THE 2022 Australian Netball Championship (ANC) is just around the corner, and after a Covid induced two-year hiatus, the redesigned national second tier competition is back. 10 teams from across the country will be facing off in Traralgon later this month for the title.

In preparation for the tournament, we are going to preview each of the 10 teams that will be competing at this year’s tournament. Next up is the Sunshine Coast Lightning.

Like their name may suggest, the Lightning are the ANC equivalent of the Suncorp Super Netball side, and this will be their first National tournament after being scheduled to debut in 2021 before the tournament was cancelled.

As such, the Lightning have drawn a lot of their players from either their SSN squad, training partners list or Queensland Premier League side, USC Thunder.

The only member of the squad that does not fit into any of these categories is QUT defender Lily Gribble.

Two members of the Lightning’s SSN squad will be fronting up for their ANC side these Championships – goaler Reilley Batcheldor and midcourter Annie Miller. Both players will be keen to prove to the Lightning’s SSN coaches why they deserve more game time in 2023 than they earned in 2022.

Five of the Lightning’s Training Partners from the 2022 season will be a part of the Lightning’s squad this ANC, keen to prove why they should get those coveted spots again in 2023. They are Annabelle Lawrie, Jada Gafa, Ashlee Unie, Bridey Condren and Ava Black.

The remaining members of the Lightning’s ANC squad are not Lightning training partners but all come from the Lightning’s Sapphire Series feeder team the Thunder. They are Leilani Rohweder, Annika Lee-Jones, Emma Walters and Martina Reekers.

Sunshine Coast Lightning 2022 ANC Team

Reilley Batcheldor, Annie Miller, Annabelle Lawrie, Jada Gafa, Ashlee Unie, Bridey Condren, Ava Black, Leilani Rohweder, Annika Lee-Jones, Emma Walters, Martina Reekers, Lily Gribble

Sunshine Coast Lightning’s Fixture

Monday August 22 – Vic Fury
Tuesday August 23 – Tasmania
Wednesday August 24 – Bye
Thursday August 25 – Southern Force
Friday August 26 – Giants Academy