Caris elevated as Vixens' eleventh player

2026 will mark 22-year-old Caris’ fifth year in the reigning Suncorp Super Netball champions’ extended squad, including having been elevated to the main squad in 2025 as a replacement player for Emily Mannix, who sat out the season on parental leave.

The rangy 190cm defender impressed in her six outings on court, showing she could match it with some of the league’s best goal shooters.

Hailing from Quantong, outside Horsham in Victoria’s Wimmera region, Caris contests well in the air and over the shot with strong elevation and reach. She has been a mainstay of the Victorian and national pathways, earning selection in the national squad for her age group every year from 2018-2023, and anchoring Melbourne University Lightning’s defensive end in the Victorian Netball League since 2019.

The eleventh player initiative was introduced in 2024, offering Super Netball clubs the opportunity to sign an additional athlete who can be brought into the match day squad for tactical purposes throughout the season, not just in the case of injury or illness to a contracted athlete.

Netball Victoria General Manager, High Performance and Pathways, Sharelle McMahon said:

“We were excited to see Maggie step up and take her opportunities in our SSN and SN Reserves programs this season, and we’re really pleased to be able to reward her efforts with another opportunity as our eleventh player heading into 2026.

“Super Netball fans got a taste of what Maggie’s capable of when she took the court this year – with that experience under her belt, the sky’s the limit. It’s fantastic to see a Victorian pathway talent like Maggie continuing to progress as part of our Vixens program.”

Melbourne Vixens head coach Di Honey said:

“Maggie’s a great teammate and an important member of our group – I’ve loved seeing her grow as an athlete and as a person in our program. She really grabbed her opportunities with both hands this season, so I’m excited to see what she can do next year building on that experience.”

The Vixens will begin their title defence against the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane on Sunday 15 March. View the 2026 SSN fixture