Defending champions Southern Magpies again look the team to beat in a new-look Dunedin Premier A-grade netball competition.
The competition has been moved from Saturdays to Thursday nights to allow players involved in the ANZ Championship feeder competition, the National Netball League, to be involved in club play. National Netball League matches are played on Sunday nights.
The competition has a new structure, making every game worthwhile and results relevant to the end-of-year placings.
The A grade has expanded to eight teams, with the inclusion of St Hilda's Collegiate and Phys Ed B.
There will also be eight teams in the B and C grades.
There will be an initial round robin of seven games and then a split into top four and bottom four.
There will then be another two rounds of games among the two groups of four before the final.
Dunedin Netball general manager Lee-Anne Anderson said points would be kept right through the season so results would count right from the first game. Previously, results from the last round only counted towards the finals.
Of the eight teams in the A-grade club competition, the Magpies have one of the strongest pools of players to draw from.
That pool includes Netball South national league players Jennifer O'Connell and Sophie Erwood. Southern Steel players Te Paea Selby-Rickit and Gina Crampton are also on the Magpies roster but are unlikely to feature for the club.
The Magpies have seven players returning from last year's champion team and five new faces.
With four fresh faces in its squad, Phys Ed A will be working on building strong connections throughout the court and will call on key players Lucy Heenan, Laura Overton and Sophie Johns.
There are six players returning to the side from last season.
The Lauren Piebenga-coached College A side will again have the services of Sophie Napper and Dani Gray, who are returning for another season.
Having Piebenga at the helm will surely be a boost for College.
Piebenga is coach of the national league side and guided Otago to a national title in 2013.
The side will welcome new players Isabella Masani and Kiana Pelasio, who also plays for Otago Girls' High School.
University A Albion has kept the nucleus of its side and will again lean on the leadership of Bridget Thayer, Rachel Horrocks and Sam Hollows.
The competition's only school team, St Hilda's Collegiate Senior A, boasts New Zealand Secondary Schools triallist Kate Heffernan.
She and twin sister Georgia Heffernan, who will start in the shooting circle, will be players to watch this year.
Phys Ed B has a mix of new and returning players and will again draw on the experience of Emma Parker and Emily Coughlan at the defensive end.
The team is hoping to make the top four this season.
Southern Tui has a host of players returning to its side but will introduce some new young players this season, while University Albion B has four squad members returning and six new players. The team is hoping to build on last year's performance.
-By Jessica Wilson
