2023 at a glance.
Sapphire Series: 7th
MVP Kaylin van Greunen
Ruby Series: 5th
MVP: Harriet Nicholson
Bull Shark of the Year Award: Kaylin van Greunen
Season highlight: The Sapphire side defeated the 2023 & 2024 Defending Champions Brisbane North Cougars in Round 9
2024 the year ahead
Sapphire with Kim Boland
Big ins: Former Qld Firebird Mia Stower; Current Qld Firebird Training Partner Sasha Flegler
Big outs: N/A
Captains: Hannah Le Sage (c) Ella Spencer (vc).
Player to watch: I think eyes can be on Jayden Molo. She has transitioned into the WA position from predominantly WD. Has vision of the circle and can thread the ball through the eye of a needle. Jayden has been waiting for an opportunity to play Sapphire and now she has it.
Don’t miss: Our season opening game against Titans – always a spectacle as Titans know how to put on a show.
Big improvers: Sunshine Coast Thunder have 6 Super Netball Training Partners attached to their Sapphire roster – I would expect them to be looking at Top 2 finish this year.
What’s new: The introduction of the Super Shot to the Sapphire series. The introduction of a two- point shot from outside the arc for the final five minutes of every quarter has been a revelation in Super Netball and is sure to add a layer of excitement to the Sapphire Series. We have worked to add strategic elements to incorporate into our game.
Headline you’d like to see: Bull Sharks’ Sapphire and Ruby in Top 4.
Predictions: Looking at player lists so far, I think this competition can be blown wide open. I see fantastic player distribution across all the clubs. Some clubs have recruited well coming into 2024. The addition of the Super Netball player draft could be interesting, depending on player availability.
Ruby with Kim Boland
Big ins: Ocean Karekare and Abi Houston.
Big outs: N/A
Captains: Abby Boland, Ocean Karekare, Harriet Nicholson.
Player to watch: Harriet Nicholson was our MVP from last year and has had a strong pre- season and is building nicely to transition out to GD after playing predominantly in GK.
Big improvers: A large amount of player movement has occurred in the off season for Ruby so it will be hard to know which club will be the big improvers.