2025 Hart Premier Netball League: Sapphire season preview, players to watch, aims and key factors
With the HPNL Sapphire campaign quickly approaching all eight head coaches have revealed their key players to watch, squad excitement factor and aims for 2025. Read the full season preview.
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The rebranded Hart Premier Netball League returns for the 2025 season this weekend with each head coach revealing their leaders, key players and Sapphire competition aims.
Ipswich will head into the season looking to defend their 2024 titles while newcomers Moreton Bay Pulse will hope to make an impact.
Check out our club-by-club guide below ahead of the season tipping off.
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Brisbane North Cougars
Head Coach: Elizabeth White
Captain: Chaise Vassallo
Season Aims: “To develop each member of the squad to their full potential and as a team play a quality of netball that is positive, confident and a brand we can be proud of.”
Key Players to Watch: “Every player in the squad is important. The old saying you are only as strong as your weakest player is very true in a team game. Each player brings their own qualities that help add variety to a team.
What excites you the most?
“The challenge of seeing true connections form and allowing players to achieve within the team environment. Helping blend young talent with the more experienced players.”
Bond University Bull Sharks
Head Coach: Rebecca Stower
Captain: Sophie Westover
Season Aims: “We achieved our goal last season by making the top four, which was a great step forward. In 2025 our ambition is clear, we want to be in the grand final. We’ve built a strong foundation, and now it’s time to take the next step.”
Key Players to Watch: “We’re proud to have five players who are currently integral members of their respective SSN Reserves teams. Kaylin Van Greunen and Sophie Westover with the Sunshine Coast Lightning Bolts as well as Kirra Tappenden, Jayden Molo, and Sasha-May Flegler with the Queensland Firebirds Futures. Their exposure to high-level match play and close ties to SSN environments have provided invaluable development opportunities, ensuring they enter the season match-hardened and ready to perform. We’re also thrilled to welcome back former SSN player Mia Stower, whose experience and leadership will be a significant asset to the team.”
What excites you the most?
“We have exceptional depth and versatility across our line-up this season, giving us strong interchange options and flexibility on court. Our athletes are fit, physically strong, and fully committed to the Bond brand of netball. While the rise of several players into higher-level programs has slightly complicated pre-season preparation, due to reduced training numbers, it’s a positive challenge to have. We’re fortunate to have smart, game-aware players and strong on-court leaders who continue to drive standards. It may take a few rounds to fully hit our stride, but I’m confident we’ll find our rhythm quickly.”
Brisbane South Wildcats
Head Coach: Joanne Hope
Leadership group: Georgia Feeney (Defence), Maddie Davies (Mid Court) and Kaylee Tamala (Shooter).
Season Aims: “We are committed to fostering a strong team dynamic, enhancing individual skills, and implementing strategic plays that will set the foundation for future success. Our goal is to not only compete at a high level but also to grow as a cohesive unit, learning from each game and continuously improving.”
Key Players to Watch: Georgia Feeney is the cornerstone of our defence, her leadership and strategic insights are unparalleled. Her ability to read the game and make crucial interceptions makes her an invaluable asset. Maddie Davies commands the midcourt with exceptional skill and vision. Her agility and precision in passing are key to our team’s success, and her leadership inspires confidence. Kaylee Tamala is our young shooting star who leads the attack with remarkable accuracy and composure under pressure. Her ability to stay calm and focused makes her a standout leader. Brook Lacey is a formidable circle defender and rising Black Swan player, Brook’s exceptional defensive skills make her a key asset. Her ability to anticipate and intercept passes, combined with her tenacity, makes her a leader in our defensive line-up. Killarney Morey is our new midcourter from New Zealand, who brings exceptional skills and dynamic play to our midcourt. As a physiotherapist, her understanding of physical health and recovery will be invaluable to our team.
What excites you the most?
“The incredible blend of talent, experience, and fresh energy that we bring to the court. The commitment, passion, and camaraderie within the team is truly inspiring, and I am excited to see how we will come together to overcome challenges and celebrate our successes. This season is not just about winning games, but about building a legacy and setting the foundation for future triumphs.”
Carina Leagues Club Tigers
Head Coach: Katie Walker
Captain: Erin Joyce
Vice-Captain: Rianah Childs
Season Aims: “At Tigers, we will always be working hard for and chasing the premiership title. In addition to this, we’ll be focusing on being better every game and strengthening our connections and key focus areas to put us in the best position week in, week out. Outcomes aside, walking away from the season with huge team and individual growth and many positive moments and memories will also mark a successful season for us. Sadly two of our key players and Future Firebirds, Maddi Ridley and Holly Comyns, suffered season ending injuries in the pre-season but they remain a big part of our team and their resilience just gives us more motivation and gratitude to get out there and perform.”
Key Players to Watch: “Each Tiger will be key to us this season and I’m excited to watch them all play and progress but a few to mention are our new signing who has moved over from Dubai, Charlie Preston. She will be a strong target for us but will also provide great versatility in our shooting circle. I’m tipping our relentless circle defender and Samoan International, Rianah Childs is in for a big season and will lead our defensive end beautifully with her tireless workrate and ability to read the play. New captain Erin Joyce has had a huge pre-season and will provide us with the composure, doggedness and leadership required at this level. Our extremely athletic attacker Tash Robinson has the ability to set the tone and tempo of any game and we are very much looking forward to watching her refine her craft and cause great headaches for opposing teams across all three positions. Promoted from our Ruby Tigers side after a strong 2024 and deserving selection into the Black Swans, Maryke Babia will no doubt take more huge steps forward this season and her ability to play both an effective tight one v one game and off-body will be a huge asset for us.”
What excites you the most?
“Each individual brings so much and we chose each of them for a specific reason, so watching how that all comes together after months of hard work and commitment is hard to not get excited about. We have an incredibly dedicated team and squad of netballers at Tigers in season 2025 but they are all really impressive young ladies as well. Navigating and attacking the season with them and figuring it all out together as we go really is going to be great fun.”
Gold Coast Titans Netball
Head Coach: Victor Potaka
Captain: Shenae Grant
Co-Vice Captains: Josie Bingham and Kourtnee Baird
Season Aims: “Our ultimate goal is to make finals and to hopefully go the whole way. I feel like we’ve really been building in our first four seasons and we get hungrier for the title every year. We have had some of our foundation players retire, giving opportunity for our pathway players to come through. I want us to work quickly to consolidate connections with our new players while also championing what they can bring to our group. It’s important for us to recognise what has worked for us in the past while also bringing a fresh spin to this season and I think the introduction of our young players can help us do that.”
Key Players to Watch: “Josie Bingham has proven season after season that she is one of the most lethally accurate two-point shooters in the league. Not only is she reliable on attack but she works hard on defence as well. Jess Milne, who we haven't hadfor most of our pre-season (with Firebirds and Firebirds Futures commitments) we’re excited for her to bring what she has learnt, and also the tenacity she adds to our defence end. She is tall but agile and provides impact across all three positions. Kourtnee Baird is fit, strong, and a powerhouse in our mid-court. She is quick on attack, is accurate with her feeds, and is relentless on defence. She has an incredible work ethic and will give 110 per cent for her team until the very last whistle. Roxanne Rhind is a young goaler who has come through the Titans pathway (through EPL, State Titles and Ruby) and is now in her last year at school. She’s strong, explosive, and has flair that I believe will challenge defenders to think differently this year. She has a great hold, and is also handy on the two point shots as well. Dellwyn Fiso is a naturally gifted defender who has also come through the Titans pathway. She has the ability to hunt intercepts and read play effortlessly. Her defensive gains are those that lift the energy of our team and can change the game.”
What excites you the most?
“Our new additions give us a really dynamic and versatile roster this year. It’s exciting for us, as coaches, to know that we can play different styles within a game and be a lot more unpredictable for our opposition. I’m also excited that we get to showcase the depth we’ve been building towards as a new club and reward the efforts of the players who have worked so hard.”
Sunshine Coast Thunder
Head Coach: Simone Nalatu
Captain: Maddie Hinchliffe
Vice-captain: Shannon Eagland
Season Aims: “We finished 3rd last year, so we are looking to finish higher on the ladder this year. It will be tough as the competition is very even but we are looking forward to chasing our goal.”
Key Players to Watch: “We have the core group returning but also some exciting new additions. Zoe Rebgetz is a rising star that’s a part of our Sapphire team this year after being named the Ruby MVP last year. We are looking forward to how she goes on the week to week basis this year. Rylee Burns is a new recruit who joins our club after signing as a training partner with the Lightning this year. We are looking forward to what she brings for our club this year. Brianna Martyn is returning after rupturing her ACL in the first round last year. We are all really looking forward to what she can bring this year in Thunder colours.”
What excites you the most?
“We have a great mix of experience and youth so we are looking forward to what we can do this year.”
TAE Aerospace Ipswich Jets
Head Coach: Megan Lynch
Co-Captains: Stephanie O’Brien and Abigail Latu-Meafou
Season Aims: “This is my first year as coach but the group is coming off a premiership season in 2024 so the expectations are obviously high. The girls and I are definitely striving to take it out again but the competition is really even, there will be plenty of good match-ups this year so it will take a lot of work from myself, the coaching staff and the girls to achieve that. We have been training with very few numbers through the pre-season which has made things a bit difficult but we know those Future Firebirds players will slot straight back in when they return.”
Key Players to Watch: “We’ve been able to re-sign predominately all of our players except for Chloe Litherland who moved away and Nora Misa who had a baby but is working hard to get back this season. In the meantime we have replaced them with Ella Spencer who comes from Bond Sarah Harris who represents Papua New Guinea and has been in our Jets Ruby team. Other than those two our experience is really strong and our time together on court can’t be overshadowed.”
What excites you the most?
“The work that our midcourt has been doing while the other players have been away has been really positive. It will be exciting for them to link up with the girls that have learnt so much with the Firebirds while they’ve been away. I think that can only help the team grow and get stronger again this season.”
Moreton Bay City Pulse
Head Coach: Kerrianne Farrelly
Captain and vice-captain: Jordan Vivian and Michaela Kadlecek
Season Aims: “To win and play great netball. We want to represent our club and its values with pride. Like every other team we strive to make and win the grand-final, however being the new kids on the block a top four finish would be awesome.”
Key Players to Watch: “Our Lightning reserves of Joran Vivian, Michaela Kadlecek, Elena Damianopoulos, Talitah Faifai are all exciting players as well as Emma Barry who is a Scotland shooter and a new player to premier league level. Emmelie Bromley is a national mixed representative and will be a welcomed addition to the Pulse.”
What excites you the most?
“The fact that only seven girls take the court, there are a number of Pulse people represented and playing out there. We are a new franchise and new club, with new teams and unfortunately the Sapphires had limited time together as a team unit so far. We’ve suffered a few bumps in the road however our journey so far has been exciting and fun with plenty of growth and learnings. We have worked hard so to hopefully see the results and benefits of that commitment is what excites me.”
Originally published as 2025 Hart Premier Netball League: Sapphire season preview, players to watch, aims and key factors
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