Why the season opener is unmissable

By Stephanie Smarrelli
 

The SSN season is set to begin with a bang on 14 March with a blockbuster clash between the Melbourne Mavericks and GIANTS. 

Set in the Victorian town of Bendigo, the sides will bring SSN to country Victoria to launch their 2026 campaigns.  

When they met during 2025, the teams traded wins with the GIANTS taking the last clash by 15 goals.

But the landscape has shifted dramatically since then and both teams will be under new leadership, and have new-look lineups.

In Sydney, former GIANTS assistant coach Nerida Stewart will take the reins.

While the Mavs’ have announced Gerard Murphy (Gez) will lead their charge.

Gez is well known in the Victorian high performance space, having coached across the Victorian netball pathways.

The March match promises to be a spectacle with former GIANTS co-captain Jamie-Lee Price to line up against her old club for the first time.

Plus, she’ll be reuniting with fellow ex-GIANT Amy Parmenter, who switched sides at the start of 2024.

Price’s arrival gives the Mavericks some extra strength in the midcourt and adds a bit of the ruthless energy the team has occasionally lacked.

Round 1 is also the first time the Mavs will have Reilley Batcheldor in attack. The goaler’s confidence to slot the long bombs will add firepower while her former teammate Tara Hinchliffe joins in defence.

Hinchliffe will be reunited on the SSN court with partner in crime Kim Brown.

The duo played together throughout the Queensland pathway before building on their craft together at the Firebirds.

But it’s been four years since they played together on an SSN court so expect them to still be ironing out a few things against the GIANTS in Round 1. 

On top of that the Mavs also have an ace up their sleeve with Sacha McDonald who can switch between goal attack and the midcourt.

Lining up against them the GIANTS will also look very different in 2026. 

Likely to go head-to-head with Price during the match will be Whitney Souness. The New Zealander will be raring to go, capable of matching Price at every turn.

She'll be joined by Casey Adamson, who at 27 has finally been given her first full-time contract. Adamson’s experience includes time with Collingwood where she would have learned a few tricks that will come in handy to take on former teammate Molly Jovic.

Defensively, the GIANTS have secured New Zealand’s Jane Watson. Her signature pressure and intercept work will bolster the side’s defensive stocks and provide a fresh challenge for Mavs goaler Shimona Jok.

Throughout 2025 in the ANZ Premiership, Watson collected 61 deflections and 15 intercepts. 

Expect her to be ready to pounce when the side goes head-to-head with the Mavericks.

On the other hand, Jok finished the SSN season with 635 goals at 95 per cent accuracy. 

The battle between the two will be one of the game’s highlights. 

Fiercely competitive and vocal, there’s no doubt they’ll deliver plenty of entertainment throughout the match.  

In another intriguing matchup, Lucy Austin will take on fellow South Australian Jessie Grenvold.

Fresh off an unexpected Diamonds debut, Round 1 will mark Austin’s return to the SSN court having not played SSN since Round 3 in 2025. 

The Bendigo showdown promises to set the tone for what could blossom into one of the league’s biggest rivalries.

With fresh leadership and big signings both teams are primed to make their mark.  

There’s no telling which side will take the win in Round 1, so, add this to your calendar, it’s going to be a match to remember.  

Thanks to Visit Victoria for supporting the clash.