Cavaliers coach Dannie Carstens said this season's team contained an excellent mix of youth and experience.

"We have had a huge preseason and the girls are exceptionally fit," Carstens said.

"Kate Gibson and Kelsie Rainbow have joined the senior side from the under 19s and they will complement the attack end with Estelle Margetts and Cath Van Keulen nicely.

"This year our goal is to make the most of every opportunity through hard work and patience, learn from our mistakes and adjust to every team's style of play."

Carstens is coming back from an Achilles rupture while Claire Nitschke is nursing an Achilles injury.

Northern Hawks have an opening-round bye but coach Kellie Woolnough said her team was quietly confident of premiership potential.

"We have retained the services of captain Steffi Grenda and Janelle Bennett while welcoming Aurora League 19 and under best and fairest Zoe Gough into the mix to provide a strong and cohesive unit to make life difficult for the opposition," Woolnough said.

"Danni Pickett will be looking forward to starting the season after an interrupted preseason and will provide great support to shooters Chelsea Coleman and Celia Groenewegen, who has been promoted from last year's 19s team.

"Centre players Jade Woolnough and Ashton Wiley have been training consistently well and will give us some drive in attack."

In other matches, Waratah takes on Karana Flames having recruited A. J. Gough from the Northern Hawks and Kate Archer from Kingston.Karana has retained key players Amber Zielinski, Sophie Saunders, Ellie Grace and Kirra Parsons, and welcomes back Neletta Lopa as senior goalie.