The Netty Life

Elmeré van der Berg has been the buy of the Super Netball season. Here, the Adelaide Thunderbirds goal shooter speaks about her "resting bitch face", what she's learned since moving down under, her hopes for South Africa at the upcoming Commonwealth Games, her search for an Australian husband.

The West Coast Fever’s recent Super Netball preliminary final record leaves a lot to be desired. They’ve lost their last three, so do they have some kind of curse? Meanwhile, we need to give the Melbourne Vixens their flowers because they were absolutely epic in this knockout match. They’ve won themselves the right to defend their 2025 title but the might of the Adelaide Thunderbirds stands in their way. We share our predictions for the biggest game of the year.

Brand new Netball Super League champion and Grand Final MVP Sophie Fawns joins us to reflect on her move to the UK, her very successful debut season with the Manchester Thunder, and how special it was to have her grandad and dad there for the decider. The shooter also speaks about her future career plans, whether she would ever return to the NSW Swifts, and the tricky spot she finds herself in while waiting for the Super Netball CPA to be signed in Australia.

As we say farewell to the Melbourne Mavericks in the title race after their loss to West Coast Fever in the minor semifinal, we still have three teams in contention for the Super Netball trophy. 

The Adelaide Thunderbirds have secured their grand final spot after beating the Melbourne Vixens by 14 points in the major semifinal; so the Vixens will face the Fever in an upcoming do or die preliminary final. 

We analyse the weekend's games and discuss the recently named 12 player Diamonds squad, who will travel to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games. 

Karla Pretorius is aiming to make a comeback for South Africa at the Commonwealth Games. WE REPEAT! Legendary Proteas defender Karla Pretorius is aiming to make a comeback in international netball at the Commonwealth Games. We are so excited by this news and everything else Nicol Pappas from Netball Junkie has to update us on now that the 2026 Telkom Netball League has wrapped up and the Crinums have won the trophy. We speak about outstanding performers, prize money and the relegation system.

We are on the countdown to finals as we wrap the 2026 regular Super Netball season. The West Coast Fever locked in a home semi, the Melbourne Vixens have now lost four of their last five games, the Giants FINALLY got to taste victory after 14 rounds and the NSW Swifts simply have too many goal attacks — so who will they sign for next year? 

There’s also been an update on the ownership of the struggling orange club with two key parties interested in buying their competition licence. We assess the two options on the table and share our thoughts on which may be the most viable choice.

The naming rights partner of the Super Netball league and its two-point shot has pulled the pin on a 10-year sponsorship deal, so are we worried? There has also been some important budget cuts to the Aussie Diamonds’ program for the Commonwealth Games that means the reserves won’t get to travel abroad to help the team prepare for Glasgow. 

Round 13 results saw the Adelaide Thunderbirds secure the minor premiership and our top four locked in for finals. It’s an exciting time for the Melbourne Mavericks who have never gone this deep in the competition before and we ponder whether they could be the danger team that could shake up the end results.

This week we hear from brand new Aussie Diamonds squad member Jessie Grenvold about her first national selection. How did the conversation go with head coach Stacey Marinkovich? How did her family react? And who does she have to thank for getting her there? We also speak about the Melbourne Mavericks top-four success this season, with the team on the cusp of making their first ever Super Netball finals campaign, and her step by step journey from being a training partner to a full-time contract.

The Australian selectors have made some big calls! On one hand, they’ve been bold enough to name a bolter. On the other hand, they’ve played it safe and shown loyalty to out of form players.

Donnell Wallam makes her deserved return and fan favourite Jessie Grenvold gets her first call-up. While omissions Paige Hadley and Kate Eddy are probably right to feel hard done by, questioning what more they could have done. We share our reactions to the Diamonds announcement, before we analyse the games from Super Netball Round 12.

This week on The Netty Life, we head across the ditch to catch up with sports journalist and Silver Ferns reporter Nathan Limm from the New Zealand Herald as the ANZ Premiership nears the finals. Nathan updates us on the teams to beat in the competition, how the Aussie imports are faring and shares his predictions on how the world number two ranked side will go at the Commonwealth Games.

Selections for the Australian 2026/27 national contracts is looming… Head coach Stacey Marinkovich will name 18 players and up to four invitees in her squad on May 31, so we had a crack at naming our picks based on experience, form and opportunity.

We also analyse the games from Super Netball Round 11 and share our highlights from the first installment of 2026 First Nations Round.

Adelaide Thunderbirds co-captain Georgie Horjus is a real fan favourite amongst Super Netball fans and it's not hard to understand why. A Kangaroo Island local that came up through the ranks in South Australia, she takes pride in representing her home state. The team has sat in the top two for the first 10 rounds this season and Georgie shares her thoughts on their star import recruits for 2026 — Elmeré van der Berg and Kate Heffernan. The Aussie Diamonds national contracts are also due to be announced in the next fortnight as we near the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Georgie speaks about how it's long been a dream of hers to play at the major tournament.

The original Jamaican import Romelda Aiken-George set a new record, reaching 255 National League Games, overtaking a 12-year record held by Cath Cox. 

Round 10 gave us some interesting results, with the Sunshine Coast Lightning handing the Melbourne Vixens their first loss of the 2026 season. That gave the Adelaide Thunderbirds a chance to steal the number one spot on the ladder.

Wow. We've aways known how much of an incredible athlete Paige Hadley is, but in Super Netball round nine on the Mother's Day weekend, she defied expectations to make it back onto court just 10 weeks after giving birth to her baby boy Tully.  

In this raw and emotional interview, the Aussie Diamonds midcourter and NSW Swifts longest-serving player speaks about the support of her own mother and her partner Jordan and how her speedy return wouldn't be possible without their help. She reacts to the hurtful, negative commentary that has surrounded her journey, whether it be people doubting she'd be able to compete again at the top level or people suggesting she should be at home...

Round nine of the Super Netball season fell on Mother’s Day weekend in Australia and that was extremely fitting as we found out the shock news that NSW Swifts midcourter Paige Hadley would be returning to the court just 10 weeks on from the birth of her son Tully. What a plot twist! The women in our game just continue to keep redefining what’s possible. 

We celebrate Paige and the seven other mums currently playing in the world’s best league. Including Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, who had us tearing up with the level of vulnerability and honesty she showed while discussing her ongoing battle with postpartum depression.

Power Week 1 of the Telkom Netball League has taken place in South Africa and Nicole Pappas from Netball Junkie joins us to talk about the teams and players to beat this 2026 season. We also discuss the dominance of Elmeré van der Berg in her debut Super Netball season, the return of legend Karla Pretorius after a break from the game and the Proteas' chances at the Commonwealth Games.

Round eight has been and gone, the Vixens had a scare against the Giants and the Firebirds didn’t learn from their earlier defeat to the Thunderbirds. A crucial mistake from the Swifts saw them fumble against the Mavericks, and the Lightning held its annual Pride Match against the Fever. 

We discuss netball’s non-committal stance on Pride and why a league-wide official round would be a more powerful move for the competition. Plus we pick our teams of the season so far and spoiler alert —  we all had the exact same defence end!

At the halfway point of the 2026 season, the Melbourne Vixens and Adelaide Thunderbirds continue to impress at the top of the ladder. Meanwhile, the dance for fourth spot is still happening between the Melbourne Mavericks and Sunshine Coast Lightning. 

We also discuss the sudden resignation of Netball Australia chief executive, Stacey West, who leaves the role after a two and a half year tenure.

Midcourter Jake Noonan has been a male training partner for a host of Super Netball clubs over the course of his playing career — Collingwood, Fever, Giants and the Vixens. This year he's playing a crucial role at the Mavericks, helping to get the female athletes ready for game day. The past week he's been busy representing Victoria at the AMMNA National Championships in Perth, where the state were crowned champions for a third straight tournament. New Mavericks head coach Gerard Murphy was also in charge of that Victorian Men's Opens side and Jake gives us an insight into his coaching style. 

Six rounds in and we have a new ladder leader. It was the match we’d all been waiting for and in their first meeting of 2026, the Melbourne Vixens surprised the Adelaide Thunderbirds shooters by injecting Jo Weston into goal keeper. The rest is history. 

The other big thing to note of course, was netball’s new broadcast agreement, as we switch back from Fox Sports to Nine for the next five years. A good deal? Or is it like going back to a shitty ex? We explore all the details left off the announcement that fans need to know.

Jamaican defender Jodi-Ann Ward is back playing Super Netball, 10 months after rehabbing an ACL injury. Last week her bottom-ranked, winless Giants ALMOST beat the No.1 ranked favourites Adelaide Thunderbirds. In the end, they lost by just two goals but there were so many positives to take from the result that they're hoping it will be a turning point for the rest of the season. Ward speaks about her incredible combination with young goal keeper Erin O'Brien and her aspirations of playing at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games this year.

Netball Australia have confirmed there will be no new teams joining Super Netball next season. Sad face. But we have at least found out the main contenders vying for a licence and eager to be part of the world’s best league. 

Round five was the closest weekend of games yet, as the bottom four challenged the top four and the NSW sides proved there is life in them yet.

Silver Ferns defender Karin Burger joins us for the first time ever to chat about her growing combination with new Sunshine Coast Lightning teammate Courtney Bruce and what life has been like since her move to Australia to play in the Super Netball league. The New Zealand captain also shares some of her learnings from last year's tumultuous international period, where the team's national head coach was suspended during a very important part of their preparations for the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Many hoped that at least one New Zealand team would join Super Netball for 2027. With a new broadcast deal on the horizon the league put out an expression of interest, hoping to expand and add two new sides to the competition. Sadly, reports across the ditch say it is not a financially viable option for the kiwis.

We unpack this disappointing news before we analyse the games from round four. There was a really mixed bag of results over the Easter long weekend, with margins ranging from seven to as many as 23 goals.

Maddie Hay was linked to the Giants for eight years and bled orange before the Super Netball club decided not to re-sign her at the end of the 2025 season. The midcourter felt like it was the end of the road for her in the competition and despite feeling like she had more to give, announced her reluctant retirement. Fast forward to January of this year and she got an interesting call from her former teammate Amy Parmenter asking if she'd be interested in a move to Melbourne. Now she's playing at the Mavericks as a pregnancy cover for Molly...

It’s been a tough week for the Mavericks who had control of the Melbourne Derby for the majority of the match before they lost Tara Hinchliffe to an ACL injury and fell to the might of the Melbourne Vixens in an extra-time thriller.

Elsewhere, the Sunshine Coast Lightning pulled off back-to-back one-goal victories at home, before the Queensland Firebirds and Giants struggled to meet Super Netball standard. You’ll hear our regular game analysis and our thoughts on potential innovations for the modern game.

Emily Mannix and Sharni Layton are two of the most beloved goal keepers in the game. There's been big changes for the both of them this season, as Em returns to the court for the Melbourne Vixens after giving birth to her daughter Mabel and Sharni leaves Victoria behind to take on a new role as the assistant coach of the West Coast Fever. The double header in Sydney was so successful last weekend offering two Super Netball games for the price of one — attracting a record home and away crowd — we thought why not be a bit cheeky and...

England’s head coach has resigned just four months out from the Commonwealth Games and the news has sent the netball world into a bit of a tizzy. Will the Roses still have a chance to win gold? Who is the right person to replace Jess Thirlby in the top job? We dive into all of that in this week’s episode and hear from those within the inner sanctum about how lonely it can be to be a woman in such a high-profile position.

Plus there’s all our usual game analysis of the Su...

Following a messy six months for netball in New Zealand, sports journalist Bridget Tunnicliffe joins us to look back on the issues that plagued the Silver Ferns' international season.

The ANZ Premiership is due to start in a month. Is there much excitement building in the country for their elite league? After pay cuts for players led nine Kiwi athletes to jump ship and sign with Australian clubs. What chance does the world number two team even have at the Commonweatlh Games? Considering their prep was impacted by the suspension of head coach Noeline...

Will it be the most unpredictable season of Super Netball yet? Everyone keeps saying so. Maybe that’s because there have been so many roster changes. 11 brand new players got their first taste of Super Netball in round one. Eight more switched clubs and playing colours.

Despite there being so many fresh faces and combinations, it was easy to pick a clear standout. In this episode we fan girl over Adelaide Thunderbirds shooter and South African import Elmeré van der Berg, before we touch on a scoring change and share our detailed game analysis.

In a brand new offering this season, we will now be dropping two podcasts per week. Our main episode focused on Super Netball will continue as normal and be available each Wednesday. The second one will be available later in the week and feature an in-depth, longer form interview with a netball personality. This could be a player or coach from Australia or a chance to go around the world and hear from an expert in another country.

The UK's Netball Super League is already two rounds into its 2026 competition and this week we're...

The 10th season of Super Netball is here, and we break down all eight teams vying for the premiership and a brand new trophy! There have been major changes to squads during the off-season, and we deep dive into which teams have recruited well and which might face challenges.

International controversies, a nail-biting Super Netball finale and the Constellation Cup back in the Diamonds’ trophy cabinet. It has been an epic year for the sport as we farewell 2025 and look ahead to what’s to come with a new head coach at the Melbourne Mavericks, possible team expansion and a new direction for Australian netball under the guidance of Liz Ellis.

The Diamonds have won back the Constellation Cup but it came at a significant cost, when Australian defender Sunday Aryang ruptured her ACL in the final second of the series.

The devastating finish meant the celebrations were quite subdued and felt rather hollow.

We discuss the highs and lows of the four games, the players that wowed us from both teams and our thoughts on the new format to determine a winner.

Noeline Taurua has also been reinstated “effectively immediately” as Silver Ferns head coac...

The Diamonds were back to their sensational best against a South African side that failed to capitalise on their chances against the world number one team.

This series against the Proteas saw four Diamonds debut on home soil as head coach, Stacey Marinkovich, leaves no stone unturned on the road to the World Cup in 2027.

We also discuss the ongoing feud with Netball New Zealand’s board and their Head Coach, Dame Noeline Taurua, who will not coach the side in the upcoming Constellation Cup against the Diamonds.

...

All eight Super Netball teams have locked in their 10 full-time contracted players for the 2026 season and it is time for us to unpack the craziest signing period in the history of the league.

There has been so much movement it’s been hard to keep track of, including some shock retirements and surprise switches for some of our favourite athletes.

Britt and Maddie go through each side with a fine tooth comb and discuss the influx of kiwi imports after Netball New Zealand finally decided to change its Silver Fe...

The 2025 Super Netball season concluded with one of the most thrilling grand finals in the sport's history, as we watched the Melbourne Vixens narrowly defeat the West Coast Fever by just one goal.

In this episode, we chat with Kate Eddy, who is still flying high after her team’s dramatic win, and we catch up with retiring Adelaide Thunderbirds stalwart, Hannah Petty, who is excited for what’s next after netball.

We analyse the grand final - how did the Vixens manage to come out on top, and how...

Despite being 10 goals down at three quarter time, the Melbourne Vixens cliched a nail biting one goal win over the NSW Swifts to secure their place in the SSN grand final.

We analyse what exactly went wrong for the Swifts in their heartbreaking loss and give our predictions for who will be this year’s premiership winners.

We go across the ditch to look at the Tactix grand final win against the Mystics, as well as breaking news on a new broadcast deal for the ANZ Premiership competition.

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The West Coast Fever established their dominance in Super Netball’s final campaign with a record-breaking 32-goal win against the NSW Swifts, who now face the Melbourne Vixens for a spot in the grand final.

The Adelaide Thunderbirds' dreams of a three-peat were brought to an end in front of a shocked home crowd as they bowed out of the minor semi-final.

We discuss the Aussie Diamonds 2025/2026 selections and catch up with Mystics star recruit Donnell Wallam ahead of the ANZ Premiership grand final.

We don’t know what the future holds for the Giants, but at least we can sleep peacefully at night knowing Jo Harten was sent off in style in her last Super Netball game.

The final round of the regular season delivered our first extra-time match for 2025 and determined the four semi-finalists set to battle it out for the trophy: West Coast Fever, NSW Swifts, Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Vixens.

Plus, Aussie Diamonds selection is imminent and we share our controversial picks and omissions ahead of head coach Stacey Ma...