A new rivalry is set to be unearthed in the Suncorp Super Netball season with the injection of the Melbourne Mavericks to a city that’s been dominated by the ever-consistent Melbourne Vixens.
The Mavericks will host the Vixens on Sunday afternoon at John Cain Arena with an almost capacity crowd expected to flock to Melbourne’s precinct on the weekend.
Netball’s newest club endured a rollercoaster pre-season with two of their star players suffering season-ending injuries in Sasha Glasgow and Lauren Moore which will naturally have an impact on the court.
The Tracey Neville-coached side elevated two of their training players to their active playing list with Rolene Streutker and Shimona Jok filling the void left by Glasgow and Moore and they bring a wealth of experience.
As for the Vixens, they’ve made a few changes to their lineup in the off-season with veteran Liz Watson departing after 134 games across 10 seasons.
Hannah Murphy and Zara Walters will step up in Watson’s absence, with Walters bringing strong form after dominating the recent Suncorp Team Girls Cup.
Former Vixen Olivia Lewis joined the Mavericks in the off-season and the star defender can expect a fiery game against her former side at an arena she called home for some time.
If the Mavericks are to cause an upset on Saturday, captain Amy Parmenter and Grand Final MVP Eleanor Cardwell will be leading from the front as they look to build synergy and connection early in the season.
