Trading Lightning for Wings, Hinchliffe becomes a Maverick

The Melbourne Mavericks are thrilled to welcome powerhouse defender, Tara Hinchliffe, to the club for the upcoming 2026 Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) season.

The 27-year-old joins the Mavs from Sunshine Coast Lightning, bringing to the team her strong intercepting instincts and defensive smarts, to join 2025 season teammate Reilley Batcheldor, who was also officially announced as a Maverick last week.

Hinchliffe made her SSN debut in 2018 with the Queensland Firebirds, where she spent four years building her defensive skills, before further honing in on these talents upon her move to the Lightning in 2022. After being vice captain at the Firebirds, she was also made vice captain of the Lightning in 2022 – her first year at the club – a position she held throughout the rest of her tenure on the Sunshine Coast.

As well as being Australian Diamond #190, Hinchliffe captained the Australian Fast Five team to their first ever Fast Five Netball World Series gold medal in 2022. Not only did she lead the team to the title, but she was also named MVP in the gold medal game.

Hinchliffe’s defensive prowess is undeniable, tallying an impressive 41 deflections, 16 intercepts and 525 Net Points over the 2025 season. At the Lighting’s end of season Awards Night, Hinchliffe was awarded both the ‘Players’ Player’ and the ‘Team Spirit’ Awards, further highlighting what an asset she is to any team both on and off the court.

Hinchliffe spoke on her excitement to start a new chapter of her career with the Mavs in 2026.

“It’s really exciting to be joining the Mavs for this upcoming season,” Hinchliffe said. “The team is full of such talent and skill, and the club values really resonated with me. I’m really keen to get amongst it and contribute what I can both on and off the court to build sustained success in 2026 and beyond.”

Mavericks General Manager, Shae Bolton-Brown, said the club was thrilled to ink Hinchliffe’s signature.

"We’re thrilled to have someone of Tara’s calibre join us at the Mavs,” Bolton-Brown said. “Not only is she an exceptional player to help anchor our defence end of the court, but from all accounts and our dealings with Tara so far, she is also an exceptional human, and we are thrilled to have someone with those qualities join our club.”

Hinchliffe’s signing is a huge addition to the Mavs’ 2026 roster, as she joins a current list that includes Reilley Batcheldor, Kim Brown, Shimona Jok, Molly Jovic, Amy Parmenter and Jamie-Lee Price.

The Price is right

The Melbourne Mavericks are thrilled to announce that Australian Diamond midcourt star and former Giants co-captain, Jamie-Lee Price, will officially become a Maverick in 2026.

After the announcement that Price would be withdrawing from the final year of her Giants contract in a bid to move closer to her partner – Collingwood AFL player, Harry Perryman - the Mavs are excited to welcome Price and Perryman to the Mavs family.

Price is reputed within SSN as a consistently dominant midcourt force. During the 2025 Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) season, Price hit the court for all 14 of the Giants’ games, gaining a massive 1,156 Net Points. This whopping tally lands the dynamic midcourter fourth overall in the League on this metric, with the three athletes ranked higher all from clubs who made finals. Price capped off her career in the orange dress by securing her third consecutive club MVP award, being awarded the Giants’ HCF Most Valuable Player in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Price is not just a force to be reckoned with in the SSN, but on the international stage too. After first being named in the Diamonds squad in 2018, Price has remained a member of the squad for eight consecutive years, with her international career highlights being named in the Diamonds teams that represented Australia at the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool and the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape town – the latter of which where Australia were crowned World Champions.

As an inaugural Giant, Price is no stranger in working to build team identity from the ground up – another reason she the perfect fit for the Mavs. Price spoke on her excitement to start a new chapter of her career with the Mavs.

“I have been so warmly welcomed by the Mavs already,” Price said. “The work this group has achieved in their first two years as a brand new club has been truly remarkable, and I feel super honoured to be able to become part of it. Hopefully we can continue to build and continue to become a force to be reckoned with in 2026 and beyond.”

Mavs General Manager, Shae Bolton-Brown, said the club was thrilled to lock in a player of Price’s calibre as they looked towards the next chapter of their story.

“When we heard that Jamie-Lee was keen to move to Melbourne, we knew this was a signature we had to get. Obviously, she is a world-class talent, but with a relatively young squad, we think her leadership on and off the court is a really valuable asset as well.

“We think the kind of netball we play on-court and the ethos of the club off the court make us and Jamie-Lee a really good fit, so we can’t wait to see how our mutual relationship develops next season.”

Price is the sixth player the Mavs have confirmed on their 2026 roster, alongside Reilley Batcheldor, Kim Brown, Shimona Jok, Molly Jovic and Amy Parmenter.

Mavericks lock in new shooting star for 2026

The Melbourne Mavericks have signed shooting star Reilley Batcheldor for the 2026 season.

Batcheldor joins the Mavericks from Sunshine Coast Lightning, bringing her trademark long-range shooting, calm court presence and elite-level experience.

The 23-year-old made her SSN debut in 2022 and quickly earned a reputation as a fearless and accurate shooter.

Despite missing the 2023 season due to an ACL injury, she returned in 2024 with standout performances, including being named Player of the Match in the Fast Five World Series Grand Final, where she helped Australia claim the gold medal.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the Mavs,” Batcheldor said. “This club has built such a strong culture and identity in a short time, and I’m excited to be part of that journey.

"I’m looking forward to working with the coaching team and my new teammates, and I can’t wait to connect with the fans in Melbourne. I’m beyond grateful for this new opportunity in a netball crazy city!”

Coaching coup

The Melbourne Mavericks have locked in Nicole Richardson as part of their coaching team for the 2026 season.

Despite rumours of a potential cross-town switch to replace Vixens’ outgoing coach Simone McKinnis, Richo will remain part of the Mavs leadership team for another season.

“Being part of the Mavs from day one has been incredibly special,” she said.

“I’m proud of the culture we’ve built and the standards we’ve set, and I’m excited to keep working with this talented and driven playing group.

“There’s so much more to achieve, and I’m all in.”

A former elite netballer and decorated coach, Richardson also currently serves as an Assistant Coach with the Australian Diamonds, bringing invaluable international experience and insight to the Mavs.

Her coaching career spans roles with SSN clubs the Collingwood Magpies and West Coast Fever, as well as the City West Falcons in the Victorian Netball League (VNL), and she remains one of the most respected figures in Australian netball.

Trade shock: El Cardwell to depart

The Melbourne Mavericks have confirmed that star shooter Eleanor Cardwell will not be seeking a new contract for 2026.

Cardwell informed the club of her decision after a torrid season which was derailed by injury and surgery on her knee - her second round inside six months.

“It’s obviously been a really difficult year for me personally, not being able to take to the SSN court at all,” Cardwell said.

“As so many people know, the journey to return to play from injury is physically difficult, but emotionally it’s really hard too, and for me, it’s been compounded by not being surrounded by my family and close friends back home.

"The majority of my life out here is linked to netball, so when the girls are away for a game and I’m not travelling because I’m still rehabbing...it’s been a real mental challenge.

“I’ll be really sad to leave the girls but I’m looking forward to working towards my goal of returning to the court at the highest level and hopefully representing England at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games and the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.”

Jovic secures new deal

Molly Jovic has become the latest player to commit to the Mavericks' 2026 Super Netball campaign.

The versatile midcourter has been rewarded with another 12-month deal after a phenomenal season during which she always served as the club's vice-captain.

Among all the high of the 2025 season, Jovic secured a career-best 32 assists from 44 feeds in the Mavs destruction of the Swifts in their final home game of the season.

Jovic is the fourth Mav to put pen to paper for 2026 along with Kim Brown, Amy parmenter and Shimona Jok.

“I am really proud to continue my journey at the Mavs,” Jovic said. “I think - as we showed particularly during the latter stages of the season - we are building something special and growing together as a club.

"Hopefully we can continue that momentum into the 2026 season. The support from our fans is growing and I am excited to continue to represent them.”

Jok re-signs

Making the dreams of many a Mavericks fan come true, star shooter Shimona Jok has re-signed with the Melbourne SSN franchise for the 2026 season.

This season has seen Jok cement her place as the team’s starting goal shooter having played all 14 games, amassing a total of 937 Net Points whilst shooting 635 goals for the season – the third most in the League.

This capped off another season of personal career highlights for Jok, who celebrated her 100th national league game in Round 3, and notched her 4000th national league goal in Round 4.

A proud Jamaican, Jok is thrilled with her season and the fact she will remain with the Mavs for another year.

“It’s been talked about a lot, but to go from being without a contract last year to MVP, to now re-signing with the Mavs until the end of next season – its really nice to have certainty as to where I will be playing in the future," she said.

"Obviously, from a team perspective, this season didn’t play out as we hoped, but every single day in this environment, I’ve flourished.

"I’ve grown not just as a player, but as a person. I’m so grateful to the Mavs for believing in me and I really believe in what we’re building here, so I can’t wait to have a short break, re-set, and get stuck in again in 2026.”

Parmy signs on

The Melbourne Mavericks have made their first move in the 2025 trade a re-signing period locking down captain Amy Parmenter for the 2026 season.

The inaugural captain, who has led her side for the first two seasons in the Suncorp Super Netball, put pen to paper on a 12-month contract extension.

The move will bring stability and regular starting position to the 27-year-old in a crucial Diamonds year which will include the Commonwealth Games after the SSN season.

“I am so excited to be locked in with the Mavs for at least one more year,” she said. “It’s been tough at times, but we have built so much in the last year and a bit, and the team is really making moves, which is something I’m really proud of.

“My partner and I have bought a house in Melbourne and we’re really settled here now, so I’m going all in and looking forward to continuing to see the growth of our club both on and off the court.”

With the current Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) broadcast and digital rights deal between Netball Australia and the Foxtel Group expiring at the end of next year, the end of the 2026 SSN season is the longest any club can contract a player for this point in time.

Mavs General Manager, Shae Bolton-Brown, added that Parmenter’s signature was a crucial one team management were looking to secure to ensure the stability of the young club.

“Amy is a key member of our Mavs family; her leadership and guidance inspires everyone to be their best, no matter what their role is with the Mavs.

"She is a crucial cog in the machine on the court, and her ability also to read plays and her 100% effort into every game is something we want our entire team to leverage off.

“We are so lucky to have a human of Amy’s calibre leading our club both on and off the court."