VICTORIA will host the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) Grand Final in a huge 48 hours for the sport in Australia. As the Diamonds came off a series-winning game two against the Roses on Sunday night, the 2023 SSN fixture was announced. Then just yesterday, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews announced Visit Victoria would cover the $15 million sponsorship left by Hancock Prospecting. As part of that sponsorship, the 2023 SSN Grand Final will return to Victoria, regardless of ladder results.

The 2023 SSN Grand Final will take place on Saturday, July 8, just ahead of the Netball World Cup to take place in Cape Town, South Africa. As has become the case for a number of years, the eight SSN clubs will face the other seven clubs twice – home and away – across 14 rounds. Round 1 kicks off on Saturday, March 18 with Collingwood Magpies and NSW Swifts going head-to-head at John Cain Arena, before the highly anticipated Grand Final rematch between West Coast Fever and Melbourne Vixens back in RAC Arena.

In a return to the regular weekend fixturing, 11 of the 14 rounds will feature two Saturday games and two Sunday games. The three exceptions include the Easter Weekend – where NSW Swifts and West Coast Fever will face off on Easter Monday – and the Kings Birthday long weekend, where an all-Victorian Derby between Melbourne Vixens and Collingwood Magpies takes place on Monday, June 12. That long weekend will mark the penultimate round of the season, with Round 14 taking place on June 17-18. The third point of difference was an Anzac Day clash between Collingwood Magpies and Sunshine Coast Lightning in Round 6.

There are also three featured rounds focused on diversity in the 2023 fixture. In Round 8, Inclusion Round will see Queensland Firebirds and Collingwood Magpies face off to open the weekend, with GIANTS Netball taking on Adelaide Thunderbirds, Melbourne Vixens locking horns with West Coast Fever, and NSW Swifts facing Sunshine Coast Lightning. First Nations Round will take place across both Rounds 11 and 12, with every team having one home game in that time to honour their First Nations dresses in front of home fans.

The SSN finals structure will remain the same as past years, with the top two teams facing off in the major semi-final on Saturday, June 24. The winner progresses through to the SSN Grand Final, with the loser to lock horns on Saturday, July 1, against the winner of the minor semi-final (third against fourth) in the preliminary final. The minor semi-final will take place on Sunday, June 25.

ROUND 1: (all times local)

Saturday, March 18:
Collingwood Magpies vs. NSW Swifts | John Cain Arena @ 5pm
West Coast Fever vs. Melbourne Vixens | RAC Arena @ 4pm

Sunday, March 19:
Sunshine Coast Lightning vs. GIANTS Netball | USC Stadium @ 1pm
Queensland Firebirds vs. Adelaide Thunderbirds | Nissan Arena @ 3pm

KEY DATES:

• Easter Weekend – Round 4 (Saturday, April 8 – Monday, April 10)
• Anzac Day clash – Round 6 (Tuesday, April 25)
• Inclusion Round – Round 8 (Saturday, May 6 – Sunday, May 7)
• First Nations Rounds – Round 11 & Round 12 (May 27-28, June 3-4)
• Kings Birthday – Round 13 (Saturday, June 10 – Monday, June 12)