Who stood out in Round 1 of what’s been billed the most unpredictable Super Netball season we’ve ever seen – particularly after a massive influx of marquee imports?
Diamonds legend and Australian games record holder CATH COX has delivered her first impressions of each team.
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MAVERICKS
Jamie Lee-Price, Reilley Batcheldor and Tara Hinchliffe were key signings for the Mavericks and there were bright signs from each in an opening win; albeit against a Giants side widely tipped for the wooden spoon. New coach Gerard Murphy has cause for optimism, though with one apparent flaw among his defensive stocks.
“They’re recruited really well. If you look at their front line now, with Reilley Batcheldor and Shimona Nelson, it’s really potent because Batcheldor will shoot the long shot and you’ve got Nelson who’s one of the greatest offensive rebounders in the game. I think they can pack on the points really quickly if they need to,” Cox told foxsports.com.au.
“They’ve got an exciting defensive end with Kim Brown and Tara Hinchliffe back together; they once played with the Queensland Firebirds together and off the back of those couple of seasons they both got selected for the Australian Diamonds squad. That combination will grow through the season.
“And Jamie-Lee Price is such a gun in attack and defence. Molly Jovic’s pulled out because she’s pregnant, but to be able to have someone like Jamie-Lee Price in there … and then you’ve also got the firepower of Amy Parmenter, who played her 100th game on the weekend. Those two can switch positions really effortlessly as well. It’s a really, really strong defensive unit and I reckon that’ll probably be the real strength of the Mavs this year.
“Their ability to shoot the long shots and catch up will be one, but I think it’s that defensive unit that will really hold them in good stead. They haven’t got the height down that end in defence, that still makes me nervous, but I think they’ll be really good taggers and they’ll wear people down.”
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GIANTS
After an opening loss to a team not widely touted as a serious contender, promoted coach Nerida Stewart is immediately on the back foot.
“It’s sad that they didn’t get a win first up because they probably would have been feeling good about their recruiting in the off-season, and players that have been there for a while … you get another loss to start the season, it can be really disheartening,” Cox said.
“Whitney Souness had not a great game with 10 turnovers. Maybe that’s the pressure of leading the team for the first time, leading a new team, maybe the pressure of playing in Super Netball, she’s not done that before. I expect she’ll get better.
“But the shooting line still doesn’t do it for me. They didn’t start Lucy Austin. We were all excited that she was going to the Giants and they didn’t start her, and looking at the stats she didn’t set the world on fire. I thought for sure they would have started her. But I also know that Nerida Stewart, the new head coach, does love Matisse Letherbarrow and Sophie Dwyer as a combo and as athletes, and she’s a NSW (person); came through the pathways and played for the Swifts herself. And we don’t see what goes on at training, but I was expecting Lucy to play. Whether or not she gets an opportunity this week, we’ll wait and see.”
The biggest upside was obvious.
“Jane Watson had a great game, was one of their best defensively. I think she’s a really good pick-up. She’s experienced and we saw last year how much Erin O’Brien really thrived having an experienced defender (Casey Kopua) around her, so I reckon that’s a great move and will get better,” Cox said.
“I think they’ll build into the year but the problem is every team will build into the year, and they could well be left behind again.”
THUNDERBIRDS
The majority of FOX Netball analysts tipped Adelaide to win a third premiership in four years – and they vindicated those tips in a breathtaking Round 1 demolition of the also-fancied Swifts.
“Far out. They were outstanding. Elmere van der Berg, I knew she was good, I knew she was tall – but crikey, she set the world on fire in game one and she was the reason they knocked off three records that they’ve never done before in Super Netball. She is really a great inclusion,” Cox said.
“But then, I think the even better inclusion and in all of Super Netball is Kate Heffernan, the Silver Fern who’s slotted in there so beautifully at centre for them.”
Shamera Sterling-Humphrey’s return from maternity leave started modestly, but the famed T-Birds defence looked formidable and will only get better as the Jamaican champion sharpens her game.
“I don’t think she was Shamera by any stretch of the imagination in the first couple of minutes, but then she was missing the majority of the game,” Cox said.
“I only say that because it’s Shamera Sterling-Humphrey standards and we expect so much from her, and we can’t forget that she only had a baby a few months ago and is getting herself back into it and back to her best form. But we certainly saw glimpses of her ability and no doubt they’ll became more regular.
“But defensively, the Thunderbirds just choked them, they put a stranglehold on them and then the Swifts don’t know what to do, they just capitulated under that pressure.”
SWIFTS
A 20-point beatdown from a team they defeated twice last year is certainly not what Swifts coach Briony Akle would have been hoping for to start a season bent on redemption for a shocking preliminary final exit in 2025. There’s one upside – but also some concerns.
“I said to coach Briony Akle, ‘You got the hardest one out of the way in game one; you now know what the benchmark is and where you guys have got to get to, so it’s not a bad thing’,” Cox said.
“But they felt flat. Briony said the most frustrating thing was that they trained so well in the lead-up to that game, so it wasn’t a performance they were expecting. But that’s what the Thunderbirds do to teams. I think the real challenge for the Swifts is they need to work out, when they get in those moments, how they get out of it. Because it’s a new year but they’re still in the same boat there.
“I thought Teigan O’Shannassy came on really well, Grace Whyte came on really well. Helen Housby needs to contribute a whole heap more than she did in game one, that’s for sure. She was only shooting at 50% for the game.”
Cox is tipping a strong bounce-back against the Mavericks in Round 2. The Swifts’ shooting end, though, will be one to watch this season, after they opted to contract Whyte as the third option alongside Housby and Grace Nweke.
“I love Grace Whyte, I think she’s a really good, versatile player across the goal attack and the wing attack positions,” Cox said.
“Is she a world-beater? Probably not, and I feel like in this league that’s kind of what you need to have coming off the bench if you want to win. It’s a tough one for the Swifts. If their Nweke and Housby combo isn’t working, what can she do? I think she opened up some gaps really well (against Adelaide), but I don’t know if she’s gonna be someone on the court the entire game that’s going to win you a premiership.
“(Nweke) is great, but really starved of supply in game one. When she’s got some freedom to play, she’ll smash everybody.”
VIXENS
New season, new head coach … same Plan A. How good is Plan A?! Pretty good, when you’re the reigning premiers, and the status quo appears to be holding strong under Simone McKinnis’ promoted assistant coach.
“I don’t think we saw too much different under Di Honey,” Cox said.
“What didn’t change was that they mainly stuck to a starting seven. There were only two teams that didn’t play their hole 10 and Vixens was one; in fact, they only played eight people. Which is what we were really critical of last season for them, because we thought you’re only an injury away from this going pear-shaped, you’re not testing your bench etc. But my god – look what they did last year, so I think I’ve learnt my lesson from that.
“It looks like that’s the same path they’re going to take this season.”
The one tweak to their roster, returned new mum Emily Mannix, was given Round 1 off and will soon bolster the defensive end.
FIREBIRDS
A first outing for NZ trio Kelly Jackson, Maddy Gordon and Te Paea Selby-Rickit is in the books, though some Firebirds sloppiness against the defending premiers meant it ended in defeat – with some green shoots.
“They had more than enough opportunity to win that game, against the premiers. They were in that contest the entire way through, they threw away crucial ball when they were getting themselves nice and close to the Vixens,” Cox said.
“So I think they’ll look back on that positively, even though it was a loss, because it was Round 1 with all of these new faces. Last year, their issue was getting all their new combos to click and they’ve added three more to it. I think the good news is that those three are Kiwis who know each other and they know a Kiwi coach, so hopefully it won’t take too long to click. But they were in that game right up to the end, they were just making really silly mistakes. If they can get that out of their game, it could be a really good season for them.”
The major concern: marquee goal shooter Mary Cholhok, on first evidence, is still a significantly flawed attacking spearhead.
“I was calling for her to be benched the other night when I was in commentary – which might have been a little harsh,” Cox said.
“There’s still conversations happening within the team about how to feed her. She’s still sometimes quite soft on the hand and hard to read. Again, that stuff takes time, but you can’t take too much time. If they lose, they’re going to be out of this season before it even starts. It needs to click straight away and I’ve not seen a remarkable difference in her on the weekend.”
FEVER
With all-powerful shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard on maternity leave, Sunday Aryang gone with an ACL injury, plus Ruth Aryang, Olivia Wilkinson and Zoe Cransberg all missing, it was a chaotic pre-season at West Coast. Nonetheless, they somehow won against a stacked Sunshine Coast Lightning side.
“The Lightning with Donnell Wallam, Courtney Bruce, Liz Watson … that’s a quality side that a lot of people had in their top-four predictions. So for West Coast to get a win when they are injury-ridden, really positive signs,” Cox said.
“By all accounts Romelda Aiken-George looked like she slotted in really well and Sasha Glasgow back in the west had a massive game, so lots of positives … and they’re only going to get stronger when they have some of their crew back.”
Fever coach Dan Ryan gave another masterclass on how to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
“He’s very good tactically with all that stuff, so yeah, once they get some players back … but then, he might not want to change it when they get back, if they keep playing like that!”
LIGHTNING
Sunshine Coast have been firmly on the radar to challenge for another SSN title since their extraordinary swoop for Diamonds stars Watson and Bruce two seasons ago, though the glorious charge hasn’t eventuated. They are attempting to climb the mountain with a curious attack end this time around; powerful, yet curious.
“That’s going to be a really dangerous combo because (Gabby) Sinclair can shoot those long bombs and there’s the height of Donnell Wallam to clean them up; although Donnell fancies herself from distance as well. I’m shocked they didn’t have a better first game, given the personnel they’ve got, but when that starts to gel…” Cox said.
“I think Donnell Wallam’s a huge pick-up for them and they picked up Karin Burger – hello, that’s the New Zealand captain.”
The main problem? It’s unclear if a first-choice shooting combination of Wallam and fellow Diamond Cara Koenen can genuinely work, given both are far more at home playing goal shooter than goal attack.
“I’m unsure how that works. Cara Koenen I don’t think is a real goal attack, they need Sinclair back,” Cox said.
“But I think what they will have when Sinclair is back is some options; they can change that up and use whatever they see fit at the time. At the moment, with only the one option there, that’s tough for them.”
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