Super Netball Reserves: The goal shooters pushing for their chance to impress in the national league
More than half of the goal shooter positions in Super Netball are taken up by imports, but who is the next group of young goalers fighting to force their way in? REBECCA WILLIAMS uncovers the stars-in-waiting pushing for their chance to impress.
West Coast Fever shooting young gun Jasmah Haywood felt like she had to “learn the game again” after returning from a long-term knee injury before building up to a starring role in the team’s Super Netball reserves grand final win.
Haywood returned to play a leading role in the Fever Reserves title-winning campaign after spending more than a year on the sidelines with a serious meniscus injury she suffered at the start of last year.
The 21-year-old played every game for the Fever Reserves this season, culminating in a match-winning performance against the Melbourne Mavericks at Waverley on Sunday.
Haywood scored 57 of the Fever Reserves’ 67 goals in a strong combination with goal attack Sloan Burton and showed impressive movement in the circle.
But she admitted it had been a challenging path back from injury.
“It’s been really hard trying to learn the game again,” Haywood said.
“It was a meniscus (injury), but (I had) lots of issues so I was out for more than a year.
“There were a few complications, but it helped my resilience and I built that throughout the year, so it helped me become the player I am today.
“(Coming back) you have to learn to run again and change direction and just understanding the play again and building my toolbox to make sure I am as dynamic as I can be.
“There are still things I want to improve on, but I feel like I’m really proud of the performance I pulled out coming back from an injury.”
Haywood is now focused on trying to secure a spot as a West Coast Fever training partner next year – and ultimately a Super Netball contract.
“That’s definitely the goal and I’m just trying to make sure I follow each process as I can and take each opportunity,” Haywood said.
“I’m just trying to do stepping stones to get to that point.”
Haywood is also targeting a place in the Australian team for the Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar in September this year.
“I’m trying to make the 21 and under Youth World Cup team so that is the goal at the moment,” Haywood said.
“There is lots of tough competition so we will see how that goes but that’s my goal at the moment.”
While Haywood shone in the grand final, these are some of the other emerging goal shooters that were in action across the Super Netball Reserves weekend, headlined by the competition’s leading scorer – Thunderbirds’ shooter Lucy Austin.
LUCY AUSTIN (ADELAIDE THUNDERBIRDS FUTURES)
The Thunderbirds-listed goaler dominated in the reserves this season, leading the scoring at the end of the regular season with 231 goals. Austin scored 66 and 64 in the Thunderbirds’ two matches across the Super Netball Reserves finals weekend. The 190cm tall, holding shooter was a member of the Thunderbirds’ premiership squads the past two years, but has struggled to get much of a look in behind Romelda Aiken-George.
Austin has only featured on court twice this Super Netball season and not since round three with Adelaide instead opting to use 11th player, midcourter Sophie Casey, in its line-up.
While Austin boasts a powerful hold under the post, she showed she was not afraid to go for the two-point shot during the reserves weekend with some impressive shooting from long-range during the power play periods.
JASMAH HAYWOOD (WEST COAST FEVER RESERVES)
Returning from more than a year out with a long-term knee injury in 2025, Haywood enjoyed a standout season for the Fever Reserves in their title-winning campaign.
Haywood was the fourth-highest scorer at the end of the regular season and starred in the Fever’s grand final win over Melbourne Mavericks on Sunday.
Haywood scored 57 of the Fever’s 67 goals in an impressive combination with goal attack Sloan Burton. The 21-year-old has the ability to shoot from anywhere in the circle. Not yet a Fever training partner, Haywood has also been plying her trade in the WA Netball League.
LAUREN WOODS (SWIFTS ACADEMY)
Woods had an impressive reserves finals campaign for the Swifts Academy at goal shooter, scoring 49 goals and 47 goals in the Swifts’ two matches against the Capital Darters and Firebirds Futures. Before that, Woods has scored 117 goals across the regular season for the Swifts.
As part of a strong combination with goal attack Nicole Barge, Woods was a strong target under the post, but equally comfortable shooting from long range during the power play periods.
KAYLIN VAN GREUNEN (SUNSHINE COAST LIGHTNING BOLTS)
In her first season in the Super Netball Reserves, van Greunen was the third-highest scorer at the end of the regular season with 202 goals.
She had goal hauls of 34 and 19 in the Lightning Bolts’ two reserves finals matches against the Territory Storm and Capital Darters.
Van Greunen impressed with her strong takes under the post, but also showed the ability to shoot from two-point range when needed, an area of her game she has developed.
ELSA SIF SANDHOLT (QUEENSLAND FIREBIRDS FUTURES)
The Iceland-born Firebirds training partner was the second-highest goal scorer in the Super Netball reserves competition at the end of the regular season with 207 goals.
Sandholt also scored 28 goals in the Firebirds Futures’ loss to Swifts Academy in the third v fourth playoff during the reserves finals weekend.
Standing at 190cm, Sandholt is a tall target under the post, but boasts great movement in the goal circle. She has credited her background in rhythmic gymnastics as helping her movement in the circle.
MONIKA ‘OTAI (GIANTS RESERVES)
One of the Giants’ training partners and promoted to the team’s 11th player on the eve of the Super Netball season, ‘Otai was the fifth-highest scorer across the reserves season with 126 goals.
She had hauls of 12 – when she only featured in the first half against the Territory Storm – and 34 in the Giants’ Reserves two finals weekend matches. The 19-year-old is a member of the Australian 21 and under squad.
JAMAICA JAUNCEY (TERRITORY STORM)
A member of the Black Swans team, Jauncey was a powerful presence under the post for the Storm across their three reserves finals weekend matches.
Jauncey scored 70 goals from 82 attempts, including two hauls of 32 goals against the Vixens’ Academy and Giants Netball Reserves.
ISABELLE HODGSON AND CAITLIN HILL (VIXENS ACADEMY)
Hodgson shared the goal shooter duties with Caitlin Hill across the reserves finals weekend, but was the Vixens’ Academy’s leading scorer across the regular season with 114 goals.
Hodgson shot 33 goals across the two finals weekend games and impressed with her baseline drives. Hill had 56 goals across the two matches.
MILLICENT ROACH (MELBOURNE MAVERICKS RESERVES)
Roach led the scoring for the Mavericks Reserves during the regular season with 89 goals, but only played a quarter in the grand final against West Coast Fever before she was replaced by Eleanor Cardwell in the English goaler’s return from injury.
Roach is a former training partner with the Giants.
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