YOUNG star Sophie Dwyer proved to be quite the Suncorp Super Netball surprise packet of 2021. Her breakout season in 2021 may have come at the expense of a more experienced teammate, but she has latched onto the opportunity with both hands and proven why she deserves a spot in that starting line-up.

Sophie Dwyer

GIANTS

League/s: Suncorp Super Netball

Season/s: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

• Games [tot]: 33

• Goals: 690

• Attempts: 872

• Goal Assists: 301

• Rebounds: 28

• Centre Pass Receives: 478

• Feeds: 394

• Penalties: 91

• Turnovers: 134

Dwyer began the 2020 season as just a training partner of the GIANTS Netball, but was a part of the larger squad brought in during the hub period of the 2020 season. She only played the final five minutes of the opening match of the season, but flash forward 12 months and her whole career trajectory changes.

Beginning the year as the third-choice shooter behind Jo Harten and Kiera Austin, Dwyer had expected to come on as a Super Shot period impact player.

Round 1 of the 2021 season comes around and Austin goes down with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, which thrusts Dwyer into a more regular role within the side. She was now one of the starting shooters, and didn’t get much time to adjust to the role change.

Regardless, she slotted into the role seamlessly and gone on to become a vital cog in the GIANTS shooting end. She finished the season on 389 goals, shooting at 77 per cent.

The Super Shot is where she really shone and came into her element though. She shot 52 super shot goals from 93 attempts, which was both the second highest number of super shot goals and had the second highest number of attempts in the entire league. Only teammate Harten had more then her in both categories.

Dwyer’s seamless transition into a starting seven role and the scoring potential she provided the GWS line-up meant that where some may have thought they’d fade away after Austin’s injury, they were able to make it all the way to the Grand Final.

Her breakout season also caught the attention of the Australian selectors, and she was named in the Diamonds’ development squad for 2021/2022.

Her potential also sets the GIANTS up well for the future, now that Austin has gone down to the Vixens. Dwyer is only 19 years old, and so she has been able to prove how much of a long term valuable asset she will be to the GIANTS. She will look to build on her breakout 2021 season with Harten and young talent Matisse Letherbarrow as the GIANTS look to go one better in 2022.