19-06-2025
Camilla Buchanan: Mavericks not weighed down by the past
London Mavericks head coach Camilla Buchanan believes breaking free from the shackles of the past has helped her side reach this season's play-offs.
The franchise finished in the top four for the first time since 2016 and Buchanan feels the fresh rebrand under new ownership has meant her squad have not felt the unwanted hand of history on their shoulders this term.
Mavericks had finished fifth in five of the last six completed seasons, with the franchise becoming the perennial nearly side to many, but Buchanan insists her youthful squad had no time to be burdened by what went before them en route to securing an historic fourth-place finish this term.
'It has been a completely new journey,' she said. "While it is still Mavericks, it has felt completely brand new at times. I don't think this group feels the weight of what was.
'That reflects in the nature of the squad; we are a really young squad that is still building.
'It is an achievement, but it is just the first step, and we don't want to stop there. You have to take stock of the small wins, but by no means are we done.'
The new ownership and rebrand has gone beyond just a shiny new name, logo, and colour scheme for the two-time Netball Super League champions.
Buchanan's side have been well-backed in their pursuit of the play-offs, with a wide-ranging support staff complementing the work of Buchanan, Mikki Austin, and Tamsin Greenway.
That also extends beyond training sessions, which now almost exclusively take place during the day and end with group meals.
'Eating together after training is one of the highlights of the day,' added Buchanan.
'It is all integrated with the back office staff, everyone is sitting and enjoying food together.
'It sounds like a Brady Bunch moment, but it really matters. You can see that in the squad this year, they are a really tight knit group – one of the tightest groups I've ever been involved with.
'The players are really well looked after, and I think that shows in what they give back to the club.
