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West Coast Fever stars stuck over east after Mark McGowan’s hard border backflip

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Mitchell WoodcockThe West Australian
West Coast Fever star Courtney Bruce her three of her teammates could be stuck over east indefinitely.
Camera IconWest Coast Fever star Courtney Bruce her three of her teammates could be stuck over east indefinitely. Credit: Chloe Knott/Getty Images for England Netball

West Coast Fever face the prospect of being without nearly half of their team in the weeks leading up to the 2022 Super Netball season after Premier Mark McGowan pushed back the opening of WA’s borders.

Fever had planned to have captain Courtney Bruce, star defender Sunday Aryang, imports Stacey Francis-Bayman and Jhaniele Fowler train in Melbourne before returning to WA once the borders opened on February 5.

Bruce and Aryang are coming home from London, where they helped Australia win the Quad Series this week under former Fever coach Stacey Marinkovich.

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Francis-Bayman represented England in the same series, while Fowler is yet to return from her native of Jamaica to start training with Fever.

Preliminary plans were to have all four stay in Melbourne and train together before returning to WA just over a month from the season opener, but McGowan’s announcement on Thursday night has changed those plans.

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If they were given permission enter WA they would have to isolate for 14 days, which would set back their pre-season.

Sunday Aryang made her international debut in London.
Camera IconSunday Aryang made her international debut in London. Credit: Chloe Knott/Getty Images for England Netball

“Our primary focus is on the well-being of our staff, West Coast Fever athletes, and netball participants and we will continue working with the State Government to follow health advice and implement COVID-19 directives,” Netball WA and West Coast Fever chief executive Simone Hansen said.

“With the delay to the re-opening of WA’s border, we are now seeking clarity on when the four West Coast Fever athletes who travelled overseas with international commitments can return to WA so they can join pre-season training with the rest of the squad as soon as possible.”

Bruce has spent most of the past seven months on the road, having been in Queensland with Fever to end the 2021 season, before staying in Brisbane to be a part of the Diamonds camp post-season.

The goal keeper then spent two weeks in the Northern Territory with teammates Verity Charles to avoid quarantine before returning to WA in November, and then heading to London this month.

Fever are set to open their campaign against Sunshine Coast Lightning on Sunday, March 27, just over nine weeks from now.

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