Super Netball Round-Up: Return of the mums, retired shooter winds back the clock and Kiwis make hot start at Firebirds

Super Netball's 10th season has been tipped to be its most unpredictable yet, so it was only fitting that we get some surprising results in round one.

There were 19 player debuts across the four games — 11 for the competition and eight club switches — while three new head coaches took their seats on the bench.

The opening game was held in Bendigo on Saturday, as the Melbourne Mavericks celebrated skipper Amy Parmenter's 100th cap with their first-ever round-one victory over the Giants, 61-52.

It also marked the first appearances for incoming coaches Gerard Murphy (Mavericks) and Nerida Stewart (Giants).

In Adelaide, three mums made their comebacks as the Thunderbirds hammered the NSW Swifts, 74-54. This was supposed to be the game of the round between two title contenders. Instead, it was an unforgettable night for the hosts.

South African recruit Elmeré van der Berg marked her arrival in Australia by setting a club record of 59 goals scored by an individual in a match.

Her performance spurred the Thunderbirds onto their highest league total. The 20-goal loss handed the Swifts their worst start in Super Netball history.

On Sunday, last year's wooden spooners the Queensland Firebirds put up a great fight against the reigning premiers in an entertaining contest, before ultimately succumbing to the Melbourne Vixens' experience, 60-49.

The way the Vixens took charge in the fourth quarter would have made new coach Di Honey very happy, having previously served since 2014 as an assistant under Simone McKinnis.

However, the most unexpected result was still to come, as an injury-riddled West Coast Fever upset the Sunshine Coast Lightning in Perth, 68-65.

If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball Round-Up.

Return of the mums

In 2025, there was a baby boom in Super Netball. This season, the mums are making a return.

Maddy Proud, Gina Crampton and Shamera Sterling-Humphrey all took the court in Saturday night's match between the Thunderbirds and Swifts.

Proud and Crampton took turns in the engine room of the Swifts' midcourt, while Sterling-Humphrey played the entire 60 minutes in pink.

The Thunderbirds fell short of their favourites tag last year — and their dream of being the first team to claim a three-peat — when they were bundled out of the semi-finals. They dearly missed Sterling-Humphrey's incredible timing and aerial prowess.

The world's best goalkeeper played three rounds before announcing her pregnancy and taking the rest of the season off on maternity leave.

Now she is back in the mix, alongside new imports Elmeré van der Berg and Kate Heffernan, the 2023/24 premiership winners have once again been predicted to lift the trophy.

It was a quieter night for Sterling-Humphrey than we've come to expect over the course of her eight-year Super Netball career (three gains), but after giving birth to her son Xaihire and dealing with crippling postpartum depression, just being back on court was more than enough.

"It took me down … I don't think they talk about postpartum depression enough," she posted to Instagram in January.

"I had a smooth pregnancy until I had my baby boy and things took a little turn … I was in and out of the hospital after baby while my husband was at home being a single dad.

"Constant vomiting, crying, not eating, mood swings, cry again, begged God to heal me, it went on and on and on, until I started having suicidal thoughts.

"I prayed hard during this time … Prescriptions helped me a lot. I'm in a better place … To the mums going through postpartum depression, it gets better, just hold on."

Speaking with the host broadcaster on the night, Sterling-Humphrey shared how she was feeling before the game.

"A bit emotional," she told Fox Netball.

"I'm so happy that my body was good to me … I don't have anything to prove, just focusing on being back and enjoying the moment."

Emily Mannix is another Super Netball mum due to make her return for the Vixens.

Have we underestimated the Fever?

The Fever's injury list is almost as long as their playing roster.

Ruth Aryang is weeks away from returning from the Achilles issue that sidelined her last year.

Her older sister Sunday suffered an ACL rupture in the Constellation Cup and has been ruled out completely.

Olivia Wilkinson did significant damage to her ankle in the pre-season and is projected to miss half the campaign.

The bad luck even hit their training partners and injury replacements.

Last year's 11th player Zoe Cransberg was elevated to the full-time squad in order to cover Sunday Aryang but has been sidelined with a foot injury. Winning Super Netball Reserves shooter Jasmah Haywood is also on the road to recovery after meniscus surgery.

Then there's the biggest out of all — Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard — pregnant and due to give birth in April.

The six-time league MVP was supposed to miss last year for the same reason but ended up making a return three rounds in after suffering heartbreaking pregnancy loss.

Without their towering Jamaican up front (1.98m), Fever lost their opening games in 2025 by 18 and 13 goals.

When she was back, they won 13 straight to climb from the bottom of the ladder into top spot, take out the minor premiership and finish runners-up in the grand final.

Happy news broke in December that she was expecting again, so you could forgive us pundits for seriously questioning the Fever's chances without her, on top of all their injuries.

Enter Romelda Aiken-George — fellow Jamaican and tall timber (1.96m) — who had hung up her dress at the end of last season with four titles and 245 caps to her name.

Playing for her fourth club since her national league debut in 2008, Aiken-George starred in the Fever's round one victory over the Lightning, posting a career-best 54 goals.

The 37-year-old wasn't the only past great who head coach Dan Ryan turned to as his playing list fell apart. Former Fever champion Verity Simmons was preparing to post a goodbye message on social media before she answered the call to replace Zoe Cransberg.

Simmons has been called out of retirement twice now as a replacement player — first for the Swifts and now for her former club in Perth.

Ryan has been able to sticky tape over the cracks in his line-up by elevating two more athletes from the Western Australia pathways as injury replacements.

Their depth may still be their downfall in the rounds to come, and it was lucky he didn't need to turn to his bench in this instance. Still, the result sends a strong message to those who doubted their capabilities.

"It was all over the shop for four months … I couldn't ask for much more in our opening game considering the circumstances," Ryan said in the post-match press conference.

"We keep our heads in our own lane and you can easily get forgotten about in the west … Really pleased to see the players play well and enjoy it because it has been a bit of a rough ride."

Kiwis make a hot start at the Firebirds

There's fresh hope for the Firebirds, who put on an exciting performance in front of their home fans in Brisbane.

Players took it in turns to wow the crowd with long-range shots, tips and chase downs, quick intercepts and desperate pass backs as they fell out of court.

Under Kiwi coach Kiri Wills, the Queensland club signed the majority of New Zealand Silver Ferns recruits joining Super Netball in 2026 and was bestowed a new nickname: the Fire Ferns.

Maddy Gordon, Kelly Jackson and Te Paea Selby-Rickit all made their debuts in the prestigious purple dress on Sunday. There are 187 Test caps between them.

Gordon and Jackson are already locks for Commonwealth Games selection in July.

Their presence was felt immediately and inspired belief in their teammates.

England's Imogen Allison started the match with more fire in her belly than we saw all of last year thanks to her proximity to Gordon in the midcourt, while captain Ruby Bakewell-Doran's passion in defence was reignited as she worked closely with Jackson.

34-year-old Selby-Rickit hasn't played for New Zealand since 2023 (66 Tests), but judging by her increased fitness, a good season here could help push her case.

The Firebirds were the most successful side in the previous edition of the national netball league. However, they've been unable to replicate that in 10 years of Super Netball.

Last season they won just two games and finished dead last.

Their biggest issue back then still exists — trying to connect the midcourt with the shooting circle. Yet, there is plenty to like about this team who started the match in the lead and were within six goals of the reigning premiers at the final break.

If they can just unlock the secret to feeding Ugandan goal shooter Mary Cholhok and find consistency across 60 minutes, they have the potential to become a real competitive force.