West Coast Fever Announce New Team
The West Coast Fever have announced their new playing squad, consisting of six Western Australian players, ahead of the new Australian National Netball League set to commence in 2017.
The ten person team includes the re-signing of Western Australian born athletes Courtney Bruce, Kate Beveridge, Kaylia Stanton and Ingrid Colyer along with new local recruits Jessica Anstiss and Annika Lee-Jones.
Bruce had a breakout season in 2016, consistently earning a starting position from week to week and showing why she is force to be reckoned with in defence.
She is excited to return to the club in 2017 stating “I’m a proud Western Australian and I relish each and every opportunity I get to represent the netball community here in the West, so I’m thrilled to recommit to the Club and continue to contribute to our success.”
“We’ve laid a fantastic foundation in the past two seasons and there is still so much ahead of us, but I’m confident we’ll be a strong, united Club, ready to match it with the very best the new League has to offer.”
Bruce’s recent selection in the Australian Fast5 team, along with her previous experience at the Australian representative level, will be invaluable when coming up against the likes of Romelda Aiken of Jamaica and Jo Harten of England in the new league.
With experience in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy and ANZ Championship competitions and in the Australian Diamonds, Kate Beveridge has resigned with the Fever ready to compete in the new National Netball League.
Playing the majority of her career as a shooter, Beveridge made the move into the Wing Attack position during the 2016 ANZ season, demonstrating a new dimension to her game.
“She is team first player that has always taken on the role asked of her, as demonstrated last season, ad her versatility and experience will be so important to our lineup,” said Head Coach, Stacey Rosman.
Having debuted in the 2016 ANZ Championship season, Kaylia Stanton will be looking to secure a starting seven position in her fourth year at the club.
Rosman said “Kaylia showed me in the offseason what it means to her to be a part of our Club and play for Fever in the National Netball League.”
“I know there is a burning desire within her to transfer the learning from the last couple of seasons onto the court in the coming year.”
Born in Karridale, Western Australia, Ingrid Colyer came through South West netball development programs before moving to the city and earning herself further opportunities to develop her game.
Before her initial signing to the Fever in the ANZ Championship competition, Ingrid had entered the team as a replacement player on numerous occasions, demonstrating her ability to compete in one of the World’s best female sporting competitions.
On her signing Rosman said that Colyer “epitomizes the Club first attitude and her inclusion in this squad will not only see her develop as a player, it will also drive the development of our team as a whole.”
The final Western Australians included in the Fever squad for 2017 are new recruits Jessica Anstiss and Annika Lee-Jones.
Stacey Rosman said that Anstiss “is one of Australia’s leading young midcourters.”
“She is a fierce competitor and a true product of the Netball WA talent pathway, and we are extremely proud to have another Western Australian joining our team.”
Of Lee-Jones’ signing she said “In Annie, we’ve secured the services of one of the country’s most promising young defenders.”
“She has been working extremely hard to progress through the Netball WA and Netball Australia pathways and her development has been justly rewarded with this opportunity.”
“Annie’s capacity to grow and really take this competition on is very exciting.”
Together with the recruitment of these six Western Australian talents, the Fever have also resigned Australian Diamond Natalie Medhurst along with Verity Simmons.
To round off their list, the Fever have secured English Roses defender Stacey Francis, and previous Melbourne Vixens and Queensland Firebirds player Shannon Eagland.
2017 sees the introduction of the new National Netball League competition which consists of eight Australian teams; the West Coast Fever, Melbourne Vixens, Adelaide Thunderbirds, NSW Swifts, Queensland Firebirds, Collingwood Magpies, Sunshine Coast Lightning and the GWS Giants.
Differing from the previous ANZ Championship competition, each team will have a playing list of ten players instead of 12, with the option of having a number of training partners.
The West Coast Fever will begin training in preparation for the new competition in November.