After the premature end to their 2021 Origin Energy Premier League campaign, the GWS Fury Opens are locked and loaded for 2022 with six returning athletes and the same number of new additions.
Consistent rosters are key to the success of any sporting club and in captain Natalie Eldridge, shooter Lauren Woods, centre court guru Chelsea Mann, dynamite defensive duo Claire Iongi and Violet Western and the returning Georgie Cottle, the foundations of last season are ready to be built on.
The off-season saw the GWS Opens recruit solidly, injecting experienced utility Natalie Sligar who will bring another dimension to the attack.
The Fury are also excited to welcome the following athletes who will make their Opens debuts this year.
- Brianna Tier, the former Under 23s captain who steps up with her speed and determination in the midcourt;
- Jamie Podmore, who brings her versatility in defence;
- Abbey Baker who adds creativity to the attacking game
- Tallulah Lewis returns after a successful stint in the high levels of softball. Lewis has rekindled her love for netty and irons out the defensive unit.
“We have a great mix of experienced players and youth in the team which creates a unified team willing to listen and learn from one and other,” Opens Head Coach Nardia Macdonald says.
“We are proud that a number of these athletes are also juggling a number of high-performance pathways commitments, and this no doubt can be a challenging task to manage in our daily environment.
“Despite this, we are focused on being flexible, but deliberate in our planning to ensure we maximise our opportunities, leverage our resources and implement strategies and systems which create a culture that celebrates individuals being their best for the ultimate success of the team.
“I’m expecting us to get out there and try new things, create game plans that suit our style, and most of all enjoy our netball.
“The 2022 season is going to be exciting, as a number of Premier League players been elevated to Super Netball teams or have stepped away from the game. This has created an abundance of opportunity for Under 23s players to take the next step.
“I think there has been a lot of movement between teams this year and it is really is anyone’s championship.”
The feeling is similar in the Fury’s Under 23s setup with a mix of experience and fresh new faces keen to build on the franchise’s recent success.
"I am excited to see what 12 great humans, who also happen to be excellent netballers, can do together,” U23s Head Coach Kath Tetley says.
“We have a great mix of returning Fury athletes, fresh new faces, young and vibrant athletes and players with a high netball IQ and experience coming to the side this year.
“As a coach, having lots of variety and clever minds at work can create some super innovation and for that I can't wait to see what the season looks like."
Of course, no side can be competitive without a strong pathway, and the Fury’s is working well for them – especially this year.
"We are excited to see the promotion of several GWS Fury Pathways players to the U23s program in 2022,” Tetley adds.
“The Fury program really places high value on our two pathways teams which sit in our two Associations: Blacktown Netball Association and Baulkham Hills Netball Association.
“These 24 young women have the opportunity to grow and develop within the program each season and in 2022 we welcome Laura Ashwin and Abby Wijesekera to the side.
“As the U23s Head Coach I am really proud to see that giving players the opportunities to play and train with us each year results in them being ready to make the step up.
“Plus, it is fantastic to work with the pathways coaches, really developing the athletes and sharing in their successes as a club - it is really exciting.”
And while another title success is the obvious goal, Tetley is pragmatic enough to realise the underage competition is often about preparing athletes for the next stage of their netball journeys.
"You can see this from the results in U23s netball year on year, that a premiership-winning side may not be a strong side on the table the next season as they have created a different kind of success,” she says.
“The club has done a great job in promoting their players, developed them and that is exactly how it should work - it may not necessarily equate to results on the league ladder.
“Therefore every year in U23s netball is a huge surprise package, but it is super fun to see how it plays out!”
Given the talent developed and acquired in both the Opens and Under 23s Fury teams for this year, something special could be stirring out West again.
Find out more about GWS Fury teams by visiting their Team Bios page on the Origin Energy Premier League website: https://www.nnswpremierleague.com.au/premier-league-teams/gws-fury/
