Club Centurion and double-Premiership champion Maddy Turner will lead the NSW Swifts in 2026 after being named Captain for their Suncorp Super Netball campaign.
A defensive stalwart who made her debut in 2016, Turner is one of the most revered players in Swifts history and is set to make her 150th competitive appearance for the Club against the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Round 1 next month.
An Australian Diamond who was named the Super Netball Grand Final MVP in 2021, the 30-year-old has played four Grand Finals for the Swifts, winning Premierships in 2019 and 2021.
In 2025 Turner shared captaincy duties with Paige Hadley, who is taking time out to welcome her first child, but this is the first time the specialist goal defence will be the stand-alone leader of the Club.
She will be amply supported in her new role by fellow double champions Helen Housby, who has been appointed Vice-Captain, and Tayla Fraser who rounds out the leadership group.
With the Swifts celebrating their 30th Anniversary in 2026, Turner said she was humbled and honoured to lead.
“This is without doubt one of the most special moments of my career and I am truly honoured to get the opportunity to lead this wonderful bunch of players and be a voice for the wider Club too.
“The Swifts have been my home for over a decade, and to have this trust placed in me is truly humbling.
“I want to thank Briony (Akle, Swifts Head Coach) and my teammates and promise to do my utmost to drive the legacy of this great Club forward.
“I am also really excited to work more closely with Helen and Tayla. I have played so many games with them, won Grand Finals with them and lost Grand Finals them, so we’ve been through a lot and that experience is priceless.
“Our first job is to lead from the front for the rest of the pre-season and have our squad ready to go when the real competition starts.”
Akle said she couldn’t think of more deserving player than Turner to lead the Swifts.
“Maddy Turner probably possesses the most intelligent netball mind that I have ever come across, and her knowledge of the game is unrivalled.
“She is so unassuming but behind that façade is the steel of a champion. You don’t play four Grand Finals for the Swifts without being bloody tough. Maddy has a drive that lifts not just her standard, but those around her too.
“When Maddy speaks everyone goes silent because she commands that respect, and she always choses the right time to speak. She has been a quiet achiever who has developed into a formidable leader.
“I am also delighted to see Helen and Tayla make the step up. Helen has achieved everything in Super Netball and at the Swifts, but she is hungry for more and she’ll drive that attack end.
“It’s also been really special to welcome Tayla home from Melbourne. She had two Premierships with the Swifts at a young age and then went to explore pastures new. But now she’s back and ready for this next step.”
