The Melbourne Mavericks can confirm that Uneeq Palavi will be moving on from the club at the end of the season, taking up an exciting opportunity elsewhere.
The Tongan international goaler has been a part of the Mavs’ set up since the club’s inception, with the Maverick #16 going on to play 25 games, shooting 182 goals and 60 Super Shots.
Fondly known as ‘Pav’, she was offered her first full Suncorp Super Netball contract ahead of the 2026 season, in which she has continued to go from strength-to-strength on-court, particularly in her role as a dangerous attacking weapon during Super Shot time.
Arguably her on-court highlight for the season was her Player of the Match-performance in the Mavs’ historic Round 12 win against the West Coast Fever. In just 11 minutes on court, Palavi shot 19 goals from 20 attempts – including one Super Shot – at 95% accuracy, guiding her team to their first-ever win over the Fever.
Mavs General Manager, Shae Bolton-Brown, said that whilst the club was thrilled for Palavi, she would be missed.
“Of course we are sad to see Pav leave the Mavs, but we are super excited for her and this next opportunity,” Bolton-Brown said.
“There’s no denying Pav’s skills on court - she is a player that causes the opposition some genuine headaches, particularly during that crucial Super Shot time. However, she’ll be missed most off the court – she is the biggest, most authentic personality, the ultimate hype girl, and makes every day genuinely fun just by showing up and playing her role.
“Pav embodies all it means to be Maverick – to the point where we now call it, Pav-erick – and we wish her nothing but the best for this next stage of her journey.”
Palavi added that it was a bittersweet decision to move on from the Mavs.
“It was a really hard decision for me to move on from the Mavs, especially after the season we’ve had," Palavi said, “but I know the time now is right – both with my netball and personally – for me to do something new.”
“I will genuinely miss coming in and seeing the girls and the staff every day – we have so much fun, and I’ve learnt so much from all of them.
“I hope it’s just goodbye for now and not forever – we'll just have to wait and see!”
