The GIANTS are excited to confirm their first list of re-signings for the 2024 Suncorp Super Netball signing period.
After a landmark partnership deal was announced between Netball Australia and the Australia Players Association on Wednesday, the GIANTS are delighted to confirm the immediate re-signing of seven previous GIANTS.
Headlining the re-signings are Diamonds duo Jamie-Lee Price and Sophie Dwyer, with the talented duo recommitting for the maximum term of three years.
Price and Dwyer have continued to take their game from strength to strength since they last ran out in GIANTS’ colours in June, following strong performances in their respective Australian Diamonds commitments over the past five months.
Powerful midcourter, Price, was named player of the match in two of the Diamonds’ eight games at the Netball World Cup and was also rewarded for a strong 2023 Super Netball campaign, named in the centre position in the 2023 Team of the Year.
Meanwhile, Dwyer continues her emergence as one of Australian netball’s best goal attacks as she continues to back up her Super Netball form on the world stage.
Fan favourite and international talent Jo Harten will be back in the orange and charcoal for at least another two seasons, signing on until the end of 2025.
The recently retired English Rose and four-time club champion has spent the off-season getting her body right and is more determined than ever to lead her side back into a finals campaign in 2024.
The GIANTS’ shooting circle will have a consistent look and feel for the immediate future, with emerging shooter Matisse Letherbarrow also signing on for another two seasons.
Letherbarrow proved her potential during the 2023 season, with the emergence of the 21-year-old's long-range shooting, combined with Harten and Dwyer proving a dangerous trio for opposition defenders.
The young talent will continue to feature throughout the GIANTS’ list with Amy Sligar and Tilly McDonell also re-committing.
Sligar will be putting her best forward to fill the position of the vacant wing defence position and add to her 15 caps over the next two seasons in the orange and charcoal.
Meanwhile, McDonell will be wanting to capitalise on her experience in the GIANTS’ defensive end, with the much-loved character the only returning defender for the GIANTS in season 2024.
The ever-reliable Maddie Hay has also signed a multi-year contract extension, with the 2023 co vice-captain signing for another two seasons.
GIANTS head coach Julie Fitzgerald said she is delighted to be able to begin to confirm her playing roster for the 2024 season.
“It is such a relief to have the negotiations sorted and to be able to well and truly turn our focus towards 2024,” she said.
“We’ve retained a core group of players which is a fantastic result given the amount of movement that has been predicted in this contracting period.
“We believe the consistency and stability in retaining such a core will build the foundations for what we want to achieve in both the immediate future but for the years to come.
“We won’t shy away from the fact that we were disappointed with our results in season 2023. We pride ourselves on being a successful club and we now get the opportunity to put in the work to turn things around in a bid to return to playing finals, a place where we believe we belong.
“I want to commend not only the players for their resilience over this challenging period leading up to the contracting window but also our members and fans for their patience.
“We look forward to announcing some new and exciting players over the coming days that we believe complement our existing and returning list.”
