Why Aiken-George said yes

By Stephanie Smarrelli

“My body was crying out for a break.”

After 18 seasons, 245 games, four premierships and three league MVPs, Romelda Aiken-George hung up her bib at the end of the 2025 Suncorp Super Netball season.

Or so we thought.

But the Jamaican goaler is set to return to the SSN court in 2026, in new team colours for a very special reason. 

She’ll join the West Coast Fever line up with close friend Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard set to miss the season as she prepares to welcome a new addition to her family.

But Aiken-George is adamant she isn’t stepping into Fowler-Nembhard's shoes.

"I'm here to keep the bib warm,” she said.

“I want everyone to know I am not Jhaniele, I know what I bring, I know my strengths, I know my weaknesses and I play to that.

“I’m here to be a strong, demanding person at the back...I want to make sure when I step out on the court I do my job, she's an absolute GOAT and I respect her so much so I want to make sure I'm doing everything I can to ensure this team is in the top four.” 

Reflecting on her decision to retire, Aiken-George confessed she thought she’d put the nail in the coffin. 

“I switched off the moment I said, ‘I’m done’,” she said.

“But my friends hold a special place in my heart, if Jhaniele was in the same position, she would absolutely do the same. 

“My husband, Daniel, said to give it one more lap, we've been married for six years, and I've lived in our home for only a year; since I had my daughter Gigi I've been on the road.

“I said last year in Adelaide was my last, it's time for me to settle down but then this opportunity came up and Jhaniele asked.

“The netball side is always burning in me, I love to play, I love to be in and amongst the best competing but if it wasn't Jhaniele asking, the answer would've been no.”

The 37-year-old admitted the last couple of seasons took a toll on her.

"I had not had a break,” she said.

“I was going and going and getting more and more fatigue in my body, I wasn't recovering as quickly as I normally would as my age became a factor.

“The only way to stop was to stop completely, but I didn't stop completely because I signed up for a netball team in Brisbane, but my body needed a break from the high-performance environment and constantly being on.” 

When she retired, Aiken-George had her family at the front of mind, having become a mum in 2022, she’s spent the last few years juggling netball with motherhood. 

“Gigi’s been the best,” she said.

“She reminds me that you go play sport, but when you come home you have to be Mummy. 

“Right now, she keeps saying to me, ‘Mummy, I just want you’ and ‘Why are you going to netball without me?’ 

“I tell her she’s not coming because she’s grown up now but she's the best and all the teams I've been in have embraced her. 

"She's always happy, I hope the world is kind to her because she's so sweet, raising her amongst all the netball girls has been great.” 

The star goaler confessed it’s the small moments she loves the most. 

“I love being a mummy, figuring things out, watching her grow and seeing her experience things like rain for the first time,” she said.

“I love being there to help her problem solve, help her laugh, cuddle her and hear the constant ‘Mummy, mummy, mummy’ 5,000 times a day for absolutely nothing. 

“When I get home from training and I'm tired she takes my mind off it and she makes everything worthwhile.” 

While her short retirement was filled with sweet moments, Aiken-George acknowledged it was a hard adjustment, one she was still figuring out when Fever came calling.

“I tried to live a normal life like everyone else,” she said.

“I went on holiday with my family and I looked for a job. 

“But it turns out that’s quite hard.

“I was in a spiral trying to find what I was good at outside of netball.”

Back in the SSN environment, Aiken-George feels ready to return and is excited about repping the Fever green.

“The crowd is quite intimidating, so to be on their side with them cheering for me, it's quite exciting,” she said.

“Playing with Sasha [Glasgow], is exciting because we're both coming off a not so good season, it's not like we have a lot to prove but it’s exciting to build new connections.

"Being in the training environment and having those hard conversations has been really good. 

“It's a very high standard Dan demands of the group, it shows out on the court and I can't wait to be part of game day.” 

The goaler is making the most of the time she has with her new teammates despite what’s been a disjointed pre-season with players in and out with international commitments and injuries.

“I've been impressed with Sasha and Liv [Wilkinson] in the front line,” she said.

“They’ve been really good, we’ve been trying to work out our connections, it's like a puzzle. 

“We're all trying to work out what puzzle piece fits in what situation.”

Looking forward to the season, Aiken-George has one match marked on her calendar.

“Playing the Thunderbirds,” she said.

“I just want to see my girl [Shamera Sterling-Humphrey] back out on court.

“It's been really rough for her post baby and netball is a happy place for her, I want her to go out there and have the best time.

“Not against me obviously, but I’m looking forward to playing the Thunderbirds.”

With Sterling-Humphrey on her mind, the goaler took a moment to recall what it was like for herself when she first came to Australia from Jamaica. 

“The first year was scary,” she confessed.

“I was this scrawny stick of a woman who decided to leave this small island and travel to a country that is almost triple the size maybe more.

 
“Having that experience when I did against legends, I'm fascinated by how much netball knowledge I had back in Jamaica to come in here and play against the likes Bianca Chatfield and Geva Mentor.

"The grit and resilience came naturally to me but looking back to where I am now, I can pat myself on the back and say ‘You did good, you can take credit and still be humble’ but I learned lots of lessons in that time.”

Aiken-George has spent a lot of time alongside the stars of Jamaican netball and is proud to be able to play in the world’s best league with them.

"To have created a pathway for other Jamaicans and internationals to come over and experience Suncorp Super Netball which is literally like the NBA in America is amazing,” she said. 

“Everyone wants to come here and play, we help the Australian girls be able to be where they are as well which I can say with my chest.

 “This is the best against the best, you want to be in it, you want to bring your A-game week in, week out so having the ability to have been the first one to come and play from my generation I feel like we set the standard because we are able to go back to our home countries and teach the values and behaviours we've learned here to implement in our respective countries so we can compete with the best. 

“It's a pretty cool experience now for all the countries who play netball, it's not an Australia vs New Zealand grand final, there's Uganda, Jamaica and all these smaller countries having a go because they have SSN and the English Super League now.

"Being the person who had the first opportunity and to still be in it with more internationals coming in and out is a pretty cool flex.” 

While Aiken-George is thankful she’s experienced the growth of netball across the world, there’s one career highlight that stands out above the rest.

“The 2024 Grand Final,” she said.

“It wasn’t even the MVP, it was special because I wasn't just playing for myself, I was playing for Baby G.

“Everything I do is for her, she had no idea what was happening but that was pretty special to have that moment with her. 

“My husband was there, and our little boy Harvey [Romelda’s stepson] cried. 

“Don't ask me where any of the medals are, I don't know where they are but that one is quite special because the year before I was in the Grand Final with the Swifts and to be able to cap that one and have another run at it last year, I felt like it was a really good three years of finals which I hadn’t been able to do since the 2016 grand final with the Firebirds. 

“It was a big drought, being in the top four is a privilege so to be in that environment again was like a breath of fresh air.”

Personal imagery supplied by Romelda & West Coast Fever.