 8 losses (ladder finish 6th)   

The Firebirds will need to focus on solidifying connections and capitalising on opportunities in 2023.  

One player doesn’t make a team, however with Gretel Bueta not playing this Suncorp Super Netball season due to pregnancy, the Firebirds will have both an inexperienced defence and attack end.  

While there’s promising talent with GIANTS Netball academy athlete Emily Moore joining as Bueta’s replacement, it’ll be difficult to compete against teams who are more experienced, fitter, and stronger across the court.  

2022 breakout star Donnell Wallam will need to carry the workload on her shoulders in the attacking end while defensively fellow second-year player Ruby Bakewell-Doran will have the most experience. 
 
The midcourt is the strongest area for the Firebirds. Led by former Origin Diamond and current Firebirds’ captain Kim Ravaillion and vice-captain Lara Dunkley with the tenacity and experience of former Diamond Gabi Simpson and the youth of Macy Gardner.   

Without Bueta the goal attack bib falls to Mia Stower who has only played in a handful of Suncorp Super Netball matches but has been around the club for several years and is part of the club’s leadership team for 2023 alongside Ravaillion, Dunkley and Simpson. 

The Firebirds will also welcome a new coach in former premiership player for the Firebirds, Adelaide Thunderbirds, and NSW Swifts Rebecca Bulley.  

Predicted starting seven  

GS - Donnell Wallam   

GA - Mia Stower  

WA - Lara Dunkley  

C - Kim Ravaillion   

WD - Gabi Simpson   

GD - Ruby Bakewell-Doran  

GK - Remi Kamo