By Stephanie Smarrelli
The Swifts 2024 season was rocked by the shock parting of ways between the club and two-time premiership player Sam Wallace-Joseph midseason.
While co-captain Paige Hadley is adamant the club has moved on and is looking forwards rather than back, she briefly reflected on what was an emotional period for all involved.
“Never in our wildest dreams, would we have thought we would go through something like that,” she said.
“A lot of us are close, we've been together for eight years or so playing and living together, it was really an emotional time.”
The 32-year-old confessed the headlines surrounding the club weighed on the side throughout the year.
“Everyone processed what happened differently and at different times,” she said.
“There no doubt was an impact on and off the court, the emotional toll to be able to get out for every game and try to block out the outside noise was extremely tough.
The Swifts season was impacted by what was happening at the club away from the court.“There was no excuse for our performance though.”
Despite the challenges there was a silver lining for Hadley.
“If it shows me anything about this club it's how strong the values are both within the playing group, the support staff and the broader organisation,” she said.
“I couldn’t be prouder of what we stood for and went through together last year.”
Having been one-goal away from premiership glory in 2023 and taking out the 2024 Suncorp Team Girls Cup, the Swifts sixth-place finish was an unexpected fall from grace.
"It's fairly tough,” Hadley said.
“Any season when you go one-goal away from winning the whole premiership to not making finals is disappointing.”
The Swifts lost the 2023 grand final in an extra time thriller by one goal. Hadley was thrilled for one of her former teammates though who did lift the trophy in August.
“I was super happy for Romelda (Aiken-George),” she said.
"Losing the 2023 Grand Final and going on to win it the next year, it's pretty incredible."
“Her story especially being able to come back to the Swifts and reignite the fire in her and then seeing her go on to win the premiership with the Thunderbirds, I was extremely happy for her.”
Reflecting on the season, Hadley was thankful for one player who came into the fold and took her opportunity with both hands.
“Uneeq (Palavi) was an absolute gun and weapon,” Hadley said.
“She brought energy and drive, she was awesome.
“One day we'll hopefully see her in SSN again because she’s unreal."
Palavi was impactful for the Swifts throughout 2024.While Palavi won’t don the Swifts red again in 2025, there’s two recruits Hadley is delighted to have on board.
“Sharni Lambden, she’s 27 comes from the Melbourne Vixens and had a bit of a taste of SSN as a replacement player,” Hadley said.
“She’s been training the house down and has come with a fire in her belly.
“She’s going to take her game to a new level and I’m excited to have her in red next year and not be playing against her.”
The other recruit was the biggest headline of the SSN signing period.
“I can’t go past Grace Nweke,” Hadley said.
“Seeing her in the Swifts environment, wanting to be better, she’s already one of the of the best in the world but to give up playing for her country to come over to SSN to apply her craft, speaks volumes of her as a person.
The Swifts have added more power to their attack line with Silver Fern Grace Nweke.“I can't wait to see what she can unload against the world's best defenders in this league.”
With 2024 firmly behind them, Hadley and the Swifts are fully focused on 2025.
“We’ve been together for awhile, a lot of people would say the way the Swifts play netball is safe,” Hadley said.
“We’ve brought in Dylan Nexhip, the Kelpies’ captain who brings a lot defensively. Success for us is being able to change up our game plan to have a few tools up our sleeve and not be one-dimensional.
“Ultimately, we want to be in the top four and fighting for the ultimate prize, we've been in a few grand finals but want to get back to winning them.
“Unfortunately, we’re not getting any younger, a premiership is what we classify as success and after last season we want to let our netball do the talking.”
While the side is ready to challenge for the premiership again in 2025, they’ll have to get there without one of the team’s biggest leaders.
Heart and soul of the team, Maddy Proud will be cheering from the sidelines, expecting to give birth to her first child in May.
Midcourter Maddy Proud will miss season 2025."I am selfishly a bit sad, to have my partner in crime not on the netball court next year but I'm so happy for her and her partner Daniel,” Hadley said.
“They'll be overseas when the baby arrives, which is kind of sad because if you’re going to have a baby at least have a team baby so I can see it every day.
“But I'm excited for her and her next chapter, whatever she chooses to do. She'll be over there supporting her partner and having her baby and hopefully she'll come back the following year.
“I know she'll be supporting us from over in England.”
Heading into her 14th season, Hadley is still facing new challenges every year.
"As a more experienced athlete, I’m always trying to grow my game to a new level,” she said.
Hadley is entering her 14th season of elite netball.“Trying to bring new things to the table to be able to combat any competition is a challenge.
“There’s the challenge of women’s sport and the progression that netball is becoming the ultimate women's sport. It’s paying better and becoming full time but obviously there’s juggling life, work and study as well.”
The other challenge she feels is one all athletes can relate to.
"Injuries have always been a challenge,” she said.
“The game is more physical than ever, it's faster and growing to new heights and the athletes are becoming more incredible.
“Being able to manage your body is important, especially for me as a midcourter doing a lot of running and having a lot of contact.
“There’s a challenge to be able to make my body perform at the highest level whether it’s with the Swifts or Diamonds.”
Juggling netball with her life off the court, Hadley has found a way to make her love for netball turn into a new venture.
Hadley confessed it's challenging to stay injury-free."I just started my new business, it's called Pivot," she said.
“It’s a netball business, I've started doing my coaching courses and am up to my elite coaching course.
“I wanted to give back, I was fortunate in my career to have amazing role models and coaches and parents who guided me, supported me and believed in me. If I didn't have those then I wouldn't have got to where I am today.
“I want to hopefully go into schools and the pathway area to help young kids get to where they want to be, whether it's netballer or teacher or whatever. I want to give them the life lessons I’ve gone through, it’s not always easy but there’s always a way and it’s about being your best friend and pushing yourself.”
With the future on her mind, Hadley hopes the Swifts are able to inspire the next gen.
“I want us to be a top four team every year,” she said.
“I want us to have a great pathway, I want young NSW girls wanting to play for the Swifts and for us to be an absolute weapon of a club because that’s the club I grew up watching.
Hadley wants the Swifts to dominate the competition.“The likes of Liz Ellis, Cath Cox and all those amazing players I want that for us.”
For Hadley personally, she’s not planning too far ahead.
"I’ve always been really goal driven but now I'm enjoying being in the moment and taking it week by week and season by season,” Hadley said.
“I'd lie if I said being at the World Cup in 2027 wouldn't be unreal but I'm taking it season by season and seeing how I'm going, how my body’s holding up, if I'm contributing how I want to and whether I’m enjoying the challenge.
"I'm just taking it as it comes and we’ll see what the future unfolds”
