What to expect from the Suncorp Team Girls Cup

The Suncorp Team Girls Cup is set to return next week, so we’ve taken a look at what to expect from the pre-season tournament.  
 
The tournament is a great time for clubs to test new combinations, game plans and learn lessons from their opponents before they come up against them during the Suncorp Super Netball season. 

Teams will compete in two separate pools on Friday 24 February and Saturday 25 February before facing off against each other in finals on Sunday 26 February.  

Here’s a rundown of what’s happening. 

ANOTHER THRILLER? 
 
Opening the tournament, the 2022 Suncorp Super Netball premiers West Coast Fever go up against the New South Wales Swifts. 

With not much movement in the offseason for the Fever they will use the tournament to consolidate their game plan and see how Kim Jenner slots into their defence unit. 

The last time the sides met the Fever defeated the Swifts by a goal in a thriller. Maddy Turner was a standout for the Swifts with three third quarter gains shifting the momentum of the match, however, Fever’s strong start kept them ahead.  

Turner is likely to have the job on grand final MVP Sasha Glasgow which you’ll want to keep an eye on with Glasgow shooting at 90% accuracy, 28 feeds and one gain in the final.   

The Fever and Swifts will both then play the Sunshine Coast Lightning and Collingwood Magpies on Saturday before finals on Sunday. 

‘PRELIM’ GRUDGE MATCH 
 
Next on the Friday agenda will be the Melbourne Vixens and GIANTS. Their preliminary final is hard to forget, especially for the GIANTS who will want to redeem themselves with a win.  

However, they’ll have to do so without club stalwart Jo Harten. The English goal shooter recently underwent knee surgery and is working her way towards round one of the Suncorp Super Netball season, leaving a gaping hole in the GIANTS side.  
 
Reeling from the loss of the 2022 grand final, the Vixens will look to make their mark at the Suncorp Team Girls Cup. Having won the preseason tournament in 2022 the Vixens could go back-to-back under the leadership of head coach Simone McKinnis. 

When Vixen Liz Watson and GIANT Amy Parmenter meet on the court at the Suncorp Team Girls Cup it will be a clash of the best of the best. The two last competed against each other in the thrilling 2022 preliminary final. 

Fairly evenly matched, Watson amassed 37 feeds, one gain and one intercept while Parmenter played just as competitively with five gains and four intercepts throughout the final. Whichever player wins this battle will be influential in the final match result. 

The second day of competition will have both teams feature in matches against the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Queensland Firebirds before heading into the finals on Sunday.  

THE RETURN OF PRETORIUS 

The Sunshine Coast Lightning will be wanting to use the tournament to solidify connections and spark what they’ll hope to be a better season than their last.  

Karla Pretorius’ return adds more experience to their defensive end while the new additions of Ashleigh Ervin and Charlie Bell will also take to the court. 
 
The Magpies will travel to the Gold Coast for the tournament without Nyah Allen who is recovering from surgery to correct a musculoskeletal chest condition.  

However, still have enough depth in the shooting end to cover the loss and play competitively as seen throughout their pre-season clashes with the Queensland Firebirds. During those matches former NSW Swift Kelly Singleton has been filling in and is an option for the side to bring with them to the Gold Coast. 

When the Lightning and Magpies go head-to-head on the Friday evening all eyes will be on the battle between Jodi-Ann Ward and Steph Wood. When the sides clashed in round 13 of last season, Ward played a pivotal role in winning ball back for the Magpies while Steph Wood controlled movement in attack for the Lightning.   
 
The Lightning and Magpies will both face the West Coast Fever and NSW Swifts on Saturday on their path to the Suncorp Team Girls Cup finals on Sunday.  

EXCITING INCLUSIONS 

The battle between the Queensland Firebirds and Adelaide Thunderbirds will close out the first day of competition.  

The Firebirds will have the opportunity to test out new combinations across the court with the 2023 signings of Ashlee Unie, Macy Gardner and Remi Kamo. However, will also need to cover the absence of prolific shooter Gretel Bueta who announced she is pregnant.  

Coming into the side for Bueta is Emily Moore. The shooter is a product of the GIANTS Netball academy and has previously played under Firebirds coach Bec Bulley.  

While the Thunderbirds will welcome strong inclusion Eleanor Cardwell to the court alongside former training partner Lucy Austin.  
 
A key matchup will be Firebirds shooter Donnell Wallam against Thunderbirds defender Shamera Sterling.  

Wallam was the league’s breakout star last year and awarded as the 2022 Suncorp Super Netball Rookie of the Year having shot 519 goals at 86 per cent accuracy in her debut season while Sterling topped the league for number of intercepts. 

The next day of competition will feature both sides up against the Melbourne Vixens and GIANTS on their quest for the Suncorp Team Girls Cup trophy. 

HOW TO WATCH 

The Suncorp Team Girls Cup will run from Friday February 24 until Sunday February 26 on the Gold Coast.  

The first match will begin at 4PM AEST on Friday 24 February, view the full fixture. 

Fans wishing to attend on the Gold Coast can purchase tickets and redeem free tickets for children here. Please note one free ticket will need to be redeemed per child for access to the venue.  

Fans unable to attend in person, can watch every game of the Suncorp Team Girls Cup live and ad-break free on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo Freebies.  
 
Sign up for Kayo Freebies here.