Super Netball is back: These are the narratives and names to watch this season

With contingency plans after two COVID-compromised seasons, a new broadcast deal and the July Commonwealth Games preventing a fixture extension, Super Netball begins this weekend with a grand final rematch, and plenty of nerves.

While there's «a lot of anxiety in the system», Netball Australia chief executive Kelly Ryan said the league is committed to «getting all 60 games away», while keeping player welfare and the integrity of the competition, considered the world's best, at the forefront of decision-making.

This week, the league released a raft of new policies and processes to manage the inevitable impact of COVID, which continues to cast a shadow.

It sees Collingwood head coach Nicole Richardson missing round one through isolation.

Changes include extending squads from 10 to 12 players for travelling teams and allowing access to opponents' training partners if needed, a «top-up pool» of second-tier players eligible to play for multiple teams and guidelines around forfeits and rescheduling of games — which will most likely have to become additional mid-week fixtures.

There's already two of those in the draw to get through the season in time for the Commonwealth Games, which begin 26 days after the July 2 grand final.

There's also provision for the league to provide a coach if both coaches are unable to be courtside, as was the case for the NSW Swifts at a recent pre-season tournament.

«We want to run as close to a traditional home and away season as possible and get clubs the revenue they desperately deserve after the last two seasons, but we also can't ignore COVID,» Ryan, who started as CEO in July last year, said.

«We have to be well planned: have a clear set of protocols, lines of communication around who is responsible