The Adelaide Thunderbirds’ midcourt is taking shape following three key signings for next season.
South Australians Maisie Nankivell and Hannah Petty, as well as South African international Shadine van der Merwe have all re-committed for 2021.
Nankivell solidified her place in the side in 2020, playing all 14 games and finishing the season sharing Club Champion honours with Shamera Sterling.
The 21-year-old proved her ability to swing between wing defence, centre and wing attack effectively to become an invaluable triple threat for the club.
With 157 assists, 16 intercepts and 29 deflections to her name, Nankivell finished the season on 775.5 Nissan Net Points with two appearances in the NNP Team of the Year.
To cap off an impressive 2020, she was named in the 2020/21 Australian Development Squad.
Thunderbirds’ High Performance Manager Pitre Bourdon said the club was thrilled to secure the versatile midcourter for 2021.
“Maisie really stepped up this season and showed us and the league what she could do,” Bourdon said.
“We saw glimpses of her brilliance in 2019 but she really hit her stride this season and was rewarded with Club Champion honours and a selection in the Diamonds’ development squad.
“She’s another incredibly versatile player for us, providing three great options across the midcourt, and we can’t wait to see her back in the pink next season.”
Nankivell started her netball career with Mundulla Netball Club in the state’s South-East before joining Matrics Netball Club in the Netball SA Premier League.
In her first season as co-captain, Petty played 10 games after missing a couple with illness and led by example on and off the court.
The 23-year-old’s professionalism and determination as a leader was paramount for the side in what was a tough 2020 season for the entire league.
“Hannah has always been a very natural leader in the team, and we saw her truly embrace her role as co-captain in 2020,” Bourdon said.
“With the pandemic and adjusting to the Queensland Hub, it certainly was a challenging year and Hannah stepped up as a leader and was a great influence on her teammates.
“We’re really excited to see her continue to grow not only as a leader, but also as an integral part of our midcourt in both centre and wing attack.”
Both Petty and Nankivell came through the Netball SA pathways and also greatly benefited from being scholarship holders with the South Australian Sports Institute program.
Van der Merwe played all 14 games in 2021 as the side’s primary wing defence.
The 27-year-old debuted with Thunderbirds in 2019 as a temporary replacement player but took her game to another level in 2020, earning a place in the 2021 side.
She capped off 2020 as the recipient of the Spirit Award for her positive impact on and off the court.
“Shadine’s leadership qualities really shined through in 2020,” Bourdon said.
“She showed significant growth in her role as a shutdown wing defence as well as her ability to drive the ball into attack.
“Shadine is also incredibly well respected amongst her peers and we can’t wait to see her back in Adelaide for pre-season.”
This announcement follows the news that shooting trio Georgie Horjus, Lenize Potgieter and Samantha Gooden had all signed for 2021.
