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Dubbed the future of Australian netball, West Coast Fever’s young guns seemingly aren’t willing to wait for success in the trans-Tasman championship.
Currently sitting fourth on the competition ladder – their first ever time in the top four – the Fever has claimed three successive wins including Monday’s 67-66 toppling of defending premiers the NSW Swifts.
The Fever, boasting five current Australian under-21 players, defeated the Swifts in a thrilling extra-time victory, overturning a six-goal deficit in the fourth quarter.
Fever centre Shae Bolton, who was named player of the match, said the win against the reigning champions announces her team’s arrival.
“We came into this season thinking that we could shake up this competition and I love being that team that everyone’s going to come out now and expect something big from us,” Bolton, 19, said.
“Our captain Jo Curran was saying every week we’ve had another sort of lesson to learn about ourselves.
“We’ve had a few losses, we’ve come from behind and against the Swifts we saw we could come from behind in time-on and still have the fitness to win in extra time.
“I just think if we can maintain the motivation that we have right through the season, we’re definitely going to be up there come finals.
“We’ve just proved we’re contenders.”
The Fever have another tough ask this weekend against the Queensland Firebirds, who hold trump players Romelda Aiken and Laura Geitz.
But Bolton said there is no reason why her side can’t beat the Firebirds.
“I’m always really confident and like to stay positive,” she said.
“Queensland have some serious players in their team who have proved themselves time and time again.
“I think now we’ve just got to regroup, we’re all on this massive high from beating the Swifts but now we have to concentrate and focus on the game ahead.
“Hopefully if we don’t get too ahead of ourselves and go back to basics, I think we can get up.”
Fever were the bottom ranked Australian team in the championship last season finishing ninth – one ahead of New Zealand’s Central Pulse, who are still yet to claim an ANZ Championship victory.
The selection of the five players – Bolton, Caitlin Basset, Madison Browne, Andrea Gilmore and Josie Janz – for the Australian under-21 squad is a further boost to the Fever.
The players will be vying for selection in Australia’s World Youth Netball Championships team being held in the Cook Islands this August.