West Coast Fever is a professional netball club based in Perth, Western Australia, competing in Suncorp Super Netball, Australia’s top-flight women’s netball league. After years as one of the competition’s nearly-teams, the Fever won their first national title in 2022 and have since become one of the most consistent sides in the league. This guide sets out the club’s history, honours, home base and key figures using verified facts and figures.
Quick Facts
| Full name | West Coast Fever |
|---|---|
| Based in | Perth, Western Australia |
| Founded | 2008 (successor to the Perth Orioles, 1997–2007) |
| League | Suncorp Super Netball |
| Home venue | RAC Arena, Perth |
| Team colours | Green and white |
| Head coach | Dan Ryan |
| Captain | Jess Anstiss |
| Premierships | 1 (2022) |
| Grand finals | 2018, 2020, 2022, 2025 |
From the Perth Orioles to West Coast Fever
West Coast Fever’s story begins with the Perth Orioles, a Western Australian side that played in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy from 1997 to 2007. When that competition was replaced, Netball WA launched a new franchise in November 2007 to represent the state in the newly formed trans-Tasman league. West Coast Fever took the court for the first time in 2008.
Although the Fever are the direct successor to the Orioles, the club dates its own founding to 2008 and competes under the green-and-white “Fever” identity that it still uses today.
The ANZ Championship years
From 2008 to 2016 the Fever played in the ANZ Championship, the trans-Tasman competition that brought together Australian and New Zealand teams. It was a difficult era: through those seasons the Fever were the only Australian franchise never to reach a grand final. A turnaround began in the mid-2010s, and by 2015 the club recorded its strongest ANZ Championship season, laying the groundwork for the success that followed.
Rise in Suncorp Super Netball
When the trans-Tasman league split along national lines, the Australian teams formed a new domestic competition in 2017. West Coast Fever have played in Suncorp Super Netball ever since, and it is in this era that the club found sustained success. Understanding the on-court roles — such as the goal shooter and goal keeper — helps make sense of how the team is built; you can read more about the different netball positions if you are new to the sport.
Grand final heartbreak in 2018 and 2020
The Fever reached their first grand final in 2018, losing 62-59 to the Sunshine Coast Lightning. Two years later they finished the 2020 regular season as minor premiers — the team with the most points after the round-robin phase — and returned to the decider, only to fall 66-64 to the Melbourne Vixens. Both finals ended in narrow, single-figure defeats.
The 2020-21 salary cap sanction
In December 2020, Netball Australia found that West Coast Fever had breached the competition’s total player payment cap in 2018 and 2019 through undisclosed contracts. The club was fined $300,000 (half of it suspended) and stripped of 12 competition points, applied at the start of the 2021 season. It was the largest sanction in the history of Australian netball. The investigation found no evidence that players were aware of the breaches, and the club was found compliant for the 2020 season.
2022: a maiden premiership
West Coast Fever won the first premiership in the club’s history in 2022, defeating the Melbourne Vixens 70-59 in the grand final in front of a sell-out home crowd at RAC Arena in Perth. Led by goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler and captain Courtney Bruce under head coach Dan Ryan, the title finally converted years of near-misses into silverware.
Recent seasons
The Fever have remained a finals fixture in the seasons since. In 2025 they produced one of the most dominant regular seasons in the competition’s history, claiming the minor premiership before losing the grand final to the Melbourne Vixens by a single goal, 59-58. In 2026 they again reached the finals — a seventh consecutive appearance — finishing third after a preliminary-final loss to the Vixens.
Grand Final Record
| Year | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Sunshine Coast Lightning | Lost | 62–59 |
| 2020 | Melbourne Vixens | Lost | 66–64 |
| 2022 | Melbourne Vixens | Won (Premiers) | 70–59 |
| 2025 | Melbourne Vixens | Lost | 59–58 |
Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and other key players
The player most associated with West Coast Fever is Jamaican goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard (formerly Jhaniele Fowler), who joined the club in 2018. She is widely regarded as the most prolific shooter the league has produced: in 2025 she became the first player to reach 9,000 career National League goals, and she has been named Super Netball’s most valuable player on six occasions. Her accuracy and volume have anchored the Fever’s attack throughout their most successful period.
Other figures central to the club include long-serving defender and former captain Courtney Bruce, current captain Jess Anstiss, and head coach Dan Ryan, who has guided the side since 2022.
Home venue and colours
West Coast Fever play their home matches at RAC Arena in central Perth, a large indoor stadium that has hosted record netball crowds for the club, including sell-out grand-final and regular-season attendances. The team competes in green and white, colours that link back to Western Australian netball tradition.
Rivalries
As a leading Suncorp Super Netball side, the Fever contest fixtures against every Australian club, but a few match-ups carry extra weight. Their grand-final meetings have created a strong rivalry with the Melbourne Vixens, while high-stakes finals clashes with the New South Wales Swifts and hard-fought contests against the Queensland Firebirds are regularly among the most anticipated games of the season.
Community and culture
Beyond the elite team, West Coast Fever is the flagship of netball in Western Australia and is closely tied to Netball WA’s grassroots programmes. The club runs clinics and community activities aimed at growing participation and giving young players in the state a pathway into the sport.
Sources
- West Coast Fever — Club History
- Suncorp Super Netball — West Coast Fever sanctioned for salary cap breach
- ABC News — West Coast Fever fined and stripped of premiership points
- Netball Australia — How Fowler-Nembhard became queen of the goal circle
- West Coast Fever — Sixth SSN MVP for Jhaniele
- ABC News — Melbourne Vixens defeat West Coast Fever in 2026 finals
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When did West Coast Fever win their first premiership?
West Coast Fever won their first and, to date, only premiership in 2022, beating the Melbourne Vixens 70-59 in the Suncorp Super Netball grand final at RAC Arena in Perth.
Where are West Coast Fever based and where do they play?
The club is based in Perth, Western Australia, and plays its home matches at RAC Arena, a large indoor stadium in the city centre.
Who is West Coast Fever’s most famous player?
Jamaican goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard is the club’s best-known player. She is the record scorer in the national league and a six-time Super Netball most valuable player.
What league do West Coast Fever play in?
They compete in Suncorp Super Netball, Australia’s top domestic women’s netball competition. Before 2017 they played in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship, and their predecessor, the Perth Orioles, played in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy.
Why were West Coast Fever penalised in 2020?
In December 2020 Netball Australia found the club had exceeded the salary cap in 2018 and 2019 through undisclosed contracts. The Fever were fined $300,000 (half suspended) and docked 12 competition points at the start of the 2021 season.
