THE 2021 Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) is edging ever closer, and with the confirmation of the season start day on February 12 finally announced, all 11 franchises are gearing up for a big year of netball after such a disrupted 2020.

With so much talent at each team’s disposal, Draft Central has compiled a list of the top local talent taking the court in the Superleague in 2021. There is no doubt the calibre of talent – both emerging and experienced – is spread fairly evenly with exciting names gracing each of the 11 teams. In the final instalment we look at the remaining teams and the exciting homegrown talent littered through their respective sides.

READ PART 1 HERE

Severn Stars

The Stars have a number of notable international recruits but also boast plenty of homegrown talent in Nia Jones and Bethan Dyke. Jones is an experience head that is renowned for her on-court leadership, composure and overall netball smarts to think her way through the opposition and deliver. A well-rounded athlete given her dual sport background, Jones can flick between attack and defence with great ease and is not afraid of physical attention. On the other hand Dyke is an up and coming player that is still developing her craft but has showcased her potential through the midcourt with her slick movement, precise passes and spatial awareness to deliver into the goalers.

Strathclyde Sirens

The Sirens have no shortage of talent, with Bethan Goodwin and the likes of up-and-coming youngster Emma Barrie in the lineup. It is hard to go past both Barrie and Goodwin who are both lynchpins in the circle for the Sirens and will once again be aiming to inflict plenty of scoreboard pain with their proficiency to post. Barrie is only young and has plenty of development left in her given she is only 18 but uses her height and long limbs to full effect to claim easy possession and edge closer to the post. She is a real threat to be reckoned with as is centre, Claire Maxwell. The midcourter oozes nothing but class and experience having captained the Thistles and uses her innate timing to open up space. Maxwell has an innate ability to swing between attack and defence with great ease while her endurance is another notable element in her game play for the Sirens.

Surrey Storm

Mikki Austin has an impressive netball IQ that rivals the best in the business. A cool, calm and collected customer on the court Austin is able to continuously think her way through tricky situations and use her 1-2 punch to hit circle edge with great precision. Fellow midcourter, Yasmin Parsons is another to keep an eye on. Up opposite ends when it comes to experience, Parsons has well and truly made a name for herself thanks to her dynamic movement through wing attack and centre while her fast hands is another focal point of her game play. The combination of the two through the midcourt could create headaches for opposition sides.

Team Bath

Team Bath play host to a number of England Roses players both up and coming and experienced with Serena Guthrie well and truly taking the mantle of experienced. Guthrie is a real livewire that can inject a spark into her side credit to her sheer athleticism, creativity with ball in hand and overall netball nous. A highly defensive midcourter that does not shy away from an intercept or some argy-bargy, Guthrie is the player that sets the tone for Bath and can change the flow in an instant. Both Sophie Drakeford-Lewis and Imogen Allison are the other two players to keep an eye on throughout the course of the season with the duo looking to really cement themselves and add to their ever growing bag of tricks. Despite playing vastly different positions – Drakeford-Lewis in goal attack and Allison in wing defence – the pair are still honing in their craft in order to have a sustained influence on the game.

Wasps Netball

With key pillars down either end of the court the Wasps boast a well rounded team that oozes a sense of reliability. Rachel Dunn is as consistent as they come under the post with her volume and accuracy hardly ever wavering. The goal shooter is a sure shot both directly under the post and from range such is her skillset and silky movement while up the other end Fran Williams provides that element of pressure and excitement. The goal defence is a real workhorse that is often underestimated given her unassuming nature but has proven more than once that she can read the play and take a big intercept thanks to her cleanliness and execution.