OPENING the 2021 Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) season in style, defeating the reigning premiers Melbourne Vixens by 14 goals in a grand final rematch, and top four side New South Wales Swifts last round, the West Coast Fever have started strongly.

However, seasoned Fever midcourter, Verity Charles, believes the team have not yet reached their full potential.

“We didn’t get a lot of preseason games this year so to go out and put the performance that we did was great, but we also realised it was quite a messy, kind of scrappy game, and still nowhere near our best performance,” Charles said.

Fever had a rough week in the lead up to the first round, with Perth going into a lockdown and the team worried they may have to quickly flee Western Australia and head to NSW. Fortunately, they were able to wait out the lockdown and fly directly to Melbourne for the game. While it all worked out this time, Charles worries that situations like this may become a common occurrence as the world continues to battle with managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve pretty much got a suitcase packed just sitting at the door, I know I have and I suppose a lot of the girls do as well, so anytime if we need to go we’re ready, and I guess that’s just what we’re going to face during the season,” Charles said.

Fever have also been at the centre of controversy, starting the season on minus 12 points as punishment for salary cap breaches made by the club back in 2018 and 2019. For the players like Charles, the loss of premiership points means they will have to work even harder to make it to the top spot.

“We try and push it aside as much as we can… going back to controlling the controllables – that stuff’s out of reach so we’re just out there focusing on what we can do. But it’s always in the back of your mind, you know, you kind of know you’re up against the odds. I’d be lying if I say it’s not something you think about,” she said.

“Our goal is simply just to make that top four into finals and then we play ball from the rest there. We just take each week as it comes and each game, and I think with COVID that’s probably even more so now, you don’t know if things are going to go to plan or not so all you can do is pretty much take one day at a time and one game at a time so we’ll just keep chipping away and doing our thing.”

With a relatively unchanged line-up, Fever have welcomed 2020 training partners Emma Cosh and Sunday Aryang, who have been promoted to permanent members of the squad, as well as former Adelaide Thunderbirds shooter, Sasha Glasgow.

“You know, off the court, just her personality and the beautiful person that she is, she just slips into Fever so easily, the girls love her,” Charles said in relation to the acquisition of Glasgow.

“On the court she is really performing, she brings something different, she’s not afraid to take those two point shots as well and put that nice high shot up that she has. But I just think she brings just different styles, so the game changes a little bit when Sash is on.”

As one of the most experienced players on the team, Charles hopes to step up as a leader for the younger players this year, and personally has a goal of being that dependable player week in week out.

“Just being that consistent player that you know is tough in defence and delivers great balls into the circle in attack. So nothing fancy, nothing new, just going about my job and getting my job done for the girls,” Charles said.

Overall, Charles is keen to see what the 2021 season brings and how far the club can go given the number of adversaries the side will have to overcome.

“We’re in a difficult position with the points and things, but we’ve got an exciting season ahead for Fever,” Charles said.