Victorian Netball League: injuries and player departures call for a new breed of Southern Saint to step up

Southern Saints will open their Victorian Netball League Championship Division season on Sunday, with injuries and player departures likely to make the campaign a testing one.

Taylor Dykstra has moved from Ariels to the Southern Saints Picture: Richard Serong

Southern Saints will open their Victorian Netball League Championship Division season on Sunday, with injuries and player departures likely to make the campaign a testing one.

“We’ve got a bit of a different look this year,” head coach Jade Heinrich said.

“We’re going to be quite a young group. We’ve been a bit unlucky with injuries over the past couple of weeks.”

Disaster struck before the Saints’ season had even finished warming up when newly appointed captain Ally Salter, back after two years overseas, suffered a season-ending ACL injury in a practise match against the Collingwood Magpies.

Rhani Samason is on her way to the Peninsula Waves Picture: Brendan Francis

“We’ve had a couple of injuries that have set us back a bit,” Heinrich said.

“But it is what it is.

“There’s a lot of potential (in the squad). It’s great when they’re so young and so enthusiastic.

“We started pre-season back in November, we started early because we knew we had such a different looking group.”

At the attack end, high-scoring goaler Rhani Samason has departed for the Peninsula Waves, a loss that has been offset by the signing of Mandy Hanegraaf and Taylor Dykstra from Ariels.

“Our defence looks pretty much the same, though,” Heinrich said. “There’s Adele Clydesdale, Mandi Cunningham and we have Kirsty Clarke who is new.”

The Saints are set to open their season against the Boroondara Express at the State Netball Hockey Centre on Sunday. In the corresponding fixture last season the Express edged to a thrilling one-goal win.