Kate Eddy has been left heartbroken after missing out on a Super Netball contract. (Getty: Mark Kolbe)
As the 2027 signing window comes to a close, it's clear great Australian talent will be missing from the Super Netball court next year.
Young shooter Lucy Austin is a dual premiership player and a Diamond. After making her international debut 10 months ago, she was not offered a contract.
24-year-old Lucy Austin moved to the Giants this year and played just four games before a foot injury ruled her out for the rest of the season. (ABC News: Guido Salazar)
Eight years toiling away on the fringe of selection finally paid off for Sharni Lambden in 2025. However, the lethal midcourter lasted just two seasons before being turfed out of the league.
Then there's the forced retirements of Em Mannix, Maddy Proud and Maddy Turner. Stalwarts of the game that have been squeezed out without a proper goodbye from fans. The former two are mothers that had only just returned from pregnancy and had more to give.
Emily Mannix talks about her extended absence from the Super Netball league, and why she's now ready to return for the Melbourne Vixens after a "freak accident" meant her daughter Mabel needed emergency care at birth.
There have been some brutal calls made across the eight teams in pursuit of success. Yet nothing has quite rocked the fan base like the loss of Kate Eddy.
The beloved defender won multiple titles during her nine seasons of Super Netball and played a key role in getting the Melbourne Vixens to the past three consecutive grand finals.
Swinging across the wing defence and goal defence positions, Eddy is versatile and a workhorse. She's a team player, great for building culture off the court and the kind of glue that pieces a bunch of superstars together on court.
On Monday, a devastated Eddy revealed a "breakdown in communication" meant she'd not only missed out on the opportunity to recommit to the Vixens but on a Super Netball contract altogether.
Only Jo Weston will remain from the club's premiership-winning defence of 2025. (AAP: Joel Carrett)
Although she has secured a non-playing role with the club and could still be picked up as an injury or pregnancy replacement, this has been the final nail in the coffin for Vixens supporters after a series of confusing contracting decisions.
Following a milestone year where the club set a 10,000-membership record, accounting for more than 25 per cent of the league's total membership base, many are now seriously considering whether to renew.
There are two very different version of events.
