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Opinion

Sunshine Coast Lightning season preview

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26th April, 2021
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In their first three seasons, the Sunshine Coast Lightning played in all three grand finals, including winning the first two titles. Last season, the Lightning lost in the preliminary final.

The Lightning have some big shoes to fill with the retirement of New Zealand Silver Ferns legend, Laura Langman. Langman was in the top five in the competition in 2020 for goal assists with 255.

The Lightning have made an astute recruitment to help fill the void left by Langman. They have recruited Mahalia Cassidy from the Queensland Firebirds.

I would expect Cassidy to wear Langman’s centre bib but she can also play wing attack. Last season, Cassidy was fourth in the competition for goal assists with 266.

Apart from Langman’s retirement and the retirement of Jacqui Russell, the Lightning team is fairly stable and contains a number of players who have been with the Lightning from their inception.

Wing attack Laura Scherian had the most centre pass receives in Super Netball in 2020 with 342. Scherian possesses speed and agility.

She has plenty of experience, having previously played with the AIS Canberra Darters and the Queensland Firebirds. Scherian played at centre in both of the Lightning’s premierships and has also represented the Aussie Diamonds.

Another Lightning foundation player, Maddy McAuliffe, will round out the centre third and spend most of her time at wing defence but she can also play centre.

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McAuliffe has represented Australia at 19 and under and 21 and under level. She won the Lightning’s Team Spirit Award in 2020.

The Sunshine Coast has also added former Queensland Firebirds training partner Maddie Hinchliffe to their midcourt.

Hinchliffe was promoted to the main squad as a replacement for Ashlee Unie, who unfortunately injured her ACL during the pre-season.

The Lightning’s attacking circle is stable and has variety. At the age of 25, Cara Koenen will continue to improve, which is a scary thought for her opponents.

In 2020, Koenen was fourth in the competition for goals with 491 and was third for offensive rebounds with 36. Koenen shot 76 goals for the Aussie Diamonds in the 2021 Constellation Cup.

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Vice-captain Steph Wood was the Lightning’s joint player of the year in 2018, has been involved in both of the Lightning’s premierships and is an important cog in the Lightning’s attack.

Wood was third in 2020 Super Netball for super shots with 56 and was fifth for centre pass receives with 271. Wood had knee surgery late in 2020.

Ugandan shooter Peace Proscovia returns to the Lightning for a third season.

Peace Proscovia

Peace Proscovia of the Lightning (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Prior to joining the Sunshine Coast, Proscovia also played for the Lightning, but in this case she played with the Loughborough Lightning in the UK.

Proscovia adds height to the circle and provides coach Kylee Byrne with versatility and the ability to mix and match her shooters depending on their opponents and on the flow of a game.

The all-South African defensive circle combination of Karla Pretorius and Phumza Maweni provides the Lightning with a strong defensive platform.

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Captain Pretorius has been awarded the Lightning player of the year three years in a row.

She was also awarded the player of the tournament at the 2019 Netball World Cup. Pretorius was second in the league in 2020 for intercepts with 43 and was selected in the 2020 Super Netball Team of the Year.

Maweni is entering her third season with the Lightning.

Amazingly, Maweni was 29 when she started playing provincial netball in the Western Cape and was 24 when she started playing socially.

Prior to joining the Sunshine Coast, Maweni played in the UK with Loughborough Lightning and Severn Stars. In 2020, Maweni was fifth in the league for deflections with 88.

Sunshine Coast have added the experienced Kate Shimmin to their squad.

Shimmin has played for the English Roses and has previously played with the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Queensland Firebirds. Shimmin was named the player of the year for the Thunderbirds in 2018.

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Adding her means the Lightning won’t lose much particularly in regards to experience if they make a change in the defensive circle.

The Lightning’s training partners include shooters Binnian Hunt and Annabelle Lawrie and defender Sienna Allen.

Likely starting 7
Maweni
Pretorius
McAuliffe
Cassidy
Scherian
Wood
Koenen

Prediction
The Lightning, amazingly, have not finished lower than third in their four seasons.

Laura Langman is a huge loss, but Sunshine Coast have done a good job of filling that hole with Mahalia Cassidy.

With their experience and relative stability, the Lightning will be there again at the pointy end of the season.

Predicted finish: 2nd

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