A new Sheffield Shield season begins on October 8 with Western Australia chasing history. No team has won four Shields in a row since the competition expanded to six teams in 1977-78. There has been some intriguing player movement in the off-season. But this season has some added interest with Australia's Test stars set to play some games prior to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Here is how each squad shapes up.

New South Wales

Squad Charlie Anderson (R), Sean Abbott (CA), Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins (CA), Joel Davies (R), Oliver Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hackney, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Josh Hazlewood (CA), Moises Henriques, Ryan Hicks (R), Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Sam Konstas, Nathan Lyon (CA), Nic Maddinson, Blake Nikitaras, Jack Nisbet, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Will Salzmann (R), Tanveer Sangha, Lachlan Shaw (R), Steven Smith (CA), Mitchell Starc (CA), Chris Tremain, Adam Zampa (CA).

CA = Cricket Australia contract | R = Rookie contract

In Nic Maddinson (Victoria), Josh Philippe (WA), Sam Konstas
Out Baxter Holt (WA), Blake MacDonald, Ross Pawson, Jason Sangha (South Australia), David Warner

Last season Third

How they shape up

Player to watch

Australia impact

Queensland

Squad Lachie Aitkin (R), Xavier Bartlett (CA), Max Bryant, Hugo Burdon, Jack Clayton, Liam Guthrie, Lachlan Guthrie, Lachie Hearne, Usman Khawaja (CA), Marnus Labuschagne (CA), Angus Lovell, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Jem Ryan (R), Gurinder Sandhu, Jack Sinfield, Mark Steketee, Tom Straker (R), Bryce Street, Connor Sully, Mitch Swepson, Callum Vidler, Hugh Weibgen, Tom Whitney (R), Jack Wildermuth

In Angus Lovell, Lachlan Hearne, Callum Vidler, Lachlan Aitken, Jem Ryan, Tom Straker
Out Joe Burns, James Bazley, Blake Edwards, Aryan Jain, Matthew Kuhnemann (Tasmania), Will Prestwidge (Tasmania)

Last season Sixth

How they shape up

Player to watch

Australia impact

Khawaja and Labuschagne will play the first two matches at least and Khawaja will likely play the third while Labuschagne may miss due to Australia's ODI series with Pakistan. Labuschagne is unlikely to return until mid-March when the Champions Trophy is complete. Khawaja should be back in mid-February after Australia's tour of Sri Lanka and might be available for the last couple of matches of the summer. Renshaw and Neser could be called into Australia A squads or even the Test squad as cover at various stages during November and December which could impact their availability, and Renshaw may be considered for Sri Lanka. Swepson is another who could be a candidate for Australia A cricket and the Sri Lanka tour. Bartlett's return from injury is an unknown, but his progression into Australia's white-ball ranks could see him picked for the Pakistan series in November if he is fit.

South Australia

Squad Wes Agar, Kyle Brazell (R), Jordan Buckingham, Aidan Cahill (R), Alex Carey (CA), Harry Conway, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Travis Head (CA), Henry Hunt, Spencer Johnson, Thomas Kelly, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Harry Matthias (R), Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Nathan McSweeney, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Campbell Thompson (R), Henry Thornton

In Jason Sangha (NSW), Mackenzie Harvey, Conor McInerney, Campbell Thompson
Out Jake Carder, David Grant, Isaac Higgins, Kelvin Smith

Last season Fifth

How they shape up

Player to watch

Nathan McSweeney will have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders but the 25-year-old is relishing the challenge of captaining and batting No. 3. He is coming off his best domestic season to date, scoring 762 runs at 40.10 last summer including three centuries. He is on the Australia selectors' radar having captained Australia A already, but his batting record isn't quite at the level of some of the other Test batting candidates dominating the Shield at the moment. He is keen to emulate what Cameron Bancroft has done in WA and consistently deliver big runs for his side.

Australia impact

Tasmania

Squad Gabe Bell, Iain Carlisle, Nick Davis (R), Jake Doran, Kieran Elliot, Nathan Ellis (CA), Jarrod Freeman, Brad Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matthew Kuhnemann, Rafael Macmillan (R), Riley Meredith, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Aiden O'Connor (R), Mitch Owen, Nivethan Radhakrishnan (R), Jordan Silk, Billy Stanlake, Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster, Mac Wright

In Matthew Kuhnemann (Queensland), Will Prestwidge (Queensland), Kieran Elliot, Rafael Macmillan
Out Sam Rainbird, Matthew Wade, Paddy Dooley

Last season Second

How they shape up

The attack remains their strong suit in home conditions especially, and Kuhnemann provides versatility when they play elsewhere. If they can get Riley Meredith and Billy Stanlake fit enough to play more than the four games they managed between them last season, then that adds another dynamic. Nathan Ellis did not play a single Shield game last season but has a decent first-class record and could be available for a few games early in the season around his white-ball commitments for Australia.

Player to watch

It will be hard for Beau Webster to back up last season's heroics but if he can, he will almost certainly catch the selectors' attention. He was the highest scorer in the Shield last season with 938 runs at 58.62 and took 30 wickets at 29.30. Sir Garfield Sobers, in 1963-64, is the only other player in Shield history to score more than 900 runs and take more than 30 wickets in the same season and only three other players have scored more than 800 and taken 20 wickets in a season. He had an excellent winter in the County Championship for Gloucestershire and started the summer with wickets in the opening two One-Day Cup games. Australia's Test allrounders Green and Mitchell Marsh have clouds over their bowling capabilities. Webster's bowling is more akin to Marsh's than Green's but his versatility and resilience could be an asset if he scores runs and takes wickets early in the season.

Australia impact

Tasmania won't be as affected by Australia call-ups as other states. Ellis is working his way back from a hamstring injury but will likely feature in Australia's ODI and T20I series against Pakistan if fit. He didn't play a Shield game last summer and isn't central to their plans. Meredith falls in a similar category if he can recover from a side issue. Webster could play for Australia A in two games in late October/early November against India A that overlap with two Shield rounds. Jewell is another who may get called up for that series. Kuhnemann is unlikely to feature in those matches but is a great chance to go to Sri Lanka in February which could see him miss one or two games.

Victoria

Squad Austin Anlezark (R), Liam Blackford, Scott Boland (CA), Dylan Brasher, Josh Brown, Ashley Chandrasinghe, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon (R), Sam Elliott, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Jai Lemire (R), Reiley Mark (R), Glenn Maxwell (CA), Cameron McClure, Jono Merlo, Todd Murphy (CA), Fergus O'Neill, Tyler Pearson (R), Mitch Perry, Will Pucovski, Tom Rogers, Matt Short (CA), Peter Siddle, Will Sutherland, Douglas Warran (R)

In Josh Brown
Out Travis Dean, Matt Fotia, Nic Maddinson, Tom O'Donnell, Wil Parker

Last season Fourth

How they shape up

Player to watch

Todd Murphy performed superbly across the six Tests he played in India and England in 2023, including playing as the lone spinner in his last Test at The Oval when he took six wickets in Lyon's absence. But his place as Australia's No. 2 Test spinner and Lyon's natural successor is under threat from Western Australia's offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli after Murphy took just 17 wickets at 38 for Victoria last summer, while Rocchiccioli took 46 wickets at 27.60. Both men are vying for a spot on the Sri Lanka Test tour where Australia could play as many as three spinners in the same XI. Prior to that, though, Lyon turns 37 during the opening Test against India and although he wants to play until he is 40, his body and, more specifically his calf may have other ideas. If an opportunity arises sooner than Sri Lanka, Murphy will hope to be bowling well enough to get the call.

Australia impact

Boland's management by CA will be the biggest hurdle for Victoria to navigate. He was only allowed to play six games last season despite not playing a single Test match. He will again be carefully managed coming off plantar fasciitis and a knee issue and might only play one of the first three before Australia A duties or the Test series. Short will be unavailable around Australia's ODI and T20I series against Pakistan but also could be involved with Australia A. Marcus Harris is another who might be called into the Australia A series.

Western Australia

Squad Cameron Bancroft, Mahli Beardman (R), Hilton Cartwright, Cooper Connolly, Brody Couch, Keaton Critchell, Sam Fanning, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin, Cameron Green (CA), Sam Greer (R), Aaron Hardie (CA), Liam Haskett, Baxter Holt, Josh Inglis (CA), Bryce Jackson, Matt Kelly, Mitchell Marsh (CA), Hamish McKenzie, Lance Morris (CA), Joel Paris, Jhye Richardson (CA), Corey Rocchiccioli, D'Arcy Short, Charlie Stobo, Ashton Turner, Josh Vernon (R), Corey Wasley (R), Sam Whiteman, Teague Wyllie

In Brody Couch, Keaton Critchell, Baxter Holt, Corey Wasley
Out Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Josh Philippe, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye

Last season First

How they shape up

Player to watch

Cameron Bancroft will garner a lot of attention at the start of the summer due to the injury to Green but Aaron Hardie could be the player with the most to gain. He had an excellent white-ball tour of England and has shown his talent at Shield and Australia A level with both bat and ball. If he can score heavily in the early rounds, take wickets and increase his bowling loads while staying fit, a Test opportunity may present itself a lot sooner than many would have expected for him.

Australia impact

WA will have a revolving door of players coming and going and Whiteman may also have to manage bowling restrictions on certain CA contracted players during games. Green's injury means his availability is unknown but he looks unlikely to bowl regardless. Marsh and Hardie may play the early rounds as batters only. Marsh will then be rested ahead of the Tests while Hardie could have Australia A, ODI and T20I duties in November. Inglis will also be unavailable after the first two rounds for the same reasons. Bancroft and Rocchiccioli are a strong chance to play for Australia A and Rocchiccioli could go to Sri Lanka following the BBL and miss the first two rounds of the new year. Morris could also be called into Australia A and possibly limited-overs teams in November. Connolly might be part of Australia's ODI and T20I squads against Pakistan.