THE 2024 Netball Super League season is almost upon us, and to celebrate the build up to the season, Rookie Me Central will be previewing each of the 10 competing teams and seeing how this year might unfold for them.

The final preview in this series is on Team Bath.

Season 2023 was did not exactly go to plan for those in blue and gold. Only four wins for the season and a poor goal difference saw then finish in the penultimate position on the ladder.

There has been a lot of change in the Sommerset outfit in the offseason with much of the regular starting seven leaving the club, so the question will be will that be a blessing or a curse this season for those left behind?

In the shooting end, regular starting goal shooter Betsy Creak is one of those offseason departures, so how that shooting end gets rejigged will be interesting to see. Last season Kadeen Corbin was playing more of a goal attack, but with her height may get shifted back to more permanently play under the post, teaming up with Sophie Kelly out the front. Perhaps one of the new faces Emma Barrie or Sloan Burton will jump ahead of the more experienced duo and become one of the regular starting shooters?

Moving through to the midcourt, and regular members of the starting contingent Imogen Allison and Ali Wilshier are both no longer in the mix, so the midcourt may look very different this season.

Bethan Dyke is still around, but the question will be who partners her in mid court. Fellow 2020 squad member Kirsty Harris will perhaps take the other position Dyke is not playing, but one thing Bath are not short of is wing defenders. Ellie Ervine and Phoebe Maslen can both play it, as well as almost all the defensive cohort, so Asha Francis will certainly have plenty of options there.

Moving through to the defensive cohort, and combinations here are certainly plentiful. The only defender who cannot play wind defence is Jayda Pechova, but after her strong 2023 NSL season and 2023/24 international season, she is likely to still get plenty of court time as the starting goal keeper.

Summer Artman’s departure will be hard felt, but that will be offset by the fact that Pechova and Lily-May Catling are still at the club, with those two both also getting plenty of court time last season.

Catling and Pechova are joined in the defensive team by new face Lisa Putt and returning face Tash Pavelin, who will both be looking to ensure they are not stuck on the bench for long.

Team Bath Squad 2024

Emma Barrie, Sloan Burton, Lily-May Catling, Kadeen Corbin, Bethan Dyke, Ellie Ervine, Kirsty Harris, Sophie Kelly, Phoebe Maslen, Tash Pavelin, Jayda Pechova, Lisa Putt

Training partners: George Ford, Lily Jones, Ellen Morgan