West Coast Fever
Encyclopedia
The West Coast Fever are an Australia
n netball
team based in Perth
that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship
. The franchise was one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy
, formerly the premier domestic league in Australia. They contested every year of the tournament, from 1997–2007, as the Perth Orioles. When the Commonwealth Bank Trophy was retired after 2007, the Orioles were one of five Australian franchises included in the new ANZ Championship. The team was rebranded before the start of the new league's inaugural season, becoming the "West Coast Fever".
In 2012, the Fever will be coached by Australian Netball Diamonds
coach Norma Plummer
. All home games in the ANZ Championship are played at Challenge Stadium
in Perth. The team uniform is primarily black with green and red. The Fever's alternate uniform has the black and green colours swapped around and is used when playing the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in New Zealand and the Melbourne Vixens
in Melbourne.
During their competitive history, the Fever have finished no higher than sixth place. In their four years playing in the ANZ Championship, much of their roster has included younger players, although a core group of players has been retained and developed.
, and Western Australia's only team in the national competition. The Orioles were coached by Sue Gaudion and captained by Stacey Rosman
. The team colours were lime green, black and orange.
Despite being one of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy's founding clubs, the Orioles perennially struggled in the competition. They never finished higher than sixth in the competition's 11 seasons and finished last four times. The team was nearly axed in 2001 when the decision was made to add the AIS Canberra Darters
, but survived after an outcry from the state netball community, with the Adelaide Ravens (then one of two teams from that city) being cut instead.
2006 was another middling year for the Perth girls. They had a great start to the season, unveiling new star shooter Caitlin Bassett
to replace players that departed for the Australian Institute of Sport
. Part way through the season a horrible injury to Jessica Shynn
put her in the operating room, and Bassett lost her confidence and composure, seeing an important drop in accuracy. After looking like making the finals, they finished sixth.
. It replaced the Commonwealth Bank Trophy in Australia and the National Bank Cup
in New Zealand, which both played their final season in 2007. When the new trans-Tasman competition was announced, the competition was reported to feature five teams from each country. For the new competition, five Australian franchises were formed from amalgamations of Commonwealth Bank Trophy teams, which would contest the inaugural competition in 2008.
The deadline for expressions of interests for Australian franchises was 10 April 2007. In March 2007, Netball Australia
chief executive Kate Palmer
said that the preferred model was for one team each from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia. In April this was confirmed as the composition of the league's Australian teams, with the announcement of the franchises on 10 May.
After conducting market research, Netball WA decided to rebrand the club, changing the team's name, logo and colours. On 8 November, Netball WA CEO Lisa Braddock announced information about the new club, which had been renamed as the "West Coast Fever", with a new logo and franchise colours. Sue Gaudion was retained as coach, and the squad for the inaugural season included two English players. However, the 2008 season saw the Fever win only one game in the round-robin stage, with a draw against the Central Pulse. After the 2008 season, Sue Gaudion was replaced by Jane Searle as head coach.
During their three years in the ANZ Championship, the Fever have finished no higher than seventh. Much of their roster has included young up-and-coming players. Nevertheless, a core group of players has been consistently retained and developed, some of whom have been called into the Australian national team
.
The Fever also maintain the Orioles' partnership with the West Coast Eagles
, which most other Australian teams have taken up with AFL
clubs in their respective states.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
team based in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship
ANZ Championship
The ANZ Championship is the pre-eminent netball league in the world. The competition is held annually between April and July, comprising 69 matches played over 17 weeks. It is contested by ten teams, five from Australia and five from New Zealand...
. The franchise was one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy
Commonwealth Bank Trophy
The Commonwealth Bank Trophy was the pre-eminent national netball competition in Australia from 1997 to 2007.It was established in 1997 as a true national league to replace the ailing, state club-based Mobil League. Designed from the beginning to be more marketable to the general public, it saw...
, formerly the premier domestic league in Australia. They contested every year of the tournament, from 1997–2007, as the Perth Orioles. When the Commonwealth Bank Trophy was retired after 2007, the Orioles were one of five Australian franchises included in the new ANZ Championship. The team was rebranded before the start of the new league's inaugural season, becoming the "West Coast Fever".
In 2012, the Fever will be coached by Australian Netball Diamonds
Australia national netball team
The Australia national netball team, commonly known as the Australian Netball Diamonds, represent Australia in international netball tests and competitions. The team was formed in 1938 and played in the first international game of netball, against New Zealand...
coach Norma Plummer
Norma Plummer
Norma Plummer is an Australian netball coach and former player. She was coach of the Australian national netball team from 2003 to 2011, ending her coaching career with the Diamonds on 67 victories from 89 Tests – a success rate of 75 per cent...
. All home games in the ANZ Championship are played at Challenge Stadium
Challenge Stadium
Challenge Stadium is a sports complex in the suburb of Mount Claremont, west of Perth, Western Australia, Australia. It was opened in 1986 and is home to the Western Australian Institute of Sport. The main indoor arena holds 4,500 people...
in Perth. The team uniform is primarily black with green and red. The Fever's alternate uniform has the black and green colours swapped around and is used when playing the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in New Zealand and the Melbourne Vixens
Melbourne Vixens
The Melbourne Vixens are an Australian netball team in Melbourne that compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The team were formed in 2007 as an amalgamation of the Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne Kestrels from the previous Commonwealth Bank Trophy. Sharelle McMahon and Bianca Chatfield have...
in Melbourne.
During their competitive history, the Fever have finished no higher than sixth place. In their four years playing in the ANZ Championship, much of their roster has included younger players, although a core group of players has been retained and developed.
Perth Orioles
The Perth Orioles were one of the founding teams of the Commonwealth Bank TrophyCommonwealth Bank Trophy
The Commonwealth Bank Trophy was the pre-eminent national netball competition in Australia from 1997 to 2007.It was established in 1997 as a true national league to replace the ailing, state club-based Mobil League. Designed from the beginning to be more marketable to the general public, it saw...
, and Western Australia's only team in the national competition. The Orioles were coached by Sue Gaudion and captained by Stacey Rosman
Stacey Rosman
Stacey Rosman is an Australian netball player in the ANZ Championship, playing for the West Coast Fever. She retired from netball after the 2009 ANZ Championship.-References:*. Retrieved on 2009-03-28.*. Retrieved on 2008-07-18....
. The team colours were lime green, black and orange.
Despite being one of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy's founding clubs, the Orioles perennially struggled in the competition. They never finished higher than sixth in the competition's 11 seasons and finished last four times. The team was nearly axed in 2001 when the decision was made to add the AIS Canberra Darters
AIS Canberra Darters
The AIS Canberra Darters were an Australian netball team, playing in the now defunct national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They mostly represented the Australian Institute of Sport, giving young players experience at an elite level, but also included some young players from Canberra and the Australian...
, but survived after an outcry from the state netball community, with the Adelaide Ravens (then one of two teams from that city) being cut instead.
2006 was another middling year for the Perth girls. They had a great start to the season, unveiling new star shooter Caitlin Bassett
Caitlin Bassett
Caitlin Bassett is an Australian netball player in the ANZ Championship, playing for the West Coast Fever. Bassett previously played for the Perth Orioles in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy from 2005–07. In 2008, she played for one half of a game as a member of the Australian Diamonds team...
to replace players that departed for the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
. Part way through the season a horrible injury to Jessica Shynn
Jessica Shynn
Jessica Shynn is an Australian netball player. She represented the national squad from 2002–2004, and was a member of the open squad in 2005 and 2006. Shynn played franchise netball in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy for her home team Perth Orioles from 1999–2006. In 2006 she came down with a knee...
put her in the operating room, and Bassett lost her confidence and composure, seeing an important drop in accuracy. After looking like making the finals, they finished sixth.
West Coast Fever
The ANZ Championship was founded in 2007 as the new elite domestic netball competition in Australia and New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It replaced the Commonwealth Bank Trophy in Australia and the National Bank Cup
National Bank Cup
The National Bank Cup was the pre-eminent national netball competition in New Zealand between 1998 and 2007. From 2008, it was replaced by the ANZ Championship.-Format:...
in New Zealand, which both played their final season in 2007. When the new trans-Tasman competition was announced, the competition was reported to feature five teams from each country. For the new competition, five Australian franchises were formed from amalgamations of Commonwealth Bank Trophy teams, which would contest the inaugural competition in 2008.
The deadline for expressions of interests for Australian franchises was 10 April 2007. In March 2007, Netball Australia
Netball Australia
Netball Australia is the peak governing body for the sport of netball in Australia. The organisation's stated objectives for Australian netball are to achieve national and international success in competition, encourage greater participation and spectator involvement, and ensure excellence in all...
chief executive Kate Palmer
Kate Palmer
Kate Palmer is the current Chief Executive Officer of Netball Australia. A leading figure in netball and Australian sport since the early 1990s, Palmer was previously the Chief Executive of Netball Victoria...
said that the preferred model was for one team each from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia. In April this was confirmed as the composition of the league's Australian teams, with the announcement of the franchises on 10 May.
After conducting market research, Netball WA decided to rebrand the club, changing the team's name, logo and colours. On 8 November, Netball WA CEO Lisa Braddock announced information about the new club, which had been renamed as the "West Coast Fever", with a new logo and franchise colours. Sue Gaudion was retained as coach, and the squad for the inaugural season included two English players. However, the 2008 season saw the Fever win only one game in the round-robin stage, with a draw against the Central Pulse. After the 2008 season, Sue Gaudion was replaced by Jane Searle as head coach.
During their three years in the ANZ Championship, the Fever have finished no higher than seventh. Much of their roster has included young up-and-coming players. Nevertheless, a core group of players has been consistently retained and developed, some of whom have been called into the Australian national team
Australia national netball team
The Australia national netball team, commonly known as the Australian Netball Diamonds, represent Australia in international netball tests and competitions. The team was formed in 1938 and played in the first international game of netball, against New Zealand...
.
Commonwealth Bank Trophy
- 1997: 6th
- 1998: 8th
- 1999: 7th
- 2000: 6th
- 2001: 7th
- 2002: 8th
- 2003: 8th
- 2004: 8th
- 2005: 6th
- 2006: 6th
- 2007: 7th
Name and colours
The West Coast Fever are the rebranded Perth Orioles team from the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. The renaming of the club was an endeavour to become "truly a West Australian club, moving away from the 'Perth' designation". The Fever also have a new logo, comprising black, red and green. "The colour black represents the sharpness and strength of West Coast Fever, red denotes the fire and passion West Coast Fever embodies, and green reflects the dynamic youthfulness of our female athletes."The Fever also maintain the Orioles' partnership with the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
, which most other Australian teams have taken up with AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
clubs in their respective states.