Super Netball: Melbourne Vixens name temporary replacement player for defender and new mum Emily Mannix

A former AFLW player has waited in the wings as a training partner for the Melbourne Vixens for almost four years, but now gets her chance after a Super Netball promotion.

After almost four years waiting in the wings as a training partner for the Melbourne Vixens, defender Maggie Caris is ready to seize her opportunity with a Super Netball promotion.

The former AFLW ruck prospect has been confirmed as a temporary replacement player for the Vixens, stepping into the squad for goalkeeper and new mum Emily Mannix while she is on maternity leave.

A decision on if or when Mannix will return to netball this year following the birth of her first child, Mabel, in January is yet to be made, but Caris will fill the void until that time comes.

Caris was named as a training partner for the Vixens for a fourth year in 2025 and is now edging closer to her dream of a Super Netball debut after her promotion to the main squad.

The 22-year-old suited up for the Vixens during their pre-season practice games in Ballarat at the weekend, teaming up with fellow defenders Jo Weston and Rudi Ellis.

Maggie Caris has been brought into the Vixens squad. Picture: Melbourne Vixens

For however long her promotion lasts, Caris is determined to grab the chance in front of her after deciding two years ago to go “all-in” on netball.

“Obviously being a training partner and part of the squad for the past few years, it has been nice to have a bit of a reward for the hard work,” Caris said.

“For what time is a bit of an unknown, but for the time being I am just really excited to be part of the group a bit more and step up and have a go at it.

“Everyone who has been a training partner knows that it is a tough role to do and to sit waiting for obviously when one of your teammates is either unwell or in a situation like this.

“I have been training away and trying to develop my craft and skills for a few years now and I think finally they are coming together.

“It is nice to be rewarded with that temporary replacement position and to see where it can take me. If there are any opportunities to get out on court, I need to take them with both hands.”

While she considered her promotion a reward for her hard work as a training partner, Caris also considered it a vindication of her decision to walk away from her fledgling AFLW career to chase her elite netball dreams.

Caris joined Melbourne in the 2020 AFLW draft and spent three seasons at the Demons, playing six games for the club.

Melbourne Vixens training partner Maggie Caris turned her back on AFLW to focus on her netball. Pic: Supplied.

But she found balancing commitments for both sports increasingly challenging before she decided to focus on fulfilling her netball goals at the start of 2023.

The 190cm defender, who had juggled netball and football since the age of 15, felt her netball game had prospered since making the decision to pivot from the footy field to the court full-time.

“I feel like I have really developed the last few years going all-in on one (sport),” said Caris, who hails from Quantong, outside of Horsham in Victoria’s Wimmera region.

“Being able to really pursue my skills and invest in the coaching, in all the strength and conditioning and the off-court stuff as well has really helped to build my whole self as an athlete and dive into this 100 per cent.

“It was sort of like I was an amateur at both … I realised you could only get so far by not being 100 per cent in one thing.

“Once I came back to netball I realised the gap I had with my teammates, the gap in my skills and knowledge of the game.

“So it’s been important to have had these few years (as a training partner) to grind away and learn.”

Maggie Caris during her time with the Demons. Picture: Getty Images

While Mannix’s plans are still in the air, Caris said the experienced Vixens defender had been a wealth of support on the sidelines.

“We had her (Mannix) at the Ballarat Blitz over the weekend, so it was really nice to have her on the bench just as a point of contact, sort of coaching and just to touch base,” Caris said.

“She has such a wealth of knowledge and especially learning the two-point shot I think is still a growing area of my game for me, so it is really nice to have her feedback especially given her extensive experience with it.

“It’s really nice to chat with her and get her insights as well. She is going well and I think she is just going to track how she is going and see what happens.”

ENDS

Originally published as Super Netball: Melbourne Vixens name temporary replacement player for defender and new mum Emily Mannix