Premier League netball season set to launch at Netball SA Stadium on Saturday

BACK-TO-BACK reigning premier Contax has sounded an ominous warning to its Premier League netball rivals — it aims to be even stronger this year.

BACK-TO-BACK reigning premier Contax has sounded an ominous warning to its Premier League netball rivals — it aims to be even stronger this year.

The powerhouse club, which begins its premiership defence against Tango on Saturday, claimed its second flag in as many years with a dramatic one-goal win over Matrics in last season’s grand final.

Captain Lauren Hyde, 25, says an intense pre-season coupled with a hungry group of young talent has Contax dreaming of an 11th title in 20 years.

“Our motto is to be better,” Hyde says.

“We want to be better than last year and we’re going for three consecutive (premiership) wins.”

Contax has promoted goalkeeper Lucy Armfield and wing attack Tayla Johnson from its juniors. It has recruited goal attack Mikayla Nicholson (Woodside) and wing attack Emily Hunter (Naracoorte).

Hyde, who has taken over as skipper from retiring club great Jane Fitzgerald, says the average age of the side has dropped to about 20 in the off-season.

“We’ve got such a young group coming through ... so it will be good to lead these girls and hopefully show them how to win,” the wing defence says.

The eight-team competition launches with four matches at Netball SA Stadium this weekend.

New Tango captain Jess Hazel says her side is confident it can improve on last year’s sixth-placed finish despite a tough assignment in round one.

“We’re definitely looking at making the (top) four and I definitely think that’s achievable with who we’ve got and how we’ve put some structures on to the court,” Hazel says.

Hazel, last year’s league MVP, says she made the move from Newton Jaguars in the off-season for a “new challenge”.

The 25-year-old goal attack singled out national under-17 championships MVP Hannah Petty and defender Sarah Raper as emerging teammates to watch at Tango.

“We’ve had some fantastic new players come in and being coached by (former Australian defender) Michelle Den Dekker we can’t go wrong,” she says.

Woods Panthers skipper Beth Shimmin says a new mindset at the club has raised hopes of on-court progress in 2014.

The wing defence, who has returned to the club after a year off, says finals are the target for last year’s seventh-placed side.

“We’ve really worked on changes to our culture,” Shimmin, 27, says.

“The Woods girls in the past have been known to have a bit of a laugh but this year it’s about really stepping up and taking our opportunity and going out to win.”

The Panthers open their season against Matrics, which has reappointed coach Jacqui Illman.

Matrics, last season’s minor premier, has lost veteran defender Sarah Kennedy to retirement but been bolstered by the return of goaler Cody Lange from the Australian Institute of Sport.

Garville (third last season) takes on Phoenix (fifth) in round one, while

Newton Jaguars (fourth) plays Cougars (eighth).