Super Netball 2024: Kelsey Browne opens up on retirement backflip after lifeline from West Coast Fever

In Super Netball’s incredible game of musical chairs, Australian midcourt star Kelsey Browne was left without a seat after Collingwood’s untimely demise. A former Diamond, Browne had no intention of playing in 2024 and instead had begun planning the next stage of her life away from the sport after not being offered a contract by any of the other 10 teams. The two-time Sunshine Coast Lightning premiership midcourter had publicly conceded her professional career was over in a passionate social media post that got plenty of love by the netball fraternity. “I had said no to netball. I needed a bit of time out,” Browne told The West Australian. “It hurt with Collingwood finishing the way it did and sometimes you just don’t have control of those things. “It was a big sort of five months processing what was happening. I hadn’t made any plans to play netball.” Less than a day later Browne got a phone call from West Coast Fever coach Dan Ryan that changed everything. Fever had an unexpected spot on their roster after the shock retirement of star Verity Simmons, who has now crossed codes and will play AFLW for West Coast Eagles. “He asked where I was at with netball and how I was feeling given the announcement the day before,” Browne said. “There was a process to go through. He wasn’t offering me the contract right there and then. “It was a bit of a process of getting to know each other and seeing if I was the right fit for Fever and if moving to the west was something that I was open to.” The 32-year-old might have decided her career was likely over, but once the opportunity to join Fever presented itself there was only going to be one response. “When Dan called me my initial reactions spoke volumes of where I was at and it was another opportunity with an incredible club who’s been really successful with the group that they’ve had,” Ryan said. “Dan runs a really tight ship and the players here are a group of players that I would have never dreamed of playing with. “The immediate response and how I felt when he got on that phone was I want to do this and I want to go there. So not too much time to think. “When that list of players is presented to you as one that you could step into and potentially play a role in, it’s a pretty easy decision.” Browne is one of five fresh faces on Fever’s list for the upcoming season, but comes into a settled midcourt that features tough vice-captain Jess Anstiss, influential wing-attack Alice Teague-Neeld and upgraded training partner Jordan Cransberg. And despite her experience and the absence of Simmons, Browne isn’t expecting to be an automatic starter come round one against the Giants on April 13. “Coming to Fever, it’s all about playing whatever role I need to play,” Browne said. “I don’t know what role I play, but whatever it is, I’ll be happy to slot in wherever. It’s more just about supporting everybody else in what they’ll be doing. “There’s no real goals for me personally, it’s about coming in and trying to fit into a team that is a pretty impressive list and slotting into that to see where I fit. If that’s playing or that’s not playing, I’m happy either way.” While Browne is being modest about her own personal ambitions, she did not shy away when speaking about what the team can accomplish in 2024. Fever only won the premiership less than 18 months ago, but half of the team that won their maiden flag is no longer there - including captain Courtney Bruce and grand final MVP Sasha Glasgow. They’ve replaced them with an impressive host of stars though in Jamaican’s Shanice Beckford and Kadie-Ann Dehaney as well as England defender Fran Williams, while also retaining five-time SSN player of the year Jhaniele Fowler. “You can’t be a professional athlete involved in a club if you don’t think you’ve got the capacity to win and when Dan called me I did say this to him,” Browne said. “The thing that’s exciting me is we have a chance to win another premiership and I genuinely believe in this group. “Jhaniele has been the best player of the competition for however long she’s been involved, Shanice coming over ... to have players like that in the line-up and established players in SSN like Jess, Sunday (Aryang) and Alice, I think the line-up is exciting that’s why I think I can come in and impact where necessary, because I think the list is pretty incredible.” Fever are ramping up their preparations for the 2024 season with Jamaicans Fowler and Dehaney joining the squad this week in Perth. It leaves only Aryang and Williams left to return, with the pair away on international duty and set to join in for pre-season training early next month ahead of Fever’s first pre-season hit-outs against West Australian’s men’s team in Port Headland in early March. Fever will then head to Melbourne where they will battle new Super Netball franchise the Melbourne Mavericks, before taking part in the Bendigo Blitz pre-season tournament where they are scheduled to face the Melbourne Vixens and Giants.