With a grand final berth in their sights, the Bond Bull Sharks are preparing for their biggest season yet in the Sapphire Series — and they’re doing it with a reinvigorated leadership group and a squad brimming with top-tier experience.
Head coach Rebecca Stower has named Sophie Westover, Georgia Bodle and Maddison Ryan as team leaders for 2025, a trio that embodies Bond’s competitive spirit and evolving culture. Their shared goal? To go one better than last year’s top-four finish and contest this season’s decider.
There’s fresh competition in the league too, with the Moreton Bay Pulse joining the fray. Coached by a New Zealander and boasting international talent, they’re already being talked about as a wildcard threat. The Bull Sharks will get a close look soon enough — but for now, the match circled in every leader’s calendar is the eagerly awaited Clash of the Coast against the Gold Coast Titans.
Stower and her leaders were unanimous, Round 2 on June 15 at Carrara is the game not to miss.
Five Bull Sharks — Westover, Kaylin van Greunen, Kirra Tappenden, Jayden Molo and Sasha May Flegler — spent their off-season playing at the elite level in the Suncorp Super Netball Reserves with the Queensland Firebirds and Sunshine Coast Lightning, adding valuable polish and poise to an already well-drilled outfit. It created some headaches during pre-season, but no one at Bond is complaining.
With 2-point shots now a major strategic weapon and the competition wide open, Bond is aiming high — and backing themselves to get there.
Here’s what Coach Stower and the new leadership trio had to say as they gear up for Round 1.
What are the ambitions for the season ahead?
Rebecca Stower
We achieved our goal last season by making the top four, which was a great step forward. In 2025, our ambition is clear, we want to be in the grand final. We’ve built a strong foundation, and now it’s time to take the next step.
Maddison Ryan
We want to win. Getting the taste of finals netball last year has definitely left us hungry for that next level and I think this year we have the team and the drive to get there.
Georgia Bodle
Last year, we built a solid foundation and demonstrated what Bond is truly capable of. This season, our ambition is to take things to the next level. While winning the competition would be the ultimate reward, I believe that we have a strong focus on continuous growth, both as a team and as individuals, on and off the court. We want to raise our standards, push our limits, and support each other in becoming the best versions of ourselves.
Sophie Westover
I like to focus on the season in two parts; the minor rounds where I hope to see us finishing in the top four, building on from what we achieved last year. Then when finals hit, it is a completely different ball game, and I hope to see us in the grand final. I would be lying if I didn’t say I want us to be the team with the trophy at the end of the year, which is definitely a huge possibility with this playing group. Aside from this, I hope we continue to nurture the culture we already have, and the girls walk away from the season knowing we gave it our all but also had fun playing the sport we all love.
Name a player you think might take the next step this season and really make their mark on the competition.
Rebecca Stower
Our new recruit, Kirra Tappenden, is definitely one to watch. She’s joined us from Thunder, where she often came off the bench, but she’s since been elevated to a Queensland Firebirds Training Partner and has been instrumental in the Firebirds Futures’ recent success in the Reserves. She’ll come into the squad with real confidence and a strong understanding of what it takes to perform at the next level. Kirra is an exceptional 2-point shooter, and when you combine her with our two other goalers, we’ve got real depth and variety in our attacking strategies.
Maddison Ryan
Eyes for me are on Kaylin Van Greunen this year. She’s made her first SSN reserves side and she’s already levelled up even just at training. I think defenders in the league better watch their backs.
Georgia Bodle
Sophie Westover joined Bond last year and truly began to showcase her capabilities toward the end of the season. She’s a natural leader with exceptional skill and flair. Having been playing with Lightning Reserves, she’s gained valuable experience, and I believe she’s definitely a player to watch this year.
Sophie Westover
The most exciting thing about this year is that everyone is in really good form and I think as a collective we are all going to take the next step. But if I had to choose someone, Kaylin has definitely been making her mark in pre-season and in the SSN reserves comp. She is playing with a lot of confidence and is such a reliable player for our side, so I am excited to see what she is capable of.
Who are the title favourites and how do you beat them?
Rebecca Stower
At this stage, I’d say Ipswich Jets are the team to beat. They’ve retained the core of their premiership-winning side, which gives them a strong foundation. That said, they do have a new coach this season, which can take time to settle. Like us, they have a number of players out with Reserves, so building cohesion may be a challenge early on. To beat them, you’ll need to be disciplined, well-structured, and willing to exploit any early-season disconnects.
Maddison Ryan
I think the competition will be hotly contested this year - the top 2 is hard to pick but I think Jets will be the team to beat this year. To beat them we just have to nail our basics and keep our composure for the full 60minutes
Georgia Bodle
Definitely us. But the Jets and Titans are always strong and competitive sides. The key to beating them is staying true to the Bond way—playing our style of netball and capitalising on our team strengths. This season, we have both experience and depth in our squad, which gives us the versatility to adapt and bring variety to our game. That makes us a serious contender and a tough team to beat.
Sophie Westover
Jets took out the premiership last year so would have to say they are going to be the title favourites and have a huge target on their backs because of such a successful 2024 season. To beat such a successful side, I think we just have to focus on our own game and what we can control and then the rest will follow.
Last year saw the introduction of the 2-point shot, how did the Bull Sharks adapt to that, and did you find it changed the style of the games considerably?
Rebecca Stower
The 2-point shot can completely flip the momentum of a game. As coaches, it’s forced us to think more strategically and to plan for a wider range of scenarios. You can’t afford to relax with a lead anymore, especially if the opposition has confident long-range shooters. It’s added another layer of tactical depth to the game.
Maddison Ryan
I think we adapted to the 2-point shot incredibly well. I’m a little biased but we were arguably the best defensive 2-point team and our shooters definitely knew how to sink the 2s when we needed them. We have our strategies in place and when we commit to our 2-point time game plan - we’ll be hard to beat. It definitely changed the entire style of the game but I think we made the most of it.
Georgia Bodle
I think the 2-point shot has become a real strength of our game. All of our shooters are confident and capable from long range, and we made the most of that opportunity last season—using it to either extend our lead or stay in contention during key moments. That said, it definitely changes the dynamics of the game, particularly in the defensive end. It’s been a learning curve, and we’ve focused on developing strategies to limit those 2-point opportunities for the opposition.
Sophie Westover
The 2-point shot has completely changed the game, with tactics being very different in the last 5 mins of every quarter we almost had to rewire how we have been playing the game since kids. With last season being our first year playing with this new rule, I believe we adapted pretty quickly but can see we are already building on this so much more both in attack and defence this year. We are very lucky to have a very skilful shooter group which I believe all are capable of nailing those 2-point shots, as well as smart and adaptable defence so I have full faith in our side in executing this part of our game.
What are you expecting from the new team in the competition this year?
Rebecca Stower
They’ve recruited well and certainly won’t be easy beats. They look fit, strong, and well-drilled. I expect them to be physical and competitive from the outset. We’ll be preparing for a tough encounter.
Maddison Ryan
Pulse is a bit of an unknown side which is exciting. They have a few imported players so plenty of fresh faces to the league. Looking forward to our first hit out to find out exactly what they’re made of.
Georgia Bodle
I think the new team will bring a fresh and exciting energy to the competition. With New Zealand coaches at the helm, we can expect that distinctive Kiwi flair, a taste of home. They’ve also brought in some international players, which adds another layer of unpredictability and talent. It’ll be exciting to see how they shape up and what they contribute to the league, but I’m confident it will feel like a great contest and a welcome addition to the competition.
We had five girls play in Suncorp Super Netball reserves competition, it has made pre-season training difficult, but it will also bring some big game experience into the squad. Do you think it will have a negative or positive impact on the side this year?
Rebecca Stower
It’s always a positive when players are stepping up and gaining exposure at higher levels. While it’s made pre-season training a little more complex — especially with most of the players we’ve had at training being defenders — it’s also forced us to become more adaptable and precise in our planning. I joked with the defenders at training the other night that they should be the best unit in the league with the amount of time we’ve spent on them! In all seriousness, we’ve got smart, game-aware players and strong on-court leaders. It might take a few rounds to gel completely, but I have no doubt we’ll find our rhythm quickly.
Maddie Ryan
Missing our SSNR girls has definitely made for a challenging preseason for Bec and the rest of our team - especially when looking at full court cohesion. But I think we have managed really well and it will definitely be an overall positive experience. We’ve been able to tailor trainings to the girls in attendance so we’re working hard on relevant areas and building strong connections within our defensive end. The experience that our SSNR girls will bring to the table will absolutely give us a leg up when it comes to game time. Having 5 representatives across the 2 teams is an amazing achievement for Bond and I’m so proud of all of them and can’t wait to see them bring what they’ve learnt back home to Bond.
Georgia Bodle
Obviously in pre pre-season you want to be working on connections on the court. But I think looking at the bigger picture it is so amazing for the club to have these players in higher honours and gain valuable experience that they can bring into the team.
We are lucky that we have kept the core group of players, so connections are already there. Overall, I believe it is a huge positive for the players, the team and the club.
Sophie, can you tell us what the experience has meant to you and what you’ve learned from it?
This has been my first year being exposed to SSN reserves level and I have felt immensely grateful to have this opportunity playing with the Lightning reserves girls, made even better doing it alongside Kaylin. It has been eye opening playing at that next level, especially in close proximity to the Lightning side, it definitely exposes where there may be gaps in skill execution or playing style but I have tried to make the most of this opportunity and soaking everything up like a sponge to help build on my game. With Jeno (our SSNR coach) and Bec working closely, it meant we are all on the same page and I have really valued the support I have received through this experience.