By Matt Fotia
Every Suncorp Super Netball season has its own storylines. Clubs underperform, while others shock the netball loving public by exceeding expectations.
Players can do the same, with some starting the season as the last name on the team sheet and finishing it as the fan’s choice for a Diamonds debut.
Here’s a deep dive into which athletes could make the step for your club in 2024.
Adelaide Thunderbirds – Lucy Austin
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The stars are aligning for this homegrown Thunderbird to take the competition by storm in 2024.
Austin provided a more than capable bench option for the 2023 premiers last season and was instrumental in holding off the Swifts in both the semi-final and grand final, with her height giving the Thunderbirds a get out option when in attack against the likes of Klau and Turner.
Aged just 22, Austin has already won a Suncorp Super Netball premiership, led her state to an Australian Netball Championships title, collected the 2023 Super Netball Rookie of the Year award and represented Australia in the Fast5. She’s played with and learnt from the likes of Eleanor Cardwell and Tracey Neville and regularly lines up on one of the world’s best defenders in Shamera Sterling at training.
With Cardwell moving east to join the Mavericks and Tippah Dwan heading north to return to the Firebirds, Austin is likely to play a much bigger role in the Thunderbirds premiership defence, possibly in goal attack after the signing of veteran shooter Romelda Aiken-George, as she learns to add a different element to both her and the Thunderbirds game.
It might seem a lot to ask a 22-year-old with limited experience to lead the line for a new look reigning champ, but there are big wraps on this kid for a reason, so sit back and watch her shine.
NSW Swifts – Sophie Fawns
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Sophie Fawns could end 2024 as everyone’s favourite Suncorp Super Netball athlete.
The Swifts preliminary final hero is one of the charismatic players on a list in 2024 and gave us a glimpse of her appetite for the big moments during the Swifts finals run, playing the – very difficult – Power Five Specialist role to perfection.
Fawns is more than just a good long-range shooter though. She contributes a lot to the build up play of the Swifts, with her sideways movement and willingness to make multiple runs something to admire in such a young player. In her limited court time in 2023 she still managed to rack up 17 assists, 18 second phase receives, and 25 centre pass receives.
Fawns has showed us so much in the backend of 2023.
And if it’s anything to go by, 2024 is going to be one hell of a ride – on and off the court.
West Coast Fever – Jordan Cransberg
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It might seem a bit harsh to heap some pressure on someone who has only just been elevated to the permanent list, but there is so much to like about Jordan Cransberg’s game and character.
In her early 20’s she moved across the country to seek further playing opportunities and has both found and taken them, impressing plenty of good netball people during her limited chances at the top level in 2023.
Cransberg was the Fever’s player of the tournament at this year’s Australian Netball Championships and should be looking at some very decent minutes in the Fever’s new look midcourt given the recruitment of specialist wing attack Kelsey Browne, along with the re-signing of 2023 Nissan Net Point Team of the Year wing attack Alice Teague-Neeld.
Cransberg has waited patiently to be given this chance at SSN level. Expect her to put it to good use.
Jordan Cransberg is ready to take her chance. Melbourne Vixens – Hannah Mundy
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Hannah Mundy has sat patiently in the shadow of Liz Watson for a little over two seasons, studying how the world’s best goes about it.
And now it’s her time to shine.
The biggest compliment that came Mundy’s way in 2023 was the willingness of Simone McKinnis to move Australian captain Liz Watson back in the centre bib to shoehorn Mundy into the starting seven.
She won’t have to be shoehorned in anymore.
Mundy’s energiser bunny attitude – and personality – will be her biggest strength in 2024, with her constant movement and see ball, get ball approach set to give the competition’s wing defences plenty of headaches.
There could be those who are worried she might not be up to the challenge of being the number one, but with plenty of experience at both ANC and Fast5 level, Mundy will be more than fine.
Mundy just has to remember that she doesn’t need to play like Liz Watson, she just has to play like Hannah Mundy.
GIANTS – Matisse Letherbarrow
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Matisse Letherbarrow promises to be one of the best attackers of the next generation.
Standing at 188cm Letherbarrow is deadly accurate from under the post, can shoot from distance and has spent plenty of time learning from one of the best to ever do it in Jo Harten.
And in partnership with Sophie Dwyer, she could be set to take 2024 – and beyond – by storm.
With tutors such as the Harten, Julie Fitzgerald and Jamie-Lee Price, Letherbarrow is on her way to becoming the perfect shooter, combining her strong natural movement, ability to hold and shoot from anywhere, with a killer instinct no doubt being drilled into her by the game’s best.
With Harten surely set to slowly slide into more of mentor role, there’s a chance more minutes could be on the way to the former Australian Underage representative.
With more minutes comes more confidence.
And with more confidence comes big improvement from a star on the rise.
Sunshine Coast Lightning – Ava Black
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The Lightning have been the name on everyone’s lips after a frantic signing window, with their quartet of international stars the headline act of a whirlwind week and a half.
But scratch beneath the surface and you will see there’s plenty more to like from the Lightning’s list in 2024, especially if you’re a young midcourter.
Whilst Liz Watson will be pencilled in for almost every minute of the season, the rest of the Lightning’s midcourt make up is up in the air, and despite heading into just her first pre-season as a contracted player, Ava Black could be the one to take it.
Black is the ultimate prototype wing defence. Standing at 184cm tall, she could easily pass as a circle defender, but with agility and speed to burn the Toowoomba product is a Swiss army knife in the midcourt, able to play a genuine shutdown role in wing defence, add some more aerial threat or go into centre and put her endurance to good use and give Liz Watson even more freedom on the offensive end.
Black has plenty of promise, and we are looking forward to her fulfilling it in 2024.
Queensland Firebirds – Remi Kamo
A mature aged recruit in 2023, Kamo finished with 62 deflections in 2023 (8th most in the competition) to go with 23 defensive rebounds (3rd), 63 gains (4th) and 20 interceptions (12th) in her very first season.
Despite all the positives from her rookie year, Kamo still had some teething problems.
Another pre-season with Diamond Ruby Bakewell-Doran will no doubt help their on-court connection and see her add to her already impressive interception numbers, plus Kamo will benefit from having some intel on each of her opponents and will be able to adapt her game to her opponent more in 2024.
Kamo probably doesn’t know it, but she’s already true inspiration to all the mature aged netballers plying their trade at state league level.
Now she’s battle hardened from season 2023, she could be an even bigger role model in 2024.
Olivia Lewis is making the move across town. Melbourne Mavericks – Olivia Lewis
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New team, new beginnings.
Olivia Lewis might not be the biggest signing that the Melbourne Mavericks made in their debut signing window, but she could end up being their most valuable.
Lewis, like Hannah Mundy, was made to wait in the shadows of some of the world’s best during her time at the Melbourne Vixens and was often wheeled out to play way above her height (184cm), like that of handling five-time SSN Player of the Year Jhaniele Fowler.
Known for her dynamism, Lewis should get a lot more minutes with the Mavericks, and with some more certainty should play with some more freedom.
With a leap that most of us could only dream of, the x-factor defender will not only be an elite stopper for Tracey Neville’s Mavericks, but also the architect of plenty of attacking forays.
Mavericks’ fans will love Eleanor Cardwell. They’ll love Amy Parmenter. But we reckon they’ll love Olivia Lewis even more.
