2012 Adelaide Thunderbirds season  The 2012 Adelaide Thunderbirds season is the fifth year that the Adelaide Thunderbirds are contesting the ANZ Championship, and their sixteenth competitive season. After the preseason tournament in early March, the Thunderbirds started their 2012 campaign on 30 March against the New South Wales Swifts in Adelaide. Jane Woodlands-Thompson continues her role as head coach, while Australian men's international player Dan Ryan has been appointed as assistant coach. On court, the team will be captained by Sharni Layton and Natalie von Bertouch, with Renae Hallinan and Erin Bell as part of the wider leadership group. All home games are played at Netball SA Stadium (formerly ETSA Park) in Adelaide. The Thunderbirds finished their 2011 campaign in sixth place. Assistant coach Lisa Alexander accepted the role of head coach of the Australian national team that year. She was succeeded at the Thunderbirds by Australian men's representative player Dan Ryan. Jane Woodlands-Thompson continues her role as head coach. Teams were required to finalise their 2012 playing rosters by 1 November 2011. The Adelaide Thunderbirds named 11 players by this deadline, which included international players Rebecca Bulley and Madison Browne. Adelaide were granted multiple extensions by TTNL to finalise their 12th player. Jamaican-born shooter Carla Borrego applied for Australian citizenship in the offseason, which, if successful by 23 March 2012, would have allowed the Thunderbirds to sign another import player, fellow Jamaican shooter Jhaniele Fowler. Borrego's citizenship application was not finalised by the March 2012 deadline, and local player Amehlia Schmidt was named as the Thunderbird's 12th player. All ten ANZ Championship teams competed at the official pre-season tournament, which was held on 2–4 March at TECT Arena in Tauranga, New Zealand.