Match Results
GIANTS Netball 70 def Sunshine Coast Lightning 64 (16-16, 14-15, 21-19, 19-14)
Melbourne Vixens 60 def Adelaide Thunderbirds 39 (11-14, 19-8, 16-7, 14-10)
NSW Swifts 85 def Collingwood Magpies 56 (17-15, 26-11, 20-16, 22-14)
West Coast Fever 97 def Queensland Firebirds 63 (27-17, 23-13, 21-18, 26-15)
Let’s Talk
In some fascinating reports, journalist Linda Pearce dropped the news that the Collingwood Magpies board are reviewing their position within Super Netball, with signs pointing to them not renewing their Team Participation Agreement with Netball Australia.
The Magpies have won just 34 of their 87 matches over six seasons, have dwindling fan attendance at games, and are reporting heavy losses.
If Collingwood do hand back their license, Netball Australia have limited time to find another team, as their agreement with Fox Sport relies on having eight teams participating in Super Netball.
While the board considers their future, Collective Player Agreements can’t move forwards, leaving all players and officials in the league, particularly those at Collingwood, hanging on their decision.
There were some massive margins this round, and some equally massive performances. None more so than by the league’s goal attacks. Each one seemed to surpass the previous games, with Sasha Glasgow, in the last match of the round, taking the honours. She broke the record for Nissan Netpoints and most supershots scored with her final haul of 165 NNP, 14 supershots out of her total of 29/35, 17 goal assists, 17 centre pass receives, 1 gain, and not a single turnover.
Currently unwanted by either the Diamonds or the Roses, hopefully one of the international programmes will add her to their squad.
Every game this week has had a bearing on the Super Netball finals race. In the first match, GIANTS Netball kept their very slim finals chances alive with a 70-64 win over Sunshine Coast Lightning. It was another breakout performance from Matisse Letherbarrow, who is showing that she is more than ready for a regular starting position in Super Netball. Her combination with MVP Sophie Dwyer was key to the win.
Speaking of which, surely Amy Parmenter must have gone close to MVP in this match. She played four full quarters at wing defence and had the highest Nissan Net Points score of any player on court. That is only the third time that a wing defence has taken the honours since the introduction of NNP in 2018. The other two times were by Parmenter again and Renee Ingles. In Saturday’s match, Parmenter had five gains, three intercepts and seven deflections.
Amy Parmenter in a noteworthy performance Image by: May Bailey
In the second game on Saturday, Melbourne Vixens displayed their premiership credentials with a crushing 21-goal defeat of competition leaders Adelaide Thunderbirds. Thunderbirds were missing two players, but even so, this was a commanding performance. It was Vixens’ fifth win from five matches at home this season. Their undefeated home record is surely a great sign considering the grand final will be played on the same court.
Vixens were trailing in the second quarter, when suddenly they came to life and went on a run of goals. From there, they simply dominated. They outscored Thunderbirds 44-19 for the rest of the match. That is the second time that has happened this season. In round seven, they were trailing Firebirds by nine early in the third quarter, and it was as if someone flicked a switch and they kicked into gear, outscoring Firebirds 39-18 from that point on.
Being without Tippah Dwan and Hannah Petty was obviously not ideal for Thunderbirds, and their attack end struggled, as evidenced by their score of 39 goals. Not counting the abandoned match from round two this season, Thunderbirds now have the dubious distinction of having the seven lowest scores in Super Netball history.
NSW Swifts paid tribute to those who came before them by celebrating their heritage round. Wearing a yellow dress with a familiar blue swirl which paid tribute to the 2006 championship winning Swifts side. They had a commanding 29-goal win over Collingwood Magpies to join Thunderbirds on 30 competition points.
It was a formidable performance, and one that would have pleased coach Briony Akle after all the nail-biters the team has played this year. The scores were tight until the five-minute mark of the second quarter when Swifts put the foot down, and Magpies couldn’t match them. After the events of this week, it was tough to watch the Magpies struggle.
Swifts Heritage Round showed all the players who’d taken the court for their side across the years. Image by: May Bailey
West Coast Fever broke a number of records in their annihilation of Queensland Firebirds.
Fever’s 97 goal haul smashed the previous highest score of 86, which they recorded in Round 11 against GIANTS last year. While both of these scores were achieved with the super shot in play, Fever still put up 82 scoring shots which is two goals more than the non super shot record of 80 goals, held jointly by Swifts and Lightning from 2019, interestingly both against Fever. This score also saw Firebirds on the wrong end of the league’s biggest ever margin, 34 goals.
At the conclusion of round 10, we’re left with an amazing looking league ladder. Four teams are separated by just two points at the top. Three of them had dominant wins and looked every bit premiership contenders, while the league leading Thunderbirds now look vulnerable. Next week sees two big games as Thunderbirds host Fever, and Vixens host Swifts.
Milestones & Debuts
Paige Hadley – Played her 150th National League match, which have all been for the NSW Swifts. An incredible achievement and all being for the one club is very rare to see.
Sarah Klau – Notched up her 100th consecutive game for the NSW Swifts. She now joins the Swifts Centurions.
Leesa Mimi – Made her Suncorp Super Netball debut for the Queensland Firebirds in their match against West Coast Fever, becoming Firebird #109.
Briony Akle recorded her 50th win in charge of the Swifts.
Paige Hadley was MVP in her 150th national league performance. Image by: May Bailey
Stats Leaders
Most goals – 53/60 Jhaniele Fowler (Fever v Firebirds)
Most supershots – 14/20 Sasha Glasgow (Fever v Firebirds)
Most intercepts – 8 Emily Mannix (Vixens v Thunderbirds)
Most deflections – 13 Geva Mentor (Swifts v Magpies)
Most goal assists – 25 Alice Teague-Neeld (Fever v Firebirds)
Most feeds – 43 Liz Watson (Vixens v Thunderbirds) and Alice Teague-Neeld (Fever v Firebirds)
Most gains – 12 Courtney Bruce (Fever v Firebirds)
Most turnovers – 7 Maisie Nankivell (Vixens v Thunderbirds)
Most penalties – 19 Remi Kamo (Fever v Firebirds)
Injuries
Tippah Dwan (ankle) and Hannah Petty (quad) were ruled out of the Thunderbirds team after injuries they picked up in round nine. For GIANTS, Jo Harten (knee) was given another week on the sidelines.
Cara Koenen hobbled off court just prior to full time in Lightning’s match. She had seemingly rolled her ankle. Lightning and particularly Australian fans will be hoping this is not too serious.
Jo Weston left the court for a period following a heavy fall in the Vixens clash with the Thunderbirds. She returned to the court with a heavily strapped shoulder, seemingly unbothered until leaving the court again with less than a minute to go after yet another fall.
Maddy Proud left the court for concussion assessment after receiving a head knock. She passed the medical checks and returned to court shortly afterwards.
Verity Simmons left the court with nine minutes remaining after rolling her ankle.
Maddy Proud had to leave the court under concussion protocols. Image by: May Bailey
Break out performance of the round
There were a number of brief cameos on court this week, and we particularly liked what we saw from Leesa Mi Mi (Firebirds) and Ash Ervin (Lightning). In their respective 15 minutes, Mi Mi added some speed and quick hands to the attack, finishing with 4 goal assists and 11 centre pass receives. Ervin finished with a rebound and an intercept as the Lightning struggled to contain Matisse Letherbarrow.
Match Reports
GIANTS 70 def LIGHTNING 64
By Tash Rudd
With seasons on the line, the Giants and Lightning battled to keep their slim chance at finals alive, and the game primed to be hotly contested for the whole 60 minutes.
GIANTS were without their heart, with captain Jo Harten sidelined for a second week in a row and Lighting hanging onto finals hopes by a thread. Thankfully for GIANTS they were coming off a solid win without Harten to give them confidence to play without her, whilst Lightning came off the back of a heartbreaking one point loss. However, Lightning, a side who will never give up and fight until they can’t fight any more, showed their class and pride to give it everything until the final whistle.
GIANTS got the job done, keeping slim finals hopes alive for now and building momentum while showing glimpses of some of the form we are used to.
What worked?
Julie’s Fitzgerald’s trust to run out her young shooting circle was key in their victory. During a slow and shaky start at the beginning of the first quarter, Fitzgerald called a timeout and reassured her team who switched on afterwards. The other call Fitzgerald made which paid off was starting in form Lauren Moore who also had a slow start, but just like the rest of the team came out firing after the time out taking a great intercept against Diamond Cara Koenen.
Moore really came into the match in the back end of the first quarter and then a switch from Lightning for the start of the second quarter saw Moore line up on Charlie Bell, a different style shooter to Koenen. Moore was able to get a lot more hand to ball. Half way through the third quarter Fitzgerald substituted Matilda McDonell for Moore. A different type of goal keeper, McDonell came on and really worked hard on the body of Koenen and gave a different presence in the circle for Lightning feeders to consider.
Lightning’s game plan seemed to involve making changes to their line up in order to keep GIANTS on their toes, having to constantly think about the game their opposition was playing. Annie Miller started the game well with good numbers and only one turnover; however, at quarter time coach Belinda Reynolds took her off and moved Steph Wood to wing attack, shifting Koenen forwards and Bell into shooter. Bell had one of her best entries into a match this season, but this change did allow GIANTS goal keeper Moore to get more hand to ball. Nothing that Bell was doing wrong but it was the difference in a moving shooter to the holding shooter which Moore’s game really suited.
Sophie steps up
For two weeks in a row Sophie Dwyer has been the most experienced shooter in the GIANTS circle, at the age of 21. Often her game is referred to as working around Jo Harten, but with Harten out again, Dwyer has had to step up and show what she can do as the playmaker and leader in the circle. Dwyer controlled the circle, moving smoothly and directing the play through working the angles by passing the ball out to the mid courters to then re-feed via a better route.
She was confident and seemingly unfazed, and really stepped up in nailing the super shots when her side needed it. Her combination with Matisse Letherbarrow, who is also 21 but far less experienced, has been building into something special for the GIANTS. The instinctive combination between the pair, who have been playing together since juniors, is now being seen on the big stage.
Defying Gravity
Amy Parmenter had an absolute blinder of a performance on three different wing attacks. Flying through the air, taking intercepts and deflections all over the court helped Parmenter to an outstanding Nissan Net Point score of 97 as a result of three intercepts, seven deflections, 17 centre pass receives, with only four contacts and zero turnovers!
Parmenter’s quick footwork to get in a position to get up in the air and get her hand to ball, as well as covering her wing attacks leads over and over again made for an outstanding performance helping her side to get the win.
Lightning’s shining lights
Whilst Sophie Dwyer had a great game and was named MVP, Karla Pretorius was one of Lightning’s better performers. Whilst not winning ball necessarily on her direct opponent, Pretorius was slick in coming off her player to pick up some ball elsewhere.
The other player who has been standing out for the Lightning is young Ava Black. Black is a training partner who wasn’t given the permanent replacement player contract when it became available originally following the injury to Tara Hinchliffe, but is now being used as a temporary replacement player after Shannon Eagland also went down with a season ending knee injury.
She has been an absolute stand out for the side in the last few weeks. Interestingly Reynolds has been confident to play her a lot, with consistent minutes over the last few matches in comparison to original contracted replacement player Eagland who didn’t get as much court time. It does beg the question as to why Black didn’t receive the original replacement player spot.
Of concern in the last few minutes of the match, Cara Koenen went down heavily and had to call injury time. She was limping as she walked off and looked upset on the bench. Both Lightning and Diamonds fans will hope it’s nothing too serious.
Shooting statistics
GIANTS
Matisse Letherbarrow 46/52 (86%)
Sophie Dwyer 16/19 (84%)
Lightning
Cara Koenen 35/37 (95%)
Steph Wood 18/26 (69%)
Charlie Bell 7/9 (78%)
MVP – Sophie Dwyer
Matisse Letherbarrow and Kadie-Ann Dehaney battle for the ball. (Image by: May Bailey)
Lauren Moore hauls in a rebound. Image by: May Bailey
Mahalia Cassidy – the eye of the tiger. Image by: May Bailey
Julie Fitzgerald gives her side a pep talk. Image by: May Bailey
VIXENS 60 def THUNDERBIRDS 39
By Ariane Virgona
The Adelaide Thunderbirds were looking to make it 2 from 2 in front of a packed John Cain Arena stadium after winning by 11 goals against the Vixens in Adelaide in Round 5. Wearing pink wasn’t just for Thunderbirds fans this game, with the Vixens raising money for their charity partner Breast Cancer Awareness Australia.
Tippah Dwan and Hannah Petty were ruled out with injury this week, allowing Georgie Horjus to take control of the goal attack bib and Maisie Nankivell to get the start. After the tight tussle between Latanya Wilson and Liz Watson in round 5, Watson started in centre against Tayla Williams, with Hannah Mundy slotting in at wing attack to offer her opponent something different.
In what was a battle of the defensive ends, the Melbourne Vixens were able to topple the ladder leaders by their largest goal margin this season with ball speed, angle work, and full court defensive pressure that coach Simone McKinnis described as ‘smothering’, to keep them to a record low total score of 39 goals.
Where the game was won and lost.
The Adelaide Thunderbirds started strongly in the first quarter by capitalizing off the Vixens unforced turnovers (5 to 1, Thunderbirds) and misfeeds with a substantially higher gain to goal rate (67%, Thunderbirds to the Vixens 29%) and deeper second phase ball that allowed shooters to go to post. After quarter time Vixens quite literally flipped the statistics, with higher time in possession, greater number of intercepts, and lower unforced turnovers and general play turnovers.
The Vixens increased their gain to goal rate to 100% across the second quarter (63% Vixens, 50% Thunderbirds) to the third quarter (100% Vixens, 25% Thunderbirds) and centre pass to goal rate up from the first quarter by working the turnover ball with speed and utilizing their triangles/angles (keeping the defenders’ heads moving) into the goal circle. The Vixens were also able to gain more depth on their centre pass to Mundy to circle edge and the shooters were able to set up more screens for one another to work around the defenders. The higher missed shot conversion rate for the Vixens meant the ball was rebounded and converted, rather than turned over, which is a feat against the likes of Shamera Sterling.
Liz Watson had an outstanding game at centre demonstrating her adaptability with 43 feeds, 27 feeds with an attempt, 3 gains and 3 deflections. Despite being costly with the ball with 6 turnovers, Hannah Mundy worked well with Watson with her dynamic movement, ability to release the ball, and drive onto the circle, sharing the load with 27 feeds, 17 feeds with an attempt, 15 goal assists, and 1 deflection. This meant that the ball supply to the shooters was plentiful, and we also saw the Vixens apply full court consistent defence starting from the attacking end.
The Adelaide Thunderbirds are ranked number one in the league for gains, intercepts, oppositional general play turnovers, deflections, and defensive rebounds, however, this game saw only 50% of gained ball taken to conversion and just over half (51%) of their centre passes converted to a goal, highlighting their inability, at times, to treasure their possession of the ball.
The team seemed to miss the leadership of Hannah Petty on court and the movement of Horjus into goal attack saw the attack line caught high up the court and the ball struggling to find circle edge. At times, Horjus seemed to be working overtime to bring the ball to the circle from the transverse line and connection with Nankivell was lacking.
To Shamera Sterling standards, this game was a quiet one, with 7 gains, 3 intercepts, 9 deflections and 3 rebounds, however, a highly commendable performance, nonetheless. The work rate of Matilda Garrett is also noteworthy with 4 gains, 2 intercepts, 6 deflections and dogged defensive that saw her opponents forced to work hard to enter into the circle and focus on preliminary movements and angles when presenting for the ball.
Taylor Williams played a pivotal role in the midcourt for the Thunderbirds, with 1 intercept, 1 gain, 1 deflection and 18 feeds with an attempt to transition the ball, however, the team often struggled to feed the ball accurately into the circle, due to the stagnancy of the ball movement that lacked pace variation to confuse defenders and convert. This was represented by lower shooting percentage (72% accuracy, versus Vixens 85%), unforced turnovers, and higher turnover from missed goals, compared to the Vixens.
Where was the game won.
Continuing the form from last week against the Lightning, Emily Mannix had an outstanding game with 8 intercepts, 6 deflections, 3 rebounds, 2 pickups and only 8 contacts for a full 60 minutes; a masterclass on defensive footwork and confusing the space. This saw the Thunderbird shooters unsure about how to set up against Mannix to hold the space. Assisted by Kate Eddy, who came on in the second quarter to reject Georgie Horjus’ shot and swing the momentum of the game, and Jo Weston, who finished with 5 gains, 4 rebounds, 1 intercept, 10 deflections and 8 contact penalties for 44 minutes, this defensive outfit saw the Vixens deny the Thunderbirds supply to the circle or force them to post.
This was also evident through the low supershot rate for the Thunderbirds (0/3 for Eleanor Cardwell, 0/1 for Lucy Austin, and 1/5 for Georgie Horjus) and the low total of 53 attempts, including supershots. The rotation of the shooting lineup for the Thunderbirds that we saw in the second and third quarters was a direct consequence of Mannix’s dominant presence in the ring.
Another factor that contributed to the Vixens win was the high supershot accuracy of 100% (3/3) and 83% (5/6) for Mwai Kumwenda and Kiera Austin, respectively, despite Austin slightly lower in her accuracy of the one-point shots; a testament to the pressure from Matilda Garrett and Shamera Sterling.
Overall, full court defensive pressure, multiple options to the ball, short and sharp ball movement, and strong shooter-to-shooter connection saw the Vixens take control of the game, and really capitalise off their gains. It was also the ability to maintain the lead, which was a point to note from last week’s match against the Lightning, that allowed the Vixens to take the four points over the ladder leaders and continue to also raise the standards of the competition.
It seems that the only missing piece now is a full four quarter performance from the Vixens; much needed against the mighty ‘red hot’ Swifts next week.
Shooting stats
Vixens
Kiera Austin 28/36 (78%)
Mwai Kumwenda 24/25 (95%)
Thunderbirds
Eleanor Cardwell 21/27 (78%)
Georgie Horjus 9/16 (56%)
Lucy Austin 8/10 (80%)
MVP – Emily Mannix
Em Mannix pulls in one of her eight intercepts. Image Kirsten Daley.
Kiera Austin performed strongly against considerable opposition. Image Kirsten Daley.
Jo Weston and El Cardwell had an entertaining battle. Image Kirsten Daley.
Matilda Garrett races Mwai Kumwenda to the ball. Image Kirsten Daley.
SWIFTS 85 def MAGPIES 56
by Georgia Doyle
Both teams had lots to play for in this match, with Swifts celebrating a multitude of occasions including Heritage Round, Paige Hadley’s 150th National League match, Sarah Klau’s 100th game as a Swift and the chance to give Briony Akle her 50th win as head coach. The occasion was slightly more challenging for Collingwood, fronting up after a tumultuous week not knowing where their future lies after being informed that the club may not seek to retain its SSN licence and hence withdraw from the competition.
Given the outcome of their previous meeting this season, a significant win to the Magpies, many expected it to be a closely contested match. And while it was for the first quarter, with only two goals the difference at quarter time, the Swifts put their foot down in the second quarter and put on a masterclass across the court, showing they are still very much premiership contenders.
What worked?
Everything seemed to be working for the Swifts. Their defensive unit was cohesive and seemed to work tirelessly to create opportunities for each other. Sarah Klau and Maddy Turner spent the majority of the match in their usual goal keeper-goal defence combination, reeling in 12 gains and 14 deflections between them. Much of this was thanks to the work of Tayla Fraser and Paige Hadley who built such effective through court pressure by staying in play and forcing their opponents into less than ideal decisions.
In attack, Akle gave ample court time to all three shooters in a variety of combinations, all working as seamlessly as each other. Each putting up similar numbers, the exposure on court will go a long way when finals roll around. While it may not have been a high pressure match their strong performances will give them a confidence boost heading into the back end of the season.
For Collingwood, their mid court had a strong performance despite the pressure from the opposition. Kelsey Browne and Molly Jovic only had three turnovers between them, with Browne playing a full game and Jovic the first three quarters. In the past the pressure they’ve been under trying to carry the load of the underperforming Sophie Garbin has seen them forced into uncharacteristically high numbers of turnovers.
Brazill also made a cameo at centre for the third quarter as Nicole Richardson tried desperately to stem the bleeding as the scoreline stretched further and further away. While Brazill was efficient with her feeds, all seven leading to an attempt she was expensive with the ball, giving away two turnovers before watching the final quarter from the bench.
Where the match was won and lost?
The goal attack position continues to plague the Magpies as it has done since the team began. Sophie Garbin and Kelly Singleton played 40 and 20 minutes respectively and accrued 11 turnovers between them. Garbin was particularly messy in the first half of the match, with five in the first 20 minutes before she had her first stint on the sidelines.
Singleton did have a better impact on the super shot in this match compared to previous outings, with five from 10, but as has been the case most weeks it was too little too late when she was brought on to impact the game. With the season drawing to a close, and the future of the club now in jeopardy the poor form of both goal attacks will be cause for concern should they need to be looking for another team come 2024.
Briony Akle has been called out for making some questionable substitutions this year, when in the past she has been pretty conservative with the changes she has pulled. What was impressive about this match was the seamlessness with which the changes happened, especially with the comparison of Romelda Aiken-George at the front compared to Helen Housby. The team’s ability to adapt to the changes was admirable. Similarly when Maddy Proud was forced from the court following a head clash with Sophie Garbin, the injection of training partner Lili Gorman-Brown did little to perturb the side.
Which players/combinations stood out?
Paige Hadley was phenomenal in her milestone match, with 30 feeds, 19 goal assists, two intercepts and six pick-ups. She controlled the tempo of the game and even as the score started to blow out she made sure the Swifts didn’t get erratic. She provided the perfect link between attack and defence and picked up MVP honours to seal the deal.
Sophie Fawns also had one of her better performances, partly due to the length of time she had on court. In her 32 minutes she netted 22 from 28 goals, including five from six super shots and even hauled in an intercept, much to the delight of Aiken-George on the sidelines. It was easy to tell Fawns was having a blast out on court, and it showed in her performance. Akle will no doubt be pleased with the performance, as she looks to build the depth of the side as they approach finals.
Shooting stats
Swifts
Romelda Aiken-George 26/32 (81%)
Helen Housby 23/29 (79%)
Sophie Fawns 22/28 (79%)
Magpies
Shimona Nelson 35/38 (92%)
Sophie Garbin 7/10 (70%)
Kelly Singleton 6/11 (55%)
MVP – Paige Hadley
Collingwood were one step behind the ball all day. Image by: May Bailey
Sarah Klau challenging Shimona Nelson for the ball. Image by: May Bailey
Helen Housby let loose with 9 supershots. (Image by: May Bailey | Netball Scoop)
FEVER 97 def FIREBIRDS 63
By Jenny Sinclair (originally published for Fox Netball)
(no game images available)
The West Coast Fever have smashed multiple records on their way to a mammoth win over the Queensland Firebirds. After dropping three of their past four matches, Fever’s stunning return to form saw them record the highest ever score and highest winning margin, while MVP Sasha Glasgow also nailed the most super shots, recording 14.
At full strength after Jess Anstiss and Glasgow’s return from Covid protocols, Fever dominated their opponents with a 34 point victory. It ensures their place in the finals, and sends a strong message to the competition that they’re well poised to have a crack at retaining their Super Netball crown.
Captain Courtney Bruce led from the front, as she took on fellow Diamond contender Donnell Wallam. Speaking before the match, Bruce explained her strategy to contain the Firebirds shooter.
She said, “I want to dare them to put the ball over me, and then come out and have a fly.”
The game plan worked with Bruce on fire early, getting her hand to three balls in the opening minutes of the match. Despite Glasgow and Wallam trading super shot blows, Fever jumped out to a 10 point lead by the end of the first quarter.
With the Firebirds short on defensive pressure after Gabi Simpson’s ankle injury last week, Fever’s ball speed through court was sizzling. With little protection in front of the circle, there was minimal answer to the connection between Jhaniele Fowler and her feeders.
The mighty Jamaican finished with 54 from 60, despite a change of game plan that saw her feed Glasgow with super shot opportunities. Not selected in the England Netball World Cup team midweek, Glasgow responded in the best possible way sinking a record breaking 14 two pointers for a total of 28 points.
Firebirds shuffled their decks across the match but had few answers to their rampant opposition. Kim Ravaillion led from the front, but lacked support.
Determined to avoid yet another final quarter fade out, Fever added 26 points in the final term on their way to the record breaking win.
Fever not only showed off their scoring power, but outmuscled the Firebirds all over court. In a sparkling performance they gave up just 15 turnovers, and maintained a respectable 83 per cent gain to goal rate. In contrast, Firebirds converted just 43 per cent of similar opportunities.
FINAL QUARTER FADE-OUTS
Fever start their games with a bang, winning at least 67 per cent of their first three quarters. But for some reason, they slump abysmally in the last quarter, and have won just four out of ten this season, at a 40 per cent success rate.
It’s why teams have been able to run over them in the dying minutes of a match, and is something coach Dan Ryan will urgently need to address.
OH TO BE A SELECTOR
Donnell Wallam has had a storming season, shooting the second most number of goals in the league. In contention for a Netball World Cup berth, it was therefore concerning to see her shut down by Jamaican and Thunderbird defender Shamera Sterling in the last round. Wallam shot just 29 points at a miserable 69 per cent accuracy, and needs a strong finish to the season to secure her place in the Diamonds.
Shooting Statistics
Fever
Fowler 53/60 (88%)
Glasgow 29/35 (83%)
Firebirds
Wallam 43/51 (84%)
Stower 6/7 (86%)
Moore 6/9 (67%)
MVP: Sasha Glasgow
Coaches quotes
Simone McKinnis on where the game was won.
“I think our full court defensive pressure was smothering. They were under pressure right throughout the court, which helped our circle defenders. But I thought our ball movement, our options, our depth, our balance on the court was super well. Our ability to work the ball and some great finish in the circle.”
“I think generally across the board in the first quarter, we were a bit slow to start off with. But eventually we found our timing and we had multiple options to the ball, when there’s multiple options and the ball handler can read the play and get it onto someone, I think it goes a long way of negating and taking defensive out of it. The multiple options, the balance, and the ball movement and the ball speed.”
On Emily Mannix’s game:
“When you get changes on your opponent, you know you have had a good game.”
A happy Em Mannix. Image Kirsten Daley
Ladder
(Team . Pts . %)
Thunderbirds . 30 . 110.49%
Swifts . 30 . 103.70%
Fever . 28 . 112.67%
Vixens . 28 . 105.36%
–
GIANTS . 16 . 99.20%
Lightning . 12 . 98.54%
Magpies . 8 . 87.44%
Firebirds . 8 . 87.09%
