A 25th birthday celebration for Fever and Orioles  

Photo: Current Fever squad athlete Sloan Burton with mum and 1999 co-captain Julie-Ann Burton (nee Sloan)

Tuesday this week marked 25 years to the day that the Perth Orioles played their first ever match and the beginning of the evolution of the West Coast Fever Netball Club.  

The milestone will be officially celebrated at Fever's Round 5 game against the NSW Swifts on Sunday, April 17. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.

The journey began in a new National League competition in 1997 which included a 17-week fixture, new cutting-edge lycra dresses and eight teams from across the country all named after birds. 

There were the Ravens and Thunderbirds from Adelaide, Kestrels and Phoenix from Melbourne, Sydney Swifts and Sandpipers, the Queensland Firebirds, and of course the Perth Orioles.

A hard fought 45-53 loss to the Sandpipers in their first ever game on April 12th, 1997 was the beginning of a challenging era for the Orioles that included long road trips, limited resources, and athletes juggling full-time jobs with their playing commitments.  

Their inaugural season saw the Orioles record five wins and finish sixth on the ladder, with their first victory coming in Round 6 over the Adelaide Ravens.  

Some leaner seasons would follow but the Orioles continued to represent Western Australia with honour and build the foundations of a proud club that would be re-branded in 2008 as West Coast Fever to compete in a new trans-Tasman competition involving five teams each from Australia and New Zealand. 

Captained by Stacey Marinkovich (nee Rosman), Fever finished ninth in their first season and made gradual improvements over the ensuing years, qualifying for the club’s first Finals Series in 2015 with nine wins. 

Photo: Inaugural Fever captain Stacey Marinkovich (nee Rosman)

West Coast Fever continued to grow and evolve as a professional sporting franchise, entering the Suncorp Super Netball league in 2017 and reaching the Grand Final in 2018 and again in 2020.   

As the club celebrates the 25th anniversary of its origins this season, it has also expanded its footprint to integrate more than 60 athletes from across WA into a new club structure. 

This encompasses Futures, Reserves, and elite men in the club’s training environment. In addition, regional and metropolitan academies feed into the club, engaging approximately 500 netballers throughout WA in Fever Pod programs. 

This evolution is aimed at generating long-term sustainability and success for a club that commenced from humble beginnings 25 years ago to become an integral part of the West Australian and national sporting landscape. 

The off-court success will continue to be celebrated as the club enters an exciting new chapter and strives for the ultimate on-court success of a National League Grand Final victory in the seasons ahead.   

25 YEARS OF CLUB LEADERS 

Photo: Inaugural Orioles captain Waveney Seinor