&#039, We don&#039, t speak about it enough&#039,: Mum makes mental returning to Super Netball

Source : ABC NEWS

Since it has been predicted that Super Netball’s tenth season will be its most unstable however, it was only appropriate that we get some unexpected outcomes in round one.

There were 19 person releases across the four activities — 11 for the opposition and eight league switches — while three fresh head instructors took their seats on the couch.

The Melbourne Mavericks celebrated Amy Parmenter’s 100th cover with their first-ever round-one win over the Giants, 61-52, in Bendigo on Saturday.

Additionally, it marked the first appearances for incoming coaches Gerard Murphy ( Mavericks ) and Nerida Stewart ( Giants ).

In Adelaide, three parents made their retorts as the Thunderbirds hammered the NSW Swifts, 74-54. This was supposed to be the final match between two name rivals. The visitors had a memorable evening, however.

Elmere van der Berg, a recruit from South Africa, made her debut in Australia by amassing a league record for the number of targets an individual has scored in a game.

The Thunderbirds ‘ highest category record was achieved thanks to her efficiency. The 20-goal lost handed the Birds their worst begin in Super Netball story.

The Queensland Firebirds, the last year’s wooden spooners, put up a great battle against the reigning chiefs on Sunday in an entertaining battle before succumbing to the Melbourne Vixens ‘ experience, 60-49.

Di Honey, who has previously worked as an assistant under Simone McKinnis since 2014, would have been very happy with the way the Vixens took control in the third quarter.

Nevertheless, the most surprising consequence was still to come, as an injury-riddled West Coast Fever disturbed the Sunshine Coast Lightning in Perth, 68-65.

If you didn’t notice, don’t stress; we’ll update you with our Super Netball Round-Up.

The mothers ‘ gain

In 2025, there was a child growth in Super Netball. The mothers are making a profit this year.

In Saturday night’s game between the Thunderbirds and Birds, Maddy Proud, Gina Crampton, and Shamera Sterling-Humphrey all took the judge.

Happy and Crampton took turns in the engine area of the Birds ‘ midcourt, while Sterling-Humphrey played the entire 60 days in red.

When they were bundled out of the semi-finals, the Thunderbirds fell short of their favorite team sticker last year and failed to fulfill their goal to be the first team to win a three-peat. Sterling-Humphrey’s amazing timing and aerial skill were sorely missed.

The world’s best goalie played three sessions before announcing her pregnancy and taking the rest of the year off on pregnancy left.

Now she is back in the mix, alongside fresh exports Elmeré van der Berg and Kate Heffernan, the 2023/24 league finalists have once again been predicted to raise the prize.

Sterling-Humphrey’s performance in her eight years as a Super Netball player ( three wins ) was less notable than we’ve expected, but having son Xaihire and dealing with crippling postpartum depression made it more than enough.

She wrote to Instagram in January,” I don’t think they talk about postpartum depression enough. I don’t think they talk about it enough.

” I had a smooth pregnancy until I had my baby boy and things took a small change … I was in and out of the medical after girl while my father was at home being a second father.

I kept crying, certainly eating, mood swings, crying once, pleading with God to help me, and it kept going until I started having suicidal thoughts.

” During this time, I prayed a bit, and treatments helped me a lot.” I’m in a better position … To the parents going through postpartum melancholy, it gets better, only hold on”.

Speaking with the number journalist on the day, Sterling-Humphrey shared how she was feeling before the activity.

She told Fox Netball,” A little emotional.

I’m so glad that my brain treated me well; I’m just trying to be present and enjoying it at the same time.

Emily Mannix is another Super Netball grandmother according to render her return for the Vixens.

Have we undervalued the illness?

The Fever’s wound list is almost as much as their playing list.

Ruth Aryang is days away from returning from the Achilles concern that sidelined her next month.

Her older sister Sunday was completely ruled out of the Constellation Cup after suffering an ACL fracture.

Olivia Wilkinson suffered considerable hip damage in the pre-season, and she is expected to lose the majority of the campaign.

Their education partners and substitutes were also hit by the awful fortune.

Next year’s 11th person Zoe Cransberg was elevated to the full-time club in order to support Sunday Aryang but has been sidelined with a foot injury. Jasmah Haywood, a champion of Super Netball Reserves, is also recovering from vortex procedure.

Then there is Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, who is due to give birth in April and is the biggest of them all.

The six-time club MVP was supposed to miss last year for the exact cause but ended up making a profit three rounds in after suffering terrible pregnancy loss.

Without their impressive 1.98m Caribbean, Fever lost their starting two games by 18 and 13 goals in 2025.

When she returned, they won 13 straight to win the title, win the slight league, and place runners-up in the great last.

Content news broke in December that she was expecting repeatedly, so you could accept us experts for really questioning the Fever’s prospects without her, on top of all their wounds.

Enter Romelda Aiken-George, a fellow Jamaican and tall ( 1. 96m ) tall timber, who had hung up her dress at the end of last season with four titles and 245 caps to her name.

Aiken-George made her NHL album in 2008 with a career-best 54 targets in the Fever’s round one win over the Thunder.

The 37-year-old wasn’t the only earlier excellent who head trainer Dan Ryan turned to as his playing list fell off. Before she accepted the job of Zoe Cransberg, original Fever champion Verity Simmons was preparing to publish a final message on social media.

Simmons has twice been called out of retirement as a replacement person, first for the Swifts and then for her past Perth membership.

Ryan has been allowed to sticky strip over the cracks in his line-up by elevating two more players from the Eastern Australia processes as harm alternatives.

Their depth may still be their downfall in the future, and it was fortunate he didn’t have to rely on his bench in this situation. The outcome nevertheless sends a powerful message to those who had doubted their abilities.

” It was all over the shop for four months … I couldn’t ask for much more in our opening game considering the circumstances”, Ryan said in the post-match press conference.

We keep our heads in our own lane and, in the west, you can easily get forgotten about. I’m pleased to see the players play well and enjoy it because it’s been a bit of a rough ride.

Kiwis get off to a flying start at the Firebirds.

There’s fresh hope for the Firebirds, who put on an exciting performance in front of their home fans in Brisbane.

Long-range shots, tips and chase downs, quick intercepts, and desperate pass backs were used in turns to wow the audience as they fell out of the court.

The Queensland club signed the majority of New Zealand Silver Ferns recruits to Super Netball in 2026 under Kiwi coach Kiri Wills, and they were given the nickname the Fire Ferns.

On Sunday, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Kelly Jackson, and Maddy Gordon all made their formal wear to the prestigious purple dress. There are 187 Test caps between them.

For the July Commonwealth Games, Gordon and Jackson are already in contention.

Their presence immediately resonated and gave confidence in their teammates.

England’s Imogen Allison started the match with more fire in her belly than we saw all of last year thanks to her proximity to Gordon in the midcourt, while captain Ruby Bakewell-Doran’s passion in defence was reignited as she worked closely with Jackson.

34-year-old Selby-Rickit hasn’t played for New Zealand since 2023 (66 Tests ), but judging by her increased fitness, a good season here could help push her case.

The Firebirds were the team that had the best record in the previous national netball league season. They haven’t been able to replicate that in ten years of Super Netball, though.

Last season they won just two games and finished dead last.

Their main issue was attempting to connect the midcourt to the shooting circle in the 1960s. However, this team, who took the lead and were six goals clear of the match’s final score at the break, has many positive traits.

If they can just unlock the secret to feeding Ugandan goal shooter Mary Cholhok and find consistency across 60 minutes, they have the potential to become a real competitive force.