Warrnambool Mermaids have lost some big names during the off season but have welcomed some guns to their roster.
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The Mermaids will be without a host of experienced players including former WNBL basketballer Katie O'Keefe, Alana Strom, Holly Greene and point guard Carly Pulling.
Youngster Molly McKinnon will also miss this season after she injured her ACL in the Big V grand final series last year.
But head coach Louise Brown said the Mermaids had also welcomed back a couple of experienced players including Jae Leddin who has returned from Geelong.
"She will be a great asset to the team," Brown said.
Chelsea McMahon, who played netball with Port Fairy last year, is back on the roster.
Kat Aitken will also step up to the Big V after playing with the Mermaids in the CBL this summer.
Meanwhile, exciting youngster Juina Lual is a new addition to the team.
The 17-year-old is just out of the Warrnambool juniors.
Brown said her team would be a lot younger than last season.
The Mermaids have moved up to the Big V championship division after they defeated the Casey Cavaliers in the division one competition last year.
Brown said it was hard to tell how her team would shape up in the top division.
"I hope we're competitive," she said.
"It'll obviously be a big challenge for myself, my assistant and the girls."
First up, the Mermaids have a grand final replay against Casey, which also got promoted to the championship.
Brown said she was looking forward to the opening clash but said the teams would look very different to last season's grand final series.
The match is on March 16 at Casey Stadium at 8pm.
Looking beyond round one, Brown said she was pleased with the Mermaids' fixture.
"I'm really pleased with the draw," she said.
"We've been well looked after."
The Mermaids don't play any double-headers during their 18 match season and their biggest journey is a four-hour trip to the Mornington Peninsula.
Brown said it had been difficult to get all her players together for training in the lead up to the season.
"It's been a bit disrupted with the girls having other basketball commitments," she said.
But she said she was looking forward to three weeks of solid training before their first match.
Fans can look forward to seeing both the Mermaids and Seahawks in action with eight double-headers to be played at The Arc in Warrnambool this season.
Both teams have their first home game on March 23.
Related: Mermaids break six-year drought
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