The 2022 Suncorp Super Netball season ended in triumphant joy for West Coast Fever, who took the league trophy home to Perth for the first time ever. When the new season gets into gear in March, the Fever will be looking to reconfirm their dominance – an easier feat if goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler can maintain her astonishing 2022 form.
The very first game in Perth next year will see a rematch of last year’s Grand Final, as the Fever welcome the Melbourne Vixens to RAC Arena on 18 March 2023. The Vixens lost the decisive final by 11 points, and they will surely be keen to avenge that painful loss as they get their new campaign underway.
Elsewhere in Round 1, the Firebirds will play the Thunderbirds in Nissan Arena, while the Giants travel to the Sunshine Coast to face Lightning. In Melbourne, the Collingwood Magpies will host the New South Wales Swifts.
Round 2 will see the first major derby match, with Queensland rivals Firebirds and Lightning facing off for local bragging rights. Last season, Lightning finished bottom of the ladder after 10 losses and just 4 wins. The Sunshine Coast team will have something to prove when they take on the Firebirds on 25 March, and the state derby games always bring some extra passion and excitement from players and fans alike.
The Queensland teams are not the only ones facing an early rivalry match – on 26 March, the Melbourne derby will see Vixens against Magpies in John Cain Arena. Despite the Vixens’ ultimate success in reaching the Grand Final last season, they were upset by the Magpies in 2022’s first derby contest, losing 70-60. The Vixens triumphed in the second matchup in June, but only by 2 points, so the Magpies should be full of belief when they line up to play in March.
The first New South Wales derby will take place in Round 7, with Giants hosting the Swifts on 29 April. Both these teams finished in the top 5 last season, and they split the spoils over their 2 head-to-head contests. Giants player Jamie-Lee Price has claimed that, “100 per cent, the NSW Derby means more,” and fans can expect heightened tension and great enthusiasm when the game gets underway.
Round 8 of the 2023 season is a designated Inclusion Round, where each club will be encouraged to support inclusion initiatives specific to their local areas. Rounds 11 and 12 will be First Nations Rounds, giving each team a chance to host a home game showcasing their connections with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Get excited for a whole new season of the world's premier netball league !