Sunshine Coast Lightning training partner Maddie Hinchliffe has been selected as the Club’s eleventh player for the 2024 season.
Hinchliffe is no stranger to the Lightning environment, making her SSN debut for the Club in Round 14 of 2021 and was awarded a Permanent Replacement Player contract for the 2022 season.
After spending the 2023 season with the Collingwood Magpies, Hinchliffe returned to the Sunshine Coast as a training partner, and was reconnected with her twin sister and Lightning Vice Captain, Tara.
Hinchliffe said she was happy to be back in the Lightning environment and was excited for the opportunity.
“The culture of the Club is unmatched and the support from the community upon my return to the Club was very special,” she said.
“I was very excited when I got the call from Belinda. As a Training Partner, it’s always about bringing your best and doing whatever the team needs to contribute to success on and off the court.
“While being in the Lightning environment in any capacity is a wonderful opportunity, I am certainly grateful to be rewarded with the 11th player position. I can’t wait to continue working hard across all the Sunshine Coast Lightning programs to bring success to the Club.”
Lightning Head Coach Belinda Reynolds said Maddie was well-deserving of the contract.
“I’m thrilled Maddie has the opportunity to be elevated into the game day squad. She’s had a brilliant pre-season and has worked really hard,” she said.
“Maddie gives us great diversity with her ability to play all three mid-court positions as well as being able to swing into goal defence, which we saw her do often during the pre-season.
“While Maddie is still young, she has great experience in the SSN environment after her recent season with the Collingwood Magpies.”
Under the new Collective Players Agreement, Clubs can add an eleventh player to their squad – taking the squad from 10 to 11 players. Clubs must still only name 10 players for their game day team, but those 10 are selected from the 11-player squad.
