But in 2022, Mitiamo's star goal attack Laura Hicks will be taking on a tough and exciting new test.

Hicks, a four-time Helen Ward medallist as the LVFNL's A-grade best and fairest player, will take the leap into coaching A-grade for the first time.

The 32-year-old, who will be a playing coach, is going into the role cold. She has never coached a team at any level before.

READ MORE: Laura Hicks stands tallest in challenging LVFNL netball season

Hicks is replacing Glenda Thomas, who led the Superoos to the minor premiership in 2021, before the cancellation of finals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thomas is staying involved at Mitiamo as the club's netball operations manager.

Hicks' appointment was confirmed last week, less than a month before the Superoos are due to open their Loddon Valley league season against Bears Lagoon-Serpentine on April 2.

In an era where country clubs are finding it increasingly tough to not just lure coaches, but retain them, Hicks - a dual A-grade premiership star with the Superoos - concedes the approaches to coach were always likely going to come her way.

But now that she's answered the call, she admits the overtures had come a little earlier than she had anticipated.

"Eventually ... probably ... I guess I was always going to do it, but it's probably a bit sooner than I anticipated, but that's okay," she said.

"It's going to be a change for me.

"I guess at the moment, we only have seven A-grade players, so I'm not going to be up all night having to decide who I play and who plays where.

"An injury or two might test me a bit."

Hicks, who won her first league best and fairest in 2009 before subsequent wins in 2012, 2016 and 2021, sees plenty of irony in the fact she has never actually coached before.

"I've just always been around the club," she said.

"I guess I've put it off as long as I could, hopefully, it works out.

"We'll see how it goes. It still feels like a long way off until we get to the season at the moment, although, it's only three or four weeks which isn't really long at all.

"It seems like I've still got a long time to get it down pat."

Not just one of the LVFNL netball competition's best players, as evidenced by her winning her fourth league best and fairest in last year's shortened season, Hicks is also one of the league's surest and coolest performers under pressure.

They are traits that will undoubtedly stand her in good stead in her first season at the helm.

Hicks will take charge of a different-looking, but still experienced and likely potent A-grade team.

The Superoos have lost goal shooter Lucy Morcom, who has returned to BFNL club Golden Square, where she was a member of the Bulldogs' 2015 premiership squad, and played in their 2016 grand final loss against Kangaroo Flat.

Long-time Superoo and 2019 premiership midcourter Gabe Marlow is taking a break from netball, while Britt Fitzpatrick has also departed Mitiamo.

The big inclusion is former Bridgewater shooter Carly Scholes, who played with MCDFNL club Maryborough Rovers last season, and will join Hicks in the goal circle.

The Superoos coach is excited to see what the new pairing can achieve.

"Lucy's a big loss, she's obviously a gun, but we have picked Carly up, so that's handy and a relief," Hicks said.

"She'll come straight into goals and she is a more than handy recruit. It's not every day you can find an A-grade goaler you can just slot in and know can do the job.

"We know Carly and we know what she is like and we know she is a very accurate shooter. It's very nice to be able to slot her straight in."

In midcourters Amelia and Sarah Ludeman, Hicks will still have plenty of experience to call upon in the heat of battle.

"We've played together forever and are still all there," she said.

"Jess (Pay) and Abbey (Battersby) played defence for us last year and are back and Kelly Pay, who played in our 2019 premiership in A-grade, is still with us.

"There's still plenty of familiarity among the squad, while the only new face at this stage is Carly.

"I'm not one to concern myself too much with what other clubs are doing and until you do know it's hard to know where you sit against them, but we always hope that we are up there."

The Superoos finished a league-best 11-1 last season and have played in three of the last four A-grade grand finals.

They won the last grand final to be contested, defeating Newbridge in 2019.

Round one matches: Mitiamo v Bears Lagoon-Serentine; Calivil United v Inglewood; Bridgewater v Pyramid Hill; Maiden Gully YCW v Marong (night); Newbridge bye

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