Who is the Sunshine Coast Lightning?
The Sunshine Coast Lightning is an Australian netball team in Sunshine Coast, Queensland. It competes in the Premier Domestic League organised by the Suncorp Super Netball. The team was formed in 2016 as the second Queensland-based side, during the disbanding of the ANZ Championship.
Team members
Laura Langman, Karla Pretorius, Steph Wood, Laura Scherian, Peace Proscovia, Phumza Maweni, Maddy McAuliffe, Cara Koenen, Jacqui Russell, and Annika Lee-Jones.
Central players to the team
Laura Langman
The Silver Ferns captain happens to be one of the best mid-courters in the netball. She is a lynchpin for Lightning who effortlessly slips into defensive and attacking forms of play. Ever since her return to the Club, she hasn’t missed a beat. She surpassed 200 National league games in the 6th round against the team Vixens in 2019. She joined the former coach, Noeline Taurua, to bring back the Gold Medal for Silver Ferns in 2019 Vitality Netball World Cup — her fourth World Cup Campaign. Her read on the ball is simply outstanding, especially through the midcourt and picking a hand intercept between the two.
Steph Wood
Wood has a strong footing in the goal circle for Lightning. She has formed a strong on-court alliance with both Koenen and Proscovia. Her playing style in the third goal level is remarkable. She is one of the playmakers for the team. It’s not too often that she misses a goal.
Karla Pretorius
She is one of the best defenders of the competition. The way she reads the ball whenever it comes to Lightning’s defence is simply outstanding. Her game smarts are impeccable. She receives many countless intercepts as well as has a knack for doing the little things well. For example, creating a mismatch in the goal circle which forces the goalers to take up a long shot as she did in the dying minutes of the Round 13 clash against the Vixens.
The underdog
We should definitely watch out for Cara Koenen. Having been on the Lightning team for a few seasons now, she is all set to make her mark on the game through a winning partnership with both Wood and Proscovia.
She surely will “shine bright like a diamond” this 2020 edition.
Last season’s report
After the crazy headstart in 2019, The Sunshine lost against the Swifts in the Grand Finale 2019 Season. But the sun may shine again in 2020 for them as they are among the few teams who have managed to retain all their 10 players from the 2019 group.
New members have been welcomed into the team and naturally, it took the new recruits time to adjust but they had quite a strong season.
Laura Langman was welcomed back and brought with her, her spark and talent into the team’s mid-court. Lightning also saw new partnerships formed both in attacking and defence.
2020 season expectations
Having retained their players, Lightning can expect to go into the season stronger than other teams who might take some time to adjust with new partnerships. An advantage that could have them pick up where they left off last season.
When Laura Scherian spoke to the Sunshine Coast lightning media, she said, “It’s a bit strange not knowing who we are playing and when we are playing.”
“I think we are ready for whatever comes our way, no matter what it looks like — just being able to put our game out there is what is most important at the moment.”
Fans of Lightning will be sure to watch Karla Pretorius or Laura Langman take an intercept, or Steph Wood score a long-range shot next season.
