Super Netball 2026: West Coast Fever young gun Olivia Wilkinson returns to take on Queensland Firebirds

West Coast Fever’s dangerous shooting circle just got a whole lot more lethal with young gun Olivia Wilkinson named for her first game of the season. Wilkinson has come into Fever’s squad to take on the Queensland Firebirds at RAC Arena on Sunday afternoon, with training partner Sloan Burtin omitted. The 22-year-old shooter has missed the first four matches of the season because of an ankle injury she sustained in the pre-season, having been close to becoming a late inclusion for the 20-goal win over the NSW Swifts last weekend. It gives coach Dan Ryan greater flexibility with his shooting combinations, but he said Wilkinson’s role would be dependent on how the game panned out as they look to manage her loads after limited preparation. “She’s banked a good couple of weeks training with the team now, so it’s good to integrate her back and build her in from here,” he told The West Australian. “Being realistic, in her first game back, it’s going to be a bit more of a slow burn, more than anything. We certainly can’t be underestimating the power of the Firebirds. “She will have a role to play if we need her either across goal shooter or goal attack, and have an open mind if there’s an entry, but certainly it’s going to be what the game demands of us more than anything.” While Fever have undoubtedly missed the dominance of the world’s best shooter in Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, the combination of returning grand final hero Sasha Glasgow and veteran Romelda Aiken-George is becoming potent every week. Ryan said it was a delicate balance to test the team’s versatility upon Wilkinson’s return, as they made sure to bank wins. “We saw some glimpses in pre-season as to what an Olivia and Sasha moving circle combination could look like,” he said. “We haven’t had a lot of time with that now the season has kicked off, so it’s certainly something we want to explore over the next period of time. “And making sure we’re still doing what’s best for the team and banking wins while also exploring our versatility and what our alternative options could look like.”