Fever aim to break netball title drought

West Coast Fever hope a golden era awaits them, and they want to kick it off with a win in Sunday's Super Netball grand final against Sunshine Coast in Perth.

More than 12,000 fans will pack out Perth Arena in the hope of seeing the Fever's maiden title.

WA netball fans have suffered through years of pain since the birth of the Perth Orioles in 1997.

The Orioles never came close to making the finals in their 11 years in the national competition, and the Fever did only slightly better with one playoff appearance in their first 10 years.

It's in stark contrast to the Lightning, who won last year's title in their first year of existence.

Fever coach Stacey Marinkovich never got to experience finals action during her playing days at the top level, with eight of those fruitless seasons spent at either the Orioles or Fever.

But the former Fever captain now has the chance to guide the franchise to the ultimate success as coach.

The Fever won just two games last year.

But the arrival of star goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler - plus standout campaigns from Courtney Bruce, Verity Charles, and Jess Anstiss - have helped turn Fever into a force to be reckoned with this season.

"It's a big step for us, but it's not the only step," Marinkovich said of getting to the final.

"We want to make sure that there's sustained success at the club.

"We're making sure that this is not just a one-off and it's not just a fluke."

Both teams boast star power all over the court - especially in the vital goal shooter position.

Fowler leads the competition for goals scored, while Lightning veteran Caitlin Bassett is an international star.

Lightning captain Geva Mentor faces the daunting task of playing on the 196cm Fowler, and Sunshine Coast coach Noeline Taurua said it was vital to limit the Jamaican's supply.

"The good thing is she's got to get the ball before she can put the ball through the hoop, That's where we will be challenging her." Taurua said.

Marinkovich is expecting a physical contest, and she's confident her players will handle it well.

"The last time we played Sunshine, there were some really big hits on court. That's what finals are all about," Marinkovich said.

GRAND FINAL DETAILS

Grand final, 1pm AEST Sunday at Perth Arena. West Coast (2nd, 10-4) v Sunshine Coast (4th, 8-1-5)

Head to head this season:

Round 3 - Fever bt Lightning 56-55 at USC Stadium, Sippy Downs

Round 10 - Fever bt Lightning 59-58 at HBF Arena, Perth

Titles: Fever: 0, Lightning 1 (2017)

Likely line-ups.

FEVER: GS: Jhaniele Fowler, GA: Nat Medhurst, WA: Ingrid Colyer, C: Verity Charles, WD: Jess Anstiss, GD: Stacey Francis, GK: Courtney Bruce

LIGHTNING: GS: Caitlin Bassett, GA: Steph Wood, WA: Kelsey Browne, C: Laura Scherian, WD: Madeline McAuliffe, GD: Karla Pretorius, GK: Geva Mentor.