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Sunshine Coast Lightning
Founded2016
Based inUniversity of the Sunshine Coast
RegionsSunshine Coast, Queensland
Home venueUSC Stadium
ChairpersonMatt Tripp
Head coachBelinda Reynolds
CaptainStephanie Wood
Vice-captainTara Hincliffe, Laura Scherian
Premierships2 (2017, 2018)
LeagueSuncorp Super Netball
2023 placing5th
Websitesunshinecoastlightning.com.au

Sunshine Coast Lightning are a professional Australian netball team based at the University of the Sunshine Coast. The team was formed in 2016 as a joint venture between the university and Melbourne Storm. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. Lightning have played in three grand finals, winning premierships in 2017 and 2018. [1][2][3]

History

New franchise

12 May 2017; Sunshine Coast Lightning v West Coast Fever in a 2017 Suncorp Super Netball Round 12 match at USC Stadium

In May 2016, Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand announced that the ANZ Championship would be discontinued after the 2016 season. In Australia it was replaced by Suncorp Super Netball. The founding members of Suncorp Super Netball included the five former Australian ANZ Championship teams – Adelaide Thunderbirds, Melbourne Vixens, New South Wales Swifts, Queensland Firebirds and West Coast Fever; plus three brand new franchises: Collingwood Magpies, Giants Netball and Sunshine Coast Lightning.[1][2][4][5][6][7]

In August 2016, Sunshine Coast Lightning was officially launched. The team was formed as a joint venture by Melbourne Storm and the University of the Sunshine Coast with the support of Sunshine Coast Council. The colours of the team - navy blue, purple and yellow - are the same as the Storm's. The logo features a bolt of lightning.[1][2][3][8][9][10]

Noeline Taurua era

Noeline Taurua guided Sunshine Coast Lightning to the 2017 and 2018 Suncorp Super Netball titles

Before the official launch of Sunshine Coast Lightning, Noeline Taurua had already been announced as the inaugural head coach of the new franchise. [9][11][12] In September 2016, Caitlin Bassett and Stephanie Wood became the first two Lightning players.[2][13][14][15] Geva Mentor also subsequently signed for Lightning.[16][17] In February 2017, Mentor was named captain of the new franchise.[18][19] In 2017, Lightning finished the season as inaugural champions after defeating Giants Netball 65–48 in the grand final.[1][2][20][21][22] In 2018 they retained the title after defeating West Coast Fever 62–59 in the grand final.[1][2][23][24][25] In 2019, Lightning finished the regular season as minor premiers. [1][2][26][27] They also played in their third successive grand final but this time, they were defeated by New South Wales Swifts.[28][29] After three seasons as head coach at Lightning, Taurua resigned and was replaced by her assistant at the club, Kylee Byrne.[30][31][32][33]

Regular season statistics

Season Position Won Drawn Lost
2017[34] 2nd 11 1 2
2018 4th 8 1 5
2019 1st 12 0 2
2020[35] 2nd 9 0 5
2021[36] 4th 8 0 6
2022[37] 8th 4 0 10
2023 5th 6 0 8

  Premierships
  Minor Premierships

Grand finals

Season Winners Score Runners Up Venue Attendance Ref
2017 Sunshine Coast Lightning 65–48 Giants Netball Brisbane Entertainment Centre 8,999 [20][21][22]
2018 Sunshine Coast Lightning 62–59 West Coast Fever Perth Arena 13,722 [23][24][25][38]
2019 New South Wales Swifts 64–47 Sunshine Coast Lightning Brisbane Entertainment Centre [28][29]

Home venues

Lightning play the majority of their home matches at USC Stadium. [3][9][39] They have also occasionally played home matches at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. [40][41]

Notable players

Main article: List of Sunshine Coast Lightning players

2023 squad

2024 Sunshine Coast Lightning roster
Players Coaching staff
Nat. Name Position(s) DoB Height
Australia Reilley Batcheldor GA, GS (2002-04-15) 15 April 2002 (age 22) 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Australia Ava Black C, WD (2003-06-12) 12 June 2003 (age 21) 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Australia Courtney Bruce GK, GD (1993-12-08) 8 December 1993 (age 31) 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Australia Mahalia Cassidy C, WA, WD (1995-10-09) 9 October 1995 (age 29) 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Australia Shannon Eagland GD, WD (1996-05-16) 16 May 1996 (age 28) 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Australia Ash Ervin GK, GD (2003-05-15) 15 May 2003 (age 21) 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Australia Steph Fretwell (c) GA, WA, GS (1991-11-28) 28 November 1991 (age 33) 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Australia Maddie Hinchliffe WD, C (1998-05-25) 25 May 1998 (age 26) 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Australia Tara Hinchliffe (vc) GD, GK (1998-05-25) 25 May 1998 (age 26) 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Australia Cara Koenen GS, GA (1996-02-27) 27 February 1996 (age 28) 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Australia Leesa Mi Mi WA, C (2001-05-18) 18 May 2001 (age 23) 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Australia Liz Watson WA, C (1994-03-30) 30 March 1994 (age 30) 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Head coach
  • Belinda Reynolds[42]
Assistant coaches


Notes
  • (c) – Captain
  • (cc) – Co-captain
  • (vc) – Vice-captain
  • Injured or on maternity leave – Injury / maternity leave
  • (TRP) – Temporary Replacement Player
Player profiles: Team website Last updated: 3 June 2024


Internationals

 Australia
 Australia Fast5
 England
 Jamaica
 New Zealand
 South Africa
 Uganda

Captains

Years Ref
Geva Mentor 2017–2018 [19][22][44]
Laura Langman 2019–2020 [45][46]
Karla Pretorius 2021 [47][48]
Stephanie Wood 2022– [49]

Award winners

Suncorp Super Netball

SSN Player of the Year
Season Player Ref
2017 Geva Mentor [50][51]
SSN Grand Final MVP
Season Player Ref
2017 Karla Pretorius [20]
2018 Caitlin Bassett [23]
SSN Team of the Year
Season Players Ref
2017 C: Laura Langman, GK: Geva Mentor [52][34]
2018 GD: Karla Pretorius, GK: Geva Mentor [53]
2019 GD: Karla Pretorius [54]
2020 GD: Karla Pretorius Reserve: Cara Koenen [55]

Lightning awards

Player of the Year
Season Players Ref
2017 Geva Mentor [56]
2018 Stephanie Wood
Karla Pretorius		 [57]
2019 Karla Pretorius [58]
2020 Karla Pretorius [59]
2021 Stephanie Wood [60]
2022 Mahalia Cassidy [61]
Players' Player of the Year
Season Players Ref
2017 Geva Mentor [56]
2018 Karla Pretorius [57]
2019 Karla Pretorius [58]
2020 Karla Pretorius [59]
2021 Cara Koenen [60]
2022 Mahalia Cassidy [61]
Team Spirit Award
Season Players Ref
2017 Laura Scherian [56]
2018 Jacqui Russell [57]
2019 Jacqui Russell [58]
2020 Madeline McAuliffe [59]
2021 Kate Shimmin [60]
Members' Player of the Year
Season Players Ref
2017 Laura Langman [56]
2018 Stephanie Wood [57]
2019 Karla Pretorius [58]
2020 Cara Koenen [59]
2021 Cara Koenen [60]
2022 Laura Scherian [61]

Shooting statistics

(as at end of 2023 Suncorp Super Netball season)
Super Shot
Seasons Player Goals Attempts % Goals Attempts %
2017–18 Caitlin Bassett 1357 1454 93.33 –
2017– Cara Koenen 2289 2524 90.69 13 37 35.14
2017– Stephanie Wood 1486 1817 81.78 184 332 55.42
2019–21 Peace Proscovia 670 733 91.41 0 4 0.00
2020–21 Binnian Hunt 9 18 50.00 2 4 50.00
2020, 2022 Annabelle Lawrie 3 3 100.00 0 5 0.00
2022 Reilley Batcheldor 123 142 86.62 37 69 53.62
2022 Annika Lee-Jones 2 4 50.00 –
2023– Charlie Bell 29 34 85.29 0 2 0.00

Head coaches

Coach Years Ref
Noeline Taurua 2016–2019 [9][11][12][30][31][32][33]
Kylee Byrne 2019–2022 [30][31][32][33]
Belinda Reynolds 2023– [62]

Reserve teams

Territory Storm

Between 2017 and 2019 Sunshine Coast Lightning formed a partnership with Territory Storm of the Australian Netball League. Storm were effectively Lightning's reserve team. In 2019, with a team featuring Lightning players Cara Koenen, Annika Lee-Jones, Peace Proscovia, and Jacqui Russell, Storm enjoyed one of their best seasons in the ANL, winning six matches and finishing fifth.[63][64][65][66][67][68]

USC Thunder

Since 2019, USC Thunder have played in the HART Sapphire Series. They were formed as a partnership between Sunshine Coast Lightning and the University of the Sunshine Coast. They play home games at the USC Stadium.[69][70][71]

Capital Darters

In 2019 it was announced that Sunshine Coast Lightning had formed a partnership with Capital Darters. Darters were due to play in the 2020 Australian Netball League season. However the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[72][73][74][75][76][77]

Australian Netball Championships

In September 2021, Sunshine Coast Lightning were due to enter a reserve team in the inaugural Australian Netball Championships tournament.[78][79] However, this tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lightning's ANC team subsequently played in a four team series, playing against Queensland Sapphires, the Queensland Suns men's netball team and PacificAus Sports, a Pacific Islander select.[71][80][81][82]

Premierships

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sunshine Coast Lightning.

References

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