Melbourne Vixens – Round 1 Squad Update

Caris, the Vixens’ eleventh player, will join the game day team on Sunday in place of Emily Mannix, who continues to build her return to competition after coming back from parental leave last year.

The 2026 season marks Caris’ fifth year in the reigning Suncorp Super Netball champions’ extended squad. The 22-year-old was elevated to the main squad in 2025 as a replacement player for Mannix, gaining valuable court time throughout the season.

A dynamic and aerially dominant defender, Caris contests strongly in the air and over the shot, using her elevation and reach to disrupt attacking plays. She has been a key figure across Victorian and national pathway programs, earning national squad selection in her age group every year from 2018 to 2023. She has also anchored the defensive end for Melbourne University Lightning in the Victorian Netball League since 2019.

Netball Victoria General Manager, High Performance and Pathways, Sharelle McMahon, said:
“Super Netball fans got a taste of what Maggie’s capable of when she took the court last 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 last year.”

“It is great having Emily back; she plays an important leadership role both on and off the court. The change allows Emily more time to integrate back into the team.”

The Melbourne Vixens will officially open their 2026 Suncorp Super Netball campaign on Sunday, 15 March, travelling to Nissan Arena in Brisbane to face the Queensland Firebirds at 2:00 pm AEDT.