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Cardwell returns as Mavs eye Grand Final upset
Emily Benammar • June 21st, 2025 10:59 am
- SSN reserves grand final starts at 2:15pm Sunday
- It will be live streamed on Code Sports
- El plays for the first time this season
Three months after her Super Netball season was derailed by another round of knee surgery, superstar shooter El Cardwell will return to the court this weekend as the Melbourne Mavericks contest the SSN Reserves Grand Final.
Having lost just one match in their inaugural season in the SSN Reserves competition, the Mavs will be out for revenge against a strong Fever outfit that pipped them by three goals in their earlier encounter.
Central to claiming the title of SSN Reserves Champion for 2025 will be the return of Cardwell who has been undergoing an intense rehab program following her surgery in March – her second on the same knee inside six months.
“This will be a crucial part of El’s return-to-play program and another step to getting her back to being SSN match-ready,” said Mavs Assistant Coach and Head of Pathways, Nicole Richardson.
“The plan was to have her available for the Mavs Reserves for their double header last weekend, but unfortunately, she wasn’t medically cleared. We can’t wait to see her out on court on Sunday.”
Cardwell is not the only big name to have returned from significant injury this season with fellow shooter Sasha Glasgow – who missed the entire 2024 season – getting back on court last month, 18 months after suffering a near-career ending injury.
The Mavs have made an immediate mark on the reserve’s competition and their spot in the final is testament to the depth of their program.
This weekend the Mavs will be captained by Sacha McDonald as they look to add another accolade to their journey in their first outing in the reserves competition and less than two years in the SSN.
“We are really proud of the team,” said Richardson. “We were really confident in the team we selected at the start of the season, but we also though that some of the Mavs Training Partners – such as Uneeq Palavi and Jessie Grenvold – might have been more available to the line-up throughout the season, so for them to be clearly in the top two teams in their inaugural season is really a credit to [head coach] Tracey [Brereton], and the entire squad.”
“The Super Netball Reserves is the premier pathway competition for Australian netball talent, so there’s going to be some really great talent on display at Waverley this week.
“Whilst it’s disappointing we won't be able to support the team in person, we’ll be keenly following from afar whilst we’re in Queensland preparing to take on the Firebirds.”
MAVS SQUAD
- Taylah Brown
- Eleanor Cardwell
- Zoe Davies (vc)
- Chloe Duke
- Teal Hocking
- Charli Hoey
- Montana Holmes
- Sacha McDonald (c)
- Lauren Parkinson
- Millie Roach
- Eryn Stocker
- Mia van Wyk
- Emma Walters
__SUPER NETBALL RESERVES – GRAND FINAL MATCH DETAILS __
- Who: West Coast Fever Reserves v Mavs Reserves
- When: Sunday 22 June
- Where: Waverley Netball Centre
- Time: 2.15pm AEST
- Tickets: Entry is FREE but all spectators must redeem a ticket here
- Broadcast: The SN Reserves Grand Final will be exclusively livestreamed by CODE Sports
