The new Super Netball season is in full swing after four rounds of action.
Two teams who weren’t among the pre-season favourites are undefeated, a super team filled with star recruits has some work to do, and the league’s newest team got on the board with a thrilling first win.
And it wouldn’t be elite netball without some conjecture over some tactics and umpiring.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Super Netball season so far.
Undefeated teams defy expectations
The Melbourne Vixens and West Coast Fever are 4-0 to start the season, defying expectations they might struggle after losing a host of key players in the off-season.
Losing Liz Watson to the Sunshine Coast Lightning was a huge blow for the Vixens, but her prodigy Hannah Mundy has taken her game to another level.
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Sophie Garbin has moved from Collingwood to the Vixens and showed what she can do at goal shooter after languishing for years at goal attack at the Magpies.
Despite Watson’s departure, the Vixens have a stack of Diamonds and experienced players that could help them challenge for a first premiership since 2020.
Perhaps even more surprising is the Fever, who are top of the table despite losing Courtney Bruce, Sasha Glasgow, Verity Simmons, Kim Jenner and Rudi Ellis to other clubs and retirement.
But Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard is still a powerhouse at goal shooter and defender Sunday Aryang has taken a leap.
Aryang has been a fixture in recent Diamonds squad and completely shut down NSW Swifts shooter Helen Housby on the weekend in the best game of her career.
Another key to the Fever’s success has been midcourter Kelsey Browne, who was contemplating retirement last year when the Magpies disbanded but has rediscovered her best form after moving west.
The Fever fell just short in finals last year but with arguably Super Netball’s best coach in Dan Ryan, the green machine could well add to their 2022 premiership this year.
Giants star’s big hit divides fans
The Giants were one of the more inactive teams in the off-season, losing midcourter Amy Parmenter to the Mavericks and gaining Jodi-Ann Ward.
With four losses in four games, the heat is on coach Julie Fitzgerald, who has been reluctant to give court time to young shooter Matisse Letherbarrow while Jo Harten struggles.
Tensions briefly spilled over in the 20-point loss to the Adelaide Thunderbirds when gun midcourter Jamie-Lee Price flattened reigning Super Netball MVP Shamera Sterling-Humphrey as the she was running out of defence.
Just before three quarter time, Price channelled her NRL legend dad Steve, standing firm and dropping a shoulder into Sterling-Humphrey.
The star Jamaican defender was badly winded and lay on the court in pain for several moments.
“She’s taken a big hit back of play,” Cath Cox said in commentary on Fox Netball.
“She grabbed her ribs straight away. She looked like she might have just got winded.
“Straight into the shoulder of Jamie-Lee Price, that would knock anyone onto the floorboards.”
Watch the Jamie-Lee Price-Shamera Sterling-Humprey clash in the video above.
Some fans were divided over whether Price initiated the contact and moved to collect Sterling-Humphrey, or whether the TBirds defender simply ran into her.
One viewer wrote on X: “Nah sorry you can’t convince me that shouldn’t of been a warning and absolutely done on purpose.. JLP is frustrated I get it but this isn’t cool.
“She stopped and squared straight up to put that knock on Sterling-Humphrey
“Another camera angle.. Absolutely on purpose … Dangerous.”
Price is renowned for her fierce physicality in the midcourt and her strength, particularly in the air, was a huge asset to the Diamonds at last year’s Netball World Cup.
Shooter’s classic trick
The debate over whether netball is a shooter’s game is as old as time, and one tactic riled up Super Netball fans on the weekend.
Fowler-Nembhard was having another strong game and viewers noticed her glance at her feet when Swifts defender Elle Temu reached her hands over to defend the shot.
The glance at the feet was enough for the umpire to deem Temu was not the required three feet away from Fowler-Nembhard and Temu was told to step aside.
Mavericks get on the board, Lightning struggle
Super Netball’s newest team, the Mavericks, claimed their first win in Round 4 — a thrilling 65-54 victory over the Sunshine Coast Lightning.
Ava Black was ruled out with an ankle injury sustained at training, Mahalia was distraught after being rand veteran goal attack Steph Fretwell rolled her ankle was troubled by an ankle knock before half time.
The Mavs took the lead in the dying seconds after losing Eleanor Cardwell for part of the final term to a rolled ankle.
It’s a massive confidence boost for the Mavericks, who lost Sasha Glasgow and Lauren Moore to season ending injuries in pre-season.
Meanwhile, the Lightning are still searching for some team chemistry after dropping three straight games since their dominant 16-goal win over the Swifts in Round 1.
It would be a brave pundit to predict a team with Watson, Fretwell, Bruce and Cara Koenen won’t make finals — but the new recruits will need to gel quickly if they are to push into the top four.