our time is now Celebrating 1 years of west coast fever Ready to leap into a new era of netball Supporting young local talent ADVERTISING FEATURE looking ahead to the next 10 years Fever LOOKING To the future BY SANDRA ARGESE ountless feats have added to the fabric of But going from Orioles colours to the black, green Australian sport, unravelling moments, and red of the Fever in 2007 was far from the only Cmemories and achievements worth major change for the club, according to Netball WA reminiscing about time and time again. With a firm chief executive officer Simon Taylor. lens on Western Australia’s premier netball team, “There’s no doubt that 10 years ago, when the club there is no question the list of these moments is worth was looking forward, they wouldn’t have thought all the attention it can get. they’d be running a competition with 12-month a that used to be on a part-time or casual basis have now Cast your mind back to 1997 and a time when the year contracted athletes and all the necessary support escalated to that full-time environment to provide the very face of Australian women’s sport was evolving, systems that go with having a fully professional athletes servicing and to ensure we are evolving and progressing and generating exceptional feats of success competition,” he says. keeping up with the demands of the sport. that would forever anchor themselves to the undying Australian netball shifted from predominantly “We have been very privileged to have secured time capsule that is Australia’s proud sporting history. being a winter sport, concerned with only a few the State Netball Centre over that time, to be able to Australia had defeated New Zealand in the months of the year, to a full-time occupation house all of those pieces of infrastructure in the one Women’s Cricket World Cup by five wickets and also anchored by development, progress and the drive to spot. The players have their own gym, recovery room, taken out the Women’s Hockey Champions Trophy. get better. ice baths and high performance cameras overseeing Closer to home, after years of history at the grassroots “Our 10-year celebration is a reflection of the the court so they can analyse their training techniques level, something bigger was building for netball. journey we have been on,” Taylor says. “As a club, as a result.” It was April 12 of that year when, on the other we are still continuing to grow and develop, and in Moving from Queensland to play for the Perth side of the country, a new team dressed in shades of our 10th year we will form a separate entity for the Orioles, Stacey Marinkovich (nee Rosman) was the lime green, black and orange had their turn to align West Coast Fever, with its own board and dedicated inaugural captain of the Fever in 2008, became head themselves with a new era of sporting finesse as one resources to support and help it grow to the next coach in 2015 and is the first woman in netball league of the original teams of the Commonwealth Bank l e v e l .” history to captain and coach the same franchise. But Trophy Netball League. As of 2017, the premier netball league of Australia skills and game play aside, she believes the biggest Named the Perth Orioles, they lined up against the became the new eight-team Suncorp Super Netball change is the club’s strong vision going forward. Sydney Sandpipers to play their first match and mark league. “We have long-term aspirations of sustained the beginning of a journey that is still being talked “The last nine years under the ANZ Championship success, but we understand the steps we need to take about two decades later. presented us with a certain type of environment, but to become the club of choice,” she says. “When you Shifting forward to 2007, the ANZ Championship the new league presents an opportunity for us to move have that mentality, the resources and the dedication took over as the foremost professional netball league in towards professional full-time athletes,” Taylor says. and commitment from not only your on-court team, Australia and New Zealand. The Perth Orioles would “In that period of time, the changes that have but your off-court team and your board, there is a real soon follow suit, rebranding themselves as the West occurred have been quite phenomenal in terms of the alignment and a clear direction as to where the club Coast Fever to reflect a fresh start. In 2017, the club support personnel that sit around our playing group, wants to go. I think that’s the part that’s become more celebrates its 10th anniversary after what has been a which now includes the likes of physios, nutritionists, defined as the years have gone on. decade filled with the never-ending hunger for success. performance analysts, massage therapists. All the roles “It’s really satisfying to go into an environment that’s just so driven to succeed. I’m pretty ambitious and have great belief that once we get consistency in our process and performance, we will be a great club going forward. “I have a huge passion for this club. For me, it’s being able to impact change and we’re all about being able to leave a legacy and making the club better than it was before.” Speaking from her perspective as both a coach and a player, Marinkovich has seen expectations on players, and the game as a whole, shift over the years. “The demand on the players, the athleticism, their accountability to performance, being role models for our sport and women in our community; all those attributes have certainly progressed over time,” she says. “This has really shaped how the club has gone about the way in which we have our daily training environment; the level of facilities the organisation has and the opportunities the players have are far more advanced than in the early days. ALWAYS LOOKING AHEAD. “With that, the role of coaching has certainly 2 THE FEVER TRAINING AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON. evolved, it’s more holistic. You have to think of “All eight teams are going to be very competitive the sports science side of things as well as players’ against each other; it’s not going to be one-sided at workload and wellbeing and take into consideration all,” Taylor says. “There have already been results that that an athlete is really a 12-month athlete, instead of have not gone the way people would have expected, so a few months previously – we impact their lives.” it’s going to be about taking it one game at a time.” Coinciding with the inaugural Suncorp Super “People really do bleed green when they’re Netball season, the opportunity for the Fever to involved,” Marinkovich says. “They’re passionate and secure Perth Arena as their new home in 2017 was understand we are on a journey. The members who just too good to miss. have stuck by the team through this change are all “It expands the type of fans that we will get,” jumping to make sure they ride these highs and lows Marinkovich says. “There’s a level of prestige playing because they know there’s a great reward at the end at the Arena; it shapes where the competition has of it. gone. We have a great supporter base in WA and it’ll “With the team, we’ve got some really exciting be great for them to come along to the bigger venue young WA talent coming through the ranks. We have and be exposed to what the sport is all about.” put together a team that is providing us with great As for the new season, both CEO and coach feel versatility and a focus on how to play the real team SHARP FOCUS DURING TRAINING. there is a lot to look forward to. way of playing.” Thank you to all 2017 West Coast Fever Partners PRINCIPAL PARTNER MAJOR PARTNERS PARTNERS PREFERRED SUPPLIERS 4 5 Introducing the 3-Game Fever in the City Membership GAME Fever in the city MEMBERSHIP AT PERTH ARENA Saturday 1 April Saturday 20 May Saturday 27 May 5.45pm 6.45pm 6.45pm Starting with an historic open air fixture against the Thunderbirds on 1st April and blockbuster games against Magpies Netball and Melbourne Vixens. » $20 online Scody voucher » West Coast Fever Keyring » Priority access to finals tickets » Access to renewing member rates in 2018 From only $100 for adults and $75 for juniors. Membership Type Price 218 219 220 221 222 219 220 221 3-Game Emerald Adult $150.00 321 303 216 216 202 202 ORS 320 T 304 VISI 215 215 203 203 S 319 RER 305 O C 3-Game Emerald Junior $120.00 S ES 214 214 MPIR 204 204 U 318 306 R 205 213 FEVE 3-Game Green Zone Adult $100.00 213 205 317 307 212 206 212 210 209 208 206 316 3-Game Green Zone Junior $75.00 308 211 207 315 210 209 208 309 314 310 313 312 311 Secure your 3-game Fever in the City Membership now at westcoastfever.com.au Terms and Conditions A one-off Ticketek service & handling fee from $6.70 per transaction applies on all purchases. The actual service and handling fee may vary depending on the venue and method of delivery selected, or where you add other items to your basket.