The Adelaide Thunderbirds Futures, formerly the Southern Force, is an Australian netball team that represents Netball South Australia in the Super Netball Reserves competition. The Thunderbirds Futures is the reserve team of Suncorp Super Netball club, Adelaide Thunderbirds. The team is made up of selected stand-out players from the Netball South Australia Premier League, Adelaide Thunderbirds training partners and some contracted Thunderbirds players.
Under the Southern Force name, the team were champions of the Australian Netball League/Australian Netball Championships in 2012 and 2022 and were runners-up in 2015.
History Australian Netball League Between 2008 and 2011, Netball South Australia's ANL team simply played as South Australia. They were a foundation member of the league. In 2012, they rebranded to become the Southern Force, a name that was first suggested by members of the 2011 ANL squad. In 2012 with a squad that included Kelly Altmann, Georgia Beaton, Cody Lange, Maddy Proud, Melissa Rowland, Kate Shimmin and Sheree Wingard, Force finished as ANL Champions, defeating NNSW Waratahs 50–36 in the grand final. In 2015, with a squad that saw Lange, Shimmin and Wingard joined by Sarah Klau, Hannah Petty, Samantha Poolman and Maddy Turner, the Southern Force reached the grand final for a second time. However, on this occasion they lost 58–46 to Victorian Fury.
Super Netball Reserves In 2025, the Australian Netball Championships (ANC) was rebranded to the Super Netball Reserves by Netball Australia. This new format of the competition ran alongside the Suncorp Super Netball season, with Thunderbirds Futures games taking place alongside the Adelaide Thunderbirds games, usually pre- or post-SSN match at the same venue, or alternatively the day before or after an SSN match at a different venue.
Grand finals SeasonWinnersScoreRunners upVenue2012Southern Force50–36NNSW WaratahsWaverley Netball Centre, Melbourne2015Victorian Fury58–46Southern ForceWaverley Netball Centre, Melbourne2022Southern Force59-57Victorian FuryTraralgon Notable players 2026 squad
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Internationals
Lucy Austin Matilda Garrett Georgie Horjus Sarah Klau Samantha Poolman Maddy Proud Kate Shimmin Maddy Turner
Beth Cobden Sasha Glasgow Kate Shimmin
Malysha Kelly
Cathrine Tuivaiti
Cathrine Tuivaiti
Adelaide Thunderbirds Gia Abernethy Kelly Altmann Lucy Austin Georgia Beaton Chelsea Blackman Kristina Brice Emily Burgess Sophie Casey Jane Fitzgerald Lauren Frew Matilda Garrett Sasha Glasgow Kayla Graham Jessica Hazel Charlee Hodges Georgie Horjus Sarah Klau Cody Lange Maisie Nankivell Laura Packard Hannah Petty Samantha Poolman Maddy Proud Stephanie Puopolo Melissa Rowland Kate Shimmin Cathrine Tuivaiti Sanmarie Visser Leigh Waddington Khao Watts Tayla Williams Sheree Wingard
League MVP Season Player 2015Kate Shimmin2025Lucy Voyvodic
Head coaches Coach YearsTania Obst2010, 2012Dan Ryan2013Tania Obst2014–2016Brian Lines2017–2020Jacqui Illman2021-present
Premierships Australian Netball League Winners: 2012 Runners up: 2015 Australian Netball Championships Winners: 2022
References