The Queensland Firebirds have boldly set their sights on making the Super Netball finals after narrowly avoiding the wooden spoon last season.
Having played finals just once in 2018, Queensland scraped only four wins together in this year’s 14-round home-and-away campaign.
Finishing second last, just one per cent separated the Firebirds from the now-defunct Collingwood Magpies.
Now they're determined to turn around their dismal league performance after the long-running dispute between the sport's elite players and the national governing body came to an end earlier this week.
Players across the competition were unable to sign new contracts until Wednesday, when a new three-year collective player agreement was locked in the wake of Netball Australia chief executive Kelly Ryan's resignation.
In what the club called a "significant show of stability", captain Kim Ravaillion and vice-captain Lara Dunkley have extended their stay at the Firebirds by one and two years respectively.
"It's definitely been tough but we've been so united, not just as a playing group, but as a club," Dunkley said on Friday.
"That's what's so important and why we're so eager to be back.
"It's an exciting time to get started and we can not wait.
"All up from here."
The leadership duo reunite with former teammate Tippah Dwan, who returns to Queensland after winning the 2023 grand final with Adelaide.
"Hopefully, I can take that experience from Thunderbirds and bring it into the Firebirds," Dwan said.
"I'm just excited to get back with some of the girls that I've played with for years and hopefully we can just build that over the next few years as well and get to the finals.
"The girls on the court are getting stronger and stronger."
Dwan was part of the Firebirds set-up from 2017 to 2022 with her big break coming in 2020 after being elevated to the squad as a replacement player.
In her maiden SSN campaign, Dwan scored 184 goals, notched 148 goal assists and 255 feeds, making a huge impact across the attacking third.
Popular midcourters Macy Gardner and Hulita Veve have also signed on with three-year and one-year deals respectively.
