Double Premiership-winning defender Maddy Turner will become a 10 year servant of the NSW Swifts after committing to the Club until the end of 2026.
Already a Swifts Centurion with 118 games under her belt, the 27-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers for the seven-time Premiers since making her debut in 2016.
In that time, she’s played four Grand Finals (2016, 2019, 2021, 2023), winning titles in 2019 and 2021 and earning international selection with the Australian Diamonds.
Turner, who has been part of the Swifts leadership team since 2020, said she never considering going anywhere else, despite being off contract at the end of 2023.
“I know it’s a cliché but the Swifts have been like a family to me,” she said.
“They gave me a shot back in 2016 and since then I feel like we’ve all grown collectively to bring the Club back to being consistent title challengers in Australian netball.
“This year’s defeat in the Grand Final shows you can never rest on your laurels, and I really want us to build on what we’ve already achieved under Briony and bring more titles back to NSW.
“From playing at smaller venues when I started to filling out Ken Rosewall Arena now, to see how we’ve grown as a team and a Club is really exciting and I want to continue being part of that.
“As a player I still want to push for international selection and the Swifts are the Club that enables me to put by best case forward.
“The level of competition in Suncorp Super Netball is going up year after year, and committing my future for the next three years allows me to plan ahead and be at my best for both the team and myself.”
Swifts head coach Briony Akle was delighted to have Turner locked in for three more years.
“I think Maddy is one of the most unsung heroes of the Swifts because she is just so unassuming in how she goes about her business,” she said.
“Beneath her chilled exterior is one of the finest and most analytical netball minds I have ever come across, which constructively challenges us as coaches, and it is very important to have that kind of voice in the playing group.
“Few people are as consistently excellent week in and week out, and her combination with Sarah Klau has been the bedrock of our recent success because without turnovers you can’t win games.
“When Maddy speaks, everyone listens. As well as being a winner on court, she commands huge respect and knows how to read a game better than anyone I know. I am delighted that we have her in our camp for three more years.”
The Swifts will make further announcements about 2024 player signings in due course.
