Last August, the New South Wales Swifts were crowned league champions after another thrilling season of Australian netball’s highest-level competition. Now, 7 months later, Suncorp Super Netball is jumping back into action for 2022 as teams prepare for the first weekend of official matches on 26 and 27 March.
Fans have had a glimpse of their teams ahead of the opening games, as the preseason Team Girls Cup saw the players take to the courts in late February. Melbourne Vixens triumphed in that tournament, suggesting their upcoming season may look more like the premiership of 2020 than the wooden spoon of 2021. Liz Watson, forced to miss most of last year due to a foot injury, is back to lead the team this season, serving as captain for both the Vixens and the Australian Diamonds.
West Coast Fever also had a strong Team Girls Cup outing, raising hopes that the Suncorp Super Netball premiership might be heading to Perth for the first time in the league’s history. Fever have made 2 Grand Finals in the last 4 seasons, but were not able to win on either occasion. With sharp shooter Jhaniele Fowler and rising star defender Sunday Aryang in bright form, this might just be third time lucky.
Swifts were crowned last season after a tight Grand Final win over Giants, but both teams have seen personnel shake-ups since that performance. Swifts have lost 3 of their key bench players – most notably Sophie Garbin, who was named Swifts Players’ Player of the Year in 2020 but now wears the black and white of Collingwood Magpies. Giants, meanwhile, will have to do without legendary goalkeeper Sam Poolman, who retired last year.
There is no shortage of talent coming into Suncorp Super Netball, and 2022 will see new prospects given a chance to shine. Sunshine Coast Lightning fans are expecting a lot from Reilley Batcheldor, who put in a great display at the Team Girls Cup despite being just 19 and preparing for her debut season in the league. In Queensland, 23-year-old Ruby Bakewell-Doran is set to play her first full campaign for Firebirds after impressing as a training partner. Latanya Wilson of Adelaide Thunderbirds has already proven her skill and versatility, but the 22-year-old is heading into this season as a starter, and there will be plenty more to come from the Jamaican rising star.
It’s all to play for as the 2022 season gets going this weekend, and fans can expect thrilling matchups right from Round 1. Thunderbirds host Magpies in Adelaide on 26 March, with tickets starting from AUD $22.90, while Giants travel across Sydney to play local rivals Swifts in a rematch of last year’s Grand Final, with tickets from AUD $20. On 27 March, Vixens visit Firebirds in Brisbane, with prices starting at AUD $20, and Fever host Lightning in Perth, with tickets from AUD $27.
The stage is set for an unforgettable season of netball. Get loud with fellow fans in the Melbourne and Queensland derby matches, see if Jhaniele Fowler can make it 5 years in a row as top scorer, and book your tickets now!