West Australian Netball League


The West Australian Netball League, also referred to as the WA Netball League, is a State [league (sport)|state] netball league featuring teams from Western Australia. It is organised by Netball Western Australia. On a national level, the league is effectively a third-level league, below Suncorp Super Netball and the Super Netball Reserves competitions.
Over the last two decades West Australian Netball League has changed names multiple times. It was originally known as the Gold Netball League. During the later 2000s and early 2010s, it was known as the Smarter than Smoking Netball League. In 2019 it became known as the Gold Industry Group WANL. Historically, the league's most successful team has been Southside Demons. During the 2010s, the most successful team was West Coast Warriors.

History

Early seasons

The league was launched in 1989 as the Gold Netball League. It originally featured just one division. A reserves division was added in 1990 and an under-18 division added in 2000. The inaugural premiers in 1989 were Coastal Raiders. During the early 1990s, Perth Superdrome Bullets were the dominant team, winning four titles in a row between 1991 and 1994 and then a fifth title in 1996.

Southside Demons

Historically, the WANL's most successful team are Demons. Founded in 1989 and originally based in Kenwick, Demons have played under various names. They won their first senior premiership in 1997 as KAE Sparks and a second in 2004 as Southside Sparks. In 2004 they became the first WANL team to win all three divisions. In 2006, after forming a partnership with Perth Football Club, they became South East Demons. Between 2007 and 2010, as Midland Brick Demons, they completed a four-in-a-row of senior premierships. As South East Demons they won a seventh and eight premiership in 2013 and 2014 respectively. In 2018 they adopted their current name, Southside Demons. Notable Demons players included Australia national [netball team|Australia] internationals, Caitlin Bassett and Courtney Bruce, and Jill McIntosh Medal winner, Lindal Rohde.

West Coast Warriors

During the 2010s the most successful WANL team was West Coast Warriors. Like Demons, Warriors have also played under several names. They originally played as West Coast Warriors. They later became Wanneroo Warriors, Compact Warriors, West Coast Falcons and, in 2014, back to West Coast Warriors. They won their first senior premiership in 1998. With a team coached by England international, Ama Agbeze and featuring Alicia Janz, they won their second premiership in 2012 as West Coast Falcons. They have since won further premierships in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Other notable Warriors players include three time Jill McIntosh Medal winner Caitlyn Brown, two time Jill McIntosh Medal winner and Australian Diamond #189 Donnell Wallam and two time Jill McIntosh Medal winner Andrea Gilmore.

Men's division

Between 2001 and 2004 the WANL featured a men's netball division. Bullets were the inaugural premiers. Coastals won the other three titles. The Men's Division was relaunched in 2018 featuring four teams – West Coast Warriors, Perth Lions, South East Demons and Wheatbelt Flames. West Coast Warriors would go on to win the first two titles before Roar dominated winning 4 in a row. In 2024, Rangers entered a men’s side in the competition and Peel Lightning followed suit in 2026.

Revamped competition

Netball WA announced a revamped competition in 2019, initially with seven clubs, with Peel Lightning joining for the 2020 season. Now known as GIG WANL under a new sponsorship from the Gold Industry Group, the new format included an Open, 20U and Men's division with most games held at the Gold Netball Centre, rather than at local club venues. Jets and Lightning hold three home games per season in Eaton and Mandurah respectively. The 20U division was reworked to 21U for the 2024 season and beyond.
Western Roar has been the dominant club since the new iteration of GIG WANL, winning two Open premierships, five 20U/21U premierships, and five Men's premierships including four in a row from 2022–2025. West Coast Warriors have won the most Open premierships with 3.

Clubs

The 2026 season features the below eight clubs. The divisions in which they compete in are represented in green.
TeamVenueAffiliated Club/AssociationRegionFoundedOpen21UMen
CometsGold Netball CentreHamersley NC
Noranda NA		Perth [metropolitan region|Perth]2019
Fremantle SharksGold Netball CentreFremantle NAPerth2019
Peel LightningGold Netball Centre
Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre 		Peel FNLPeel2019
RangersGold Netball CentreKalamunda Districts NAPerth1988
Southside DemonsGold Netball CentreSouthern Districts NAPerth1989
Souwest JetsGold Netball Centre
Eaton Recreation Centre 		South West FNLSouth West1989
West Coast WarriorsGold Netball CentreWanneroo Districts NAPerth1989
Western RoarGold Netball CentreNonePerth2019

;Notes
  • Southside Demons previously played as KAE Sparks, Southside Sparks, Midland Brick Demons and South East Demons
  • West Coast Warriors previously played as Wanneroo Warriors, Compact Warriors, West Coast Falcons.

    Grand finals

Notable players

Internationals

The Jill McIntosh Medal is awarded annually to the WANL's Best and fairest player. Between 1989 and 1990, it was called the Classique Player of the Series and between 1991 and 1993, it was known as the Berri Medal.
SeasonWinnersTeam
1989Jodie McGowanStirling Saints
1990Peta SimeonSparks
1991Jenny JonesFlames
1992Sharon JarrottPerth Superdrome Bullets
1993Chelsey MardonCoastal Pumas
1994Peta Simeon Sparks
1995Waveney SeinorCoastal Pumas
1996Leith FraddSuperdrome Bullets
1997Angela Lloyd-WoodsJets
1998Nardine ClarkeFlames
1999Paula FergusonWest Coast Warriors
2000Michelle AtwellWest Coast Warriors
2001Amanda SantaromitaBullets
2002Fiona MitchellWAIS-Coastals
2003Susan FuhrmannJets
2004Cath DevittCoastals
2005Cath Devitt Coastals
2006Kyra NealDemons
2007Kym HunterPerth Bullets
2008Emma BeckettSharks
2009Mia WashbourneWAIS
2010Kodie BlayMidland Brick Demons
2011Sally JoynesSharks
2012Ama AgbezeWest Coast Falcons
2013Rochelle McKeePerth Lions
2014Ashleigh NealSouth East Demons
2015Andrea GilmoreWest Coast Falcons
2016Lindal RohdeSouth East Demons
2017Andrea Gilmore West Coast Warriors
2018Olivia LewisCoastal Sharks
2019Donnell WallamWest Coast Warriors
2020Donnell Wallam West Coast Warriors
2021Ruth AryangECU Souwest Jets
2022Caitlyn BrownWest Coast Warriors
2023Georgia PittRangers
2024Caitlyn Brown Western Roar
2025Caitlyn Brown Western Roar

Sponsorship