Gravesend netballer Georgia Schmidt admits she wants to be the bride and not the bridesmaid come the end of this year’s Fiat Superleague after coming close but not close enough last year.

The 28-year-old – born in Melbourne – made her Superleague debut last season with the Hertfordshire Mavericks but fell one game short of lifting the trophy in her first year.

Schmidt helped the Mavericks claim the final play-off spot of fourth and overcome both the Northern Thunder and Surrey Storm to reach their fifth straight final.

However, they met their match in Bath for the second year running, losing 51-44 – a rivalry Schmidt, a PE teacher at the Leigh Technology Academy, is keen to address.

"This season is about taking the next step for the Mavericks and improving on last season where we finished with the silver," said Schmidt – who plays at centre. "We are the only team in the Superleague to make the final every year since it started, which is a great record but it should still be better than what it is because we have only ever won it once.

"We always seem to take the hard route to the final, we are normally sitting third or fourth going into the late stages and then we have to work even harder to get into the top two."

A combination of last October’s Commonwealth Games and July’s World Championships have forced Schmidt to prepare for a Superleague starting later than usual.

She concedes that and the inclement weather over Christmas has taken its toll but is calling for focus ahead of the Mavericks opening game of the season at the Northern Thunder on Monday.

Schmidt added: "We have Northern Thunder in our first game. Matches between us are always tight.

"They are a hard team and they do what we need to in that they are consistent. This game will have a little bit extra to it."

Hertfordshire Mavericks will begin their Fiat Netball Superleague campaign on Monday. More information and tickets, visit www.mavericksnetnall.co.uk