Queensland Firebirds captain Laura Geitz says her team will innovate as they strive to end the infamous premiership hangover which has afflicted Australian teams defending the trans-Tasman title.
No Australian team has made the finals after winning the title the previous year.
Firebirds begin their title defence on Friday in Brisbane against New Zealand's Tactix.
"We want to improve on what our positives were last year but then also being a little bit innovative and exciting and trying different things," Geitz told AAP on Tuesday.
The Firebirds have first-hand knowledge of how hard it is to go back-to-back having finished sixth in 2012 after being unbeaten the previous year.
"I think when you look at what has stopped teams going back-to-back probably the one thing that's stood out is injuries,' Geitz said.
"There's the workload. You've probably seen a lot of key players suffer some injuries in that following season.
"We've looked at that and know we've got to maintain fit strong healthy bodies.
"Another thing is just having the confidence. It's probably a bit of a curse, when you think about it a lot."
Silver Ferns superstar Laura Langman will make her debut for last year's losing grand finalist NSW Swifts in their home game against Melbourne Vixens on Sunday.
"We think Laura will probably slot between wing defence and centre," Swifts coach Rob Wright told AAP.
Langman could spend time on new Vixens captain and Diamonds' midcourt stalwart Madi Robinson, who returns to top-flight netball after almost a year following a knee reconstruction.
"I'm fully fit and ready to go, it's been along pre-season," Brown told AAP.
West Coast Fever will be looking to improve on a maiden finals appearance last year and should be physically stronger.
"We've been in the gym a fair bit," Fever captain Ash Brazill told AAP.
They start at home to Adelaide Thunderbirds, who on Monday announced Diamonds' wing attack-shooter Erin Bell as their captain.
"She lives the values of what we want to see in our club and they are to be unbreakable and authentic in nature and she is that," new Thunderbirds' coach Michelle Den Dekker told AAP.
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