Super Netball 2024: New look West Coast Fever lock in pre-season clash in Port Hedland, get Blitz opponents

West Coast Fever’s new-look squad will head to Port Hedland for their first official hit-outs of 2024 when they take on the WA Men’s team. The Fever will play on March 9 and 10 at Port Hedland’s Wanangkura Stadium - with fans in the state’s North West to get the first-look at the team’s six new players in action. This will be followed by Fever’s trip to Melbourne, where they will take on new Super Netball franchise the Melbourne Mavericks on March 14 before heading to Ballarat for the annual pre-season tournament. Fever have drawn the Melbourne Vixens and Giants in their two round-robin games on March 16 and 17 respectively. It will be an important pre-season for Fever, who have made a whopping six changes to their 10-contracted player list this off-season. Only superstar shooter Jhaniele Fowler, vice-captain Jess Anstiss, wing attack Alice Teague-Neeld and Diamonds defender Sunday Aryang remain in the squad. Training partner Jordan Cransberg has been elevated to the main list, while Victorian Olivia Wilkinson has headed West. International stars Fran Williams (England), Shanice Beckford and Kadie-Ann Dehaney (both Jamaica) are also new additions to the team, while former Diamond Kelsey Browne was the last signing after the shock retirement of Verity Simmons. Fever coach Dan Ryan said the team looked forward to showcasing their skills and talent in front of the Port Hedland community. “The opportunity for the State’s best female and male netballers to travel to Port Hedland for two exhibition matches is a fantastic opportunity to take elite netball to regional WA as well as kick start our pre-season campaign,” Ryan said. Ryan said the team’s trip to Victoria will be a form of camp with three games of netball and a workshop across five days. “The chance to be involved in the Ballarat Blitz was too good to pass up,” he said. “We get to play against two quality SSN teams and when you combine it with a closed-door match against the League’s newest team, the Mavericks, it provides the perfect lead into Team Girls Cup and the regular season.”