West Coast Fever coach Stacey Marinkovich says she'll be spoilt for choice this Super Netball season as key players Verity Charles and Shannon England prepare to make their returns from injury.
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Charles and England will be back in action during the Fever's upcoming trip east, where they'll take on the Australian Diamonds, Giants, NSW Swifts, and England Roses.
The pre-season fixtures will give the Fever much-needed time to get their combinations in check ahead of their season opener against the Thunderbirds in Adelaide on April 29.
England hasn't played since rupturing her ACL in round four last season, while Charles has been sidelined after undergoing a knee clean up.
Both players are set to play key roles this season as the Fever attempt to snare a finals berth.
"They're absolutely jumping out of their skin," Marinkovich said.
"They've worked extremely hard for a long period of time now, and they've ticked every box to enable them to get out there and be fully fit and ready to go.
"It's been good having a longer pre-season, that we've been able to make sure they're coming back better than what they were before their injuries.
"At the moment I'm spoilt for choice. We have great depth across our squad."
The Fever only narrowly avoided the wooden spoon last season, winning just two of their 14 games.
But the addition of 198cm Jamaican goalshooter Jhaniele Fowler has boosted hopes of a significant charge up the table in 2018.
Marinkovich has noticed the quality go up within the entire player group.
"The individual gains people have had have been fantastic," she said.
"That's something else that has changed within the group - as soon as someone else is improving, the other person wants to step up.
"There's a real rivalry amongst the group. They're for each other, but they're also pushing each other, which has taken performance up on the court."
Australian Associated Press
