WITH the return of netball great, Laura Geitz the Queensland Firebirds flexed their muscles in 2018 taking some big scalps finishing third after a solid start. But the Firebirds were unable to bring that intensity in the finals knocked out in the first round against eventual premiers. Looking ahead to 2019 the Firebirds have maintained a relatively unchanged line-up and will be hoping to go one better this year.

The Firebirds defence end set the blueprint to beat ladder leaders West Coast Fever, with their hands over pressure through the midcourt and smothering pressure on goal attack Nat Medhurst. Led by Geitz, youngsters Kim Jenner and Tara Hinchliffe were exposed to invaluable lessons regarding body positioning and when to go for the intercept prompting them to have a break out season. But the Firebirds will have a different look in defence in 2019 which means they may look to Laura Clemesha to provide that solidarity and consistency in defence with Jenner and Hinchliffe still developing their craft. While they are exciting and promising young prospects they may lack the experience to play a full four quarters in both goal keeper and goal defence.

But if the defence end can hold it up, there is no denying that they can be a top four team, with the likes of Romelda Aiken and Gretel Tippett running the show in the attack end. They are one of the most exciting combinations in the league credit to their athleticism and impressive shooter to shooter interplay. They are hard to stop thanks to their unpredictability and with the centre court remaining the same they will continue to get silver service. Though their combination is strong, at times Aiken struggled with her accuracy under the post and will be wanting to improve on that this season. Youngster Tippah Dwan has also been elevated from a training partner to the Firebirds list and will bring plenty of excitement to the side. She has shown that she is not afraid to go to post and with more court time and exposure could be a handy player.

It will be up to captain, Gabi Simpson to provide that driving force and experience across the court to push her side over the line in the close encounters. Caitlyn Nevins and Jemma Mi Mi will add that spark in attack with Mi Mi full of speed while Nevins offers that precision with ball in hand.