The newest Super Netball team on the block is ready to be unconventional as they begin their debut season.
"I mean, some days, it does feel like we're flying a plane that we're still building," Melbourne Mavericks captain Amy Parmenter said at the 2024 season launch in Sydney.
"I think part of that is new and exciting and everyone is completely all into this team and into this culture.
"I think we're sort of unapologetically breaking boundaries and asking questions and doing things differently."
Parmenter said bringing in new demographics to the traditionally "generational" sport was key to the success of the game ahead of the Team Girls Cup held in Sydney this weekend.
The Mavericks, coached by English export Tracey Neville, were established in July 2023 following the dissolution of the Collingwood Magpies and the freeing up of an eighth team licence.
"I think netball needs to really think about how it can keep growing - it's such a traditional conservative sport," she told AAP.
"It's time that netball does start breaking down some boundaries that are holding us back ... how we can open the doors to new opportunities."
Parmenter cited new sources of revenue as well as making the game attractive for men and boys to play, especially after the success of the Matildas' Women's World Cup campaign, which forced some self-reflection across the netball code.
"It's time for the game to start questioning why we're not keeping up with the growth of the other sports, especially the women," she said.
The 2027 Netball World Cup will be held in Sydney and Parmenter said strategic hype was key to building towards some of the same success as the Matildas' record-breaking run last year.
"I think it has definitely opened the eyes to like that women's sport is a truly valuable asset and brand," she told AAP.
Starting a club from scratch amid the woes of the collective player agreement deal, when players were not paid from September 2023 until December when a new deal was signed, was more than a tough start to the Mavericks' run.
Despite this Parmenter said the time off the court allowed the fledging team to focus on building relationships and was "a bit of a silver lining" to the three-month ordeal.
Under the new deal, players will receive an immediate 11 per cent wage rise, back-dated to October 1, with the average salary rising to $89,221.
Netball Australia and the players will also enter into a landmark sponsorship revenue sharing partnership as part of the deal.
Teething issues such as designing a uniform, finding sponsors and staffing were all important steps towards establishing a coherent and successful team, Parmenter said, and couldn't be expected to resolve overnight.
"I think they're just doing it right," Parmenter said.
The 2024 campaign gets under way on Saturday, April 13 with the Giants taking on West Coast Fever, before reigning premiers the Adelaide Thunderbirds begin their title defence against the Queensland Firebirds.
Parmenter's Mavericks will play their first-ever league match against city rivals the Melbourne Vixens the following Sunday, before Sunshine Coast Lightning close out the opening round against the NSW Swifts.
