Super Netball 2024: West Coast Fever captain Jess Anstiss injury free and ready to take competition by storm

A fully fit Jess Anstiss is poised to take Super Netball by storm as West Coast Fever begin their season against the Giants at Ken Rosewall Arena on Saturday. Anstiss, 27, has been appointed as the captain of Fever after Courtney Bruce crossed to Sunshine Coast Lightning in the off-season, but more importantly the midcourter has got through a pre-season unscathed after battling a serious foot injury in 2023. It has coach Dan Ryan hoping we will see the best of the superstar as they enter a new era with a nearly new contracted 10. “Pre-seasons have been so tough with her (Anstiss) with injuries and illness, but she’s had a good campaign particularly the past six weeks,” Ryan said. “She’s relishing and thriving in her role as team captain and she’s also playing in a reinvigorated manner. I hope she has a big year, stays nice and healthy and can produce some her best netball for us. “Jess has always been one of the best in the business my opinion and the opinion of many others. She’s one of the most reliable, most consistent and I say it all the time, every team needs someone like Jess Anstiss.” Anstiss has regularly started at wing defence, but the loss of Verity Simmons could reshuffle her role to play more centre as Fever look to find the right balance in their new-look line-up. Ryan said he had several different combinations he could put out on court because of the team’s flexibility. “Jess has embraced switching between those two positions,” Ryan said. “There’s only a handful of players in this team who are locking in one position, the majority have two or three positions they can use in their weaponry. “I expect Jess to move across both positions throughout most matches and several players will have similar roles.” The Giants are also a new-look side but their two-goal range is still one of their strengths after retaining Sophie Dwyer and Jo Harten. It will give Fever’s defence, led by Diamonds star Sunday Aryang and featuring England skipper Fran Williams an early season test. “We need to have a strong one-point game and make sure it sets us up going into the super shot period,” Ryan said. “We need to have as much focus on our super shot attack as we do our super shot defence. “The Giants are one of the most relentless teams in their ability to claw back big margins quickly, so there’s an element of having great poise and composure and holding your nerve against a team like the Giants because they’re never done.”