The West Australian Netball League, also referred to as the ''WA Netball League'', is a

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own. It is one of a ...

league featuring teams from

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. It is organised by

Netball Western Australia Netball Western Australia is the governing body for netball in Western Australia. It is affiliated to Netball Australia. It is responsible for organizing and managing West Coast Fever who compete in Suncorp Super Netball. It is also responsible f ...

. On a national level, the league is effectively a third-level league, below

Suncorp Super Netball The Super Netball League (known predominantly by its sponsored name Suncorp Group, Suncorp Super Netball (SSN)) is a professional netball league in Netball in Australia, Australia. It superseded the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship, which also inc ...

and the

Australian Netball League The Australian Netball Championships, formerly the Australian Netball League, is an Australian netball competition. Since 2008, it has served as a second-level competition, initially below the ANZ Championship and later below Suncorp Super Net ...

. Over the last two decades West Australian Netball League has changed names multiple times. It was originally known as the ''Gold Netball League''. During the later 2000s and early 2010s, it was known as the ''Smarter than Smoking Netball League''. In 2019 it became known as the ''Gold Industry Group WANL''. Historically, the league's most successful team has been Southside Demons. During the 2010s, the most successful team was West Coast Warriors.

History

Early seasons

The league was launched in

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

as the Gold Netball League. It originally featured just one division. A reserves division was added in 1990 and an under-18 division added in 2000. The inaugural premiers in 1989 were Coastal Raiders. During the early 1990s, Perth Superdrome Bullets were the dominant team, winning four titles in a row between 1991 and 1994 and then a fifth title in 1996.

Demons

Historically, the WANL's most successful team are Demons. Founded in 1989 and originally based in Kenwick, Demons have played under various names. They won their first senior premiership in 1997 as ''KAE Sparks'' and a second in 2004 as ''Southside Sparks''. In 2004 they became the first WANL team to win all three divisions. In 2006, after forming a partnership with

Perth Football Club The Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is an Australian rules football club based in Lathlain, Western Australia, Lathlain, Western Australia, currently playing in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and WAFL Women's (WAFLW). R ...

, they became South East Demons. Between 2007 and 2010, as ''Midland Brick Demons'', they completed a four-in-a-row of senior premierships. As South East Demons they won a seventh and eight premiership in 2013 and 2014 respectively. In 2018 they adopted their current name, Southside Demons. Notable Demons players included

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

internationals,

Caitlin Bassett Caitlin Bassett (born 23 May 1988) is a former Australian netballer, who played for Giants Netball and the Australia national netball team. Between 2017 and 2021 Bassett captained Australia in international netball tests. Career Caitlin playe ...

and Courtney Bruce, and Jill McIntosh Medal winner, Lindal Rohde.

West Coast Warriors

During the 2010s the most successful WANL team was West Coast Warriors. Like Demons, Warriors have also played under several names. They originally played as ''West Coast Warriors''. They later became ''Wanneroo Warriors'', ''Compact Warriors'', ''West Coast Falcons'' and, in 2014, back to ''West Coast Warriors''. They won their first senior premiership in 1998. With a team coached by

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

international,

Ama Agbeze Ama Agbeze (born 12 November 1982) is an England netball international. She was captain when England won the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In 2019 she received an for her services to netball. She was also a member of the England ...

and featuring Alicia Janz, they won their second premiership in 2012 as West Coast Falcons. They have since won further premierships in 2016, 2017 and 2019. Other notable Warriors players include two time Jill McIntosh Medal winner, Andrea Gilmore.

Men's division

Between 2001 and 2004 the WANL featured a men's netball division. Bullets were the inaugural premiers. Coastals won the other three titles. The Men's Division was relaunched in 2018 featuring four teams – West Coast Warriors, Perth Lions, South East Demons and Wheatbelt Flames. West Coast Warriors would go on to win the first two titles.

Representative team

Western Sting who play in the

are effectively the representative team of the West Australian Netball League.

Teams

2020 teams

The 2020 season featured eight teams who enter teams in both the Open Division and the Under-20 Division. Four of the teams – Comets, Demons, Warriors and Roar – also enter teams in the Men's Division. ;Notes * Curtin Hamersley Comets is a partnership between

Curtin University Curtin University (previously Curtin University of Technology and Western Australian Institute of Technology) is an Australian public university, public research university based in Bentley, Western Australia, Bentley, Perth, Western Australia. ...

and Hamersley Netball Club. * East Freo Sharks are effectively the successor team of Coastal Sharks. They are a partnership between the Fremantle Netball Association and

East Fremantle Football Club The East Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Sharks and colloquially referred to as East Freo, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and WAFL Women's (WAFLW). The team's home ground is Eas ...

. * Peel Lightning is the representative team of the Peel Football Netball League. * Southside Demons previously played as KAE Sparks, Southside Sparks, Midland Brick Demons and South East Demons * Souwest Jets are affiliated with

Edith Cowan University Edith Cowan University (ECU) is a public research university in Western Australia. It is named in honour of the first woman to be elected to an Parliaments of the Australian states and territories, Australian parliament, Edith Cowan, and is, , t ...

. * West Coast Warriors previously played as Wanneroo Warriors, Compact Warriors, West Coast Falcons.

Senior grand finals

Notable players

Internationals

; *

Kate Beveridge Kate Beveridge (born 25 July 1985) is a former Australian netball player who played in the ANZ Championship for the Adelaide Thunderbirds in 2008–2010, Melbourne Vixens in 2011–2012 and West Coast Fever in 2013-2017. Beveridge is known for ...

* Courtney Bruce *

Susan Fuhrmann Susan Elizabeth Fuhrmann (born 30 July 1986), known as "the Fuhrmannator", is an Australian retired international netball player. Early life Susan Fuhrmann was born and raised in Katoomba, New South Wales until her parents moved to Perth when ...

; *

West Coast Fever

* Jessica Anstiss *

* Emma Beckett *

Kirby Bentley Kirby Bentley (born 9 May 1986) is an Australian rules footballer who played for the and Carlton Football Clubs in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW). Bentley was signed as a priority player by Fremantle in August 2016 ahead of the league's in ...

* Courtney Bruce * Ingrid Colyer *

* Andrea Gilmore * Alicia Janz *

Josie Janz-Dawson Josie Janz-Dawson (born 24 February 1988) is an Australian netball player in the Netball Superleague The Netball Super League is an elite netball league in the United Kingdom. The league is organised by England Netball but features teams bas ...

* Annika Lee-Jones *

Olivia Lewis Olivia Lewis (born 18 October 1978) is a Maltese singer. She has competed in the Malta Song For Eurovision festival, which selects the country's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest several times. At her 11th attempt she finally won the 2007 ...

* Tasha Nykyforak * Lindal Rohde

ANL MVP

Jill McIntosh Medal

The Jill McIntosh Medal is awarded annually to the WANL's

Best and fairest In Australian sport, the best and fairest award recognises the player(s) adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition. The awards are sometimes dependent on not receiving a suspensi ...

player. Between 1989 and 1990 it was called the ''Classique Player of the Series'' and between 1991 and 1993 it was called the ''Berri Medal''.

Sponsorship

* *

References

{{Netball leagues Netball in Western Australia

Western Sting

Netball Netball is a ball sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own. It is one of a ...

1989 establishments in Australia Sports leagues established in 1989