Two young players have been called up to work for the Melbourne Mavericks after injuries ended the season before it began for another Super Netball duo.
Rolene Stocker, a member of the South African national team, has succeeded Lauren Moore on the new team’s roster after the latter fell seriously during a preseason game against the Giants and tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee.
Moore will undergo reconstructive surgery, followed by rehab, and will miss the entire 2024 campaign.
Mavericks general manager Shae Bolton-Brown said Stocker had a “tremendous amount of potential.”
“Under the guidance of (head coach) Tracey (Neville), she will go from strength to strength,” Bolton-Brown said.
Former Collingwood shooter Shimona Jok has also been promoted from her training partner position to the number 11 player position, a complementary tactical position new to the competition that allows a training partner to be substituted in the event of injury or advantage strategic.
The move comes after Sasha Glasgow was ruled out for the season with a broken leg.
“Elevating a player of Shimona’s class to our 11th player is huge for us,” Bolton-Brown said.
“Shimona offers a completely new style of play on our offensive end, creating a layer of depth that is critical to our game plan.”
Jok was brought in as a training partner after the Magpies folded at the end of the 2023 season, and SEN took the eighth license and formed the Mavericks.
Stocker, Jok and their teammates will take on Melbourne rivals the Vixens on Sunday, April 14.
AAP
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