Liverseidge believes Wembley clash a symbol of progress

Wembley is synonymous with some of sport's biggest moments, from hosting the Olympics to witnessing England win international tournaments, and now it could see London Mavericks seal qualification for the final series.

For Suzie Liverseidge, a clash at OVO Arena Wembley on 14th June is a symbol of progress for netball since the professionalisation of the Netball Super League.

Mavericks made big strides towards a top four finish with victory over closest rivals Nottingham Forest which extended a six-point lead over the East Midlanders in Round 11.

They will face Manchester Thunder at Wembley in the final regular game of the season before they hope to aim for a spot in the Grand Final.

“[Playing at Wembley] is so great. Firstly as a player, it's such a cool feeling to play in those venues and to hear the loud crowd and look where you are,” said Liverseidge.

“Secondly, it's great for the sport of netball to be getting into those big arenas and really shows the steps we've taken towards professionalisation from playing in sports halls to now playing in Wembley Arena.

“[To finish at Wembley in the top four] would be huge. It's a massive goal for the club for this year, so to get that ticked off would be great.

“Whether that game will decide it or not, going into a final series, you always want to end on a high. So the game will be equally important whether we cement that position before or not.”

Over the past few seasons, Mavericks have perennially just fallen short of those elusive top four spots but so far this season they are on track to break the voodoo.

They defeated Forest 57-48 at Hertfordshire Sports Village to give them a comfortable three points and their biggest boost so far towards reaching the semi-finals with three rounds remaining of the regular season.

“We are all aware of [the near misses], but we're also aware that this is a new group and what's gone before doesn't dictate what's going to happen to us this year,” Liverseidge said.

“We have a new group of players - five of us weren't at the club previously - but when we all got on board with the journey, it was all about rewriting the story of the Mavericks. 

“We’re in a great position. Top four was obviously our aim and we've put ourselves in a position where it's now fully in our control.

It’s been all change for Liverseidge, having made the switch to the capital at the start of the season as well as undertaking a new role at wing attack, but she has stepped up to be instrumental for the top four challengers.

She boasts the second-most feeds in the league with 348, just four behind current leader Bethan Dyke of LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons and was recently called-up to England’s Future Roses squad.

“I've been away from the England programme for a couple of years now so to get my foot back in the door and show that I am interested is key for me,” said the 23-year-old.

“The belief that the coaching team's put in me to play a lot of minutes and build my connections has been really key for me and having people like Tamsin Greenway, who's obviously a wing attack specialist, coaching me week in, week out has been so valuable. 

“I'm really excited about the opportunity and the growth I can make after this NSL season.”

As well as stellar performances, Liverseidge also brings with her NSL winning know how, having claimed the title while playing for Loughborough Lightning. 

It is experience she is hoping to draw on to guide the team through their three remaining fixtures which includes a trip back to her old stomping ground.

“We have all kinds of different experiences. We've got Australian players who bring in great experience from the league out there and some of us have played at Loughborough,” Liverseidge explained.

“We can draw on everyone's different strengths. For me, it won’t be a nerve-wracking or new experience, which is something we need to stick to in terms of being calm under that pressure and not letting it get to us. 

“As a team, we're quite good at that and sticking to the process, even with quite a young group.”

Now Mavericks sit on the precipice of creating new history for a club that are forging a unique path since their rebrand in the summer.

It is a change driven by the players and they too are now in the driving seat as they look to secure that top four berth and victory at Wembley.

“It's been really exciting to be part of something new,” Liverseidge added.

“As players, we've been given the ability to dictate what we want the club to look like. It's our chance to build the culture, the ethos, and what goes on.

“All the support we've had from the club has been a huge step up from anything I've had previously.”