The Collingwood Magpies will probably leap into Suncorp Super Netball finals competition after a three-year absence, extinguishing the Queensland Firebirds for the second time in season 2022, this time by 4 targets within the groups’ annual Pride match.
While the Firebirds stay in third place on the ladder, their mid-season type droop might finally show expensive except they’ll flip future performances round.
Collingwood’s opening stanza repelled the Firebirds assault from gaining any form of rhythm with a defensive efficiency stretching from transverse line to the circle. Giving up 15 centimetres to her opposing attackers, Jodi-Ann Ward’s razor-sharp reflexes disrupted them throughout 4 quarters with 4 intercepts and two pick-ups.
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The Magpies defence dominated with a beautiful mixture of good points and turnovers whereas sustaining a low penalty rely. The expertise of Geva Mentor in complicated circle area resulted within the benching of Firebirds and newly chosen Diamonds’ squad member Donnell Wallam, who didn’t see the courtroom for the whole fourth quarter.
Collingwood started to sweat after giving up a 14 purpose lead within the third quarter, with the Firebirds searching down their lead. In the tense ultimate minutes, the Magpies held their nerve and pulled off the all-important win.
Offensively, Sophie Garbin and Shimona Nelson have been a dynamic duo that managed to transform the Magpies’ good points, holding the ball transferring and capturing accuracy excessive. Nelson dropped in 65/66 at 98% accuracy, lowering her purpose assaults to mere spectators within the capturing circle, as they mixed for simply six targets between them.
Game MVP Kelsey Browne proved to be an electrifying, galvanising presence for the Collingwood assault finish. The speedster was phenomenal in guiding the ball from the midcourt to the purpose circle with a seize bag of stats from 23 assists, 34 feeds and only one turnover.
On the flip aspect, Queensland’s excessive penalty rely value them worthwhile moments of catch-up, catch up towards Collingwood’s quick paced motion. The Firebirds veterans Kim Ravaillion and Gretel Bueta each struggled to maintain their turnovers low, though Bueta was busy within the circle with 23 targets.
Despite a cork and ensuing closely strapped thigh, thrilling teenager Ruby Bakewell-Doran displayed an awesome learn of the Magpies attacking movement, however the Firebirds’ have been unable to provide sufficient turnovers to halt their opponent’s purpose scoring prowess.
Collingwood Magpies 71 def Queensland Firebirds 67
PRIDE ROUND
2021’s inaugural Pride Round was so successful that it was introduced again in 2022. The overwhelming message of Pride Round is inclusivity. The 4 golf equipment who took half shared sturdy messages of acceptance and needed to indicate the netball neighborhood that the game is a welcoming place for individuals of the LGBTQIA+ neighborhood. Each workforce wore rainbow bibs with many athletes additionally donning rainbow laces.
THREE FIREBIRDS DOWN, THREE FIREBIRDS UP
Jemma Mi Mi, Mia Stower and Kim Jenner rode the bench final week for the Firebirds, however this week coach Megan Anderson modified issues up which proved efficient in disrupting the Magpies sport plan within the second half. All three took the courtroom, and performed their position in virtually pulling off a win.
STREAKS OF BLACK AND WHITE
Collingwood’s white scorching assault and accuracy was instrumental within the workforce’s success with the Magpies rocketing to a streak of 32 consecutive targets and not using a miss towards the tip of the second quarter.
SWIFTS’ DOUR DEFENCE SHINES BRIGHT
If defence wins premierships, then the NSW Swifts and Adelaide Thunderbirds might be hopeful.
In a must-win conflict for either side, who produced one of many season’s lowest scorelines, it was the NSW Swifts who stored their Super Netball finals hopes alive with a 14 purpose win.
The Thunderbirds began the match at an obstacle with two of their beginning seven gamers out beneath Covid protocols. One of the gamers was their centre Maisie Nankivell, which compelled a midcourt shuffle seeing purpose assault, Georgie Horjus beginning in wing assault and Elle McDonald pushed again to centre.
Unfortunately, for the Thunderbirds, the shifts didn’t gel, so that they launched teenager Tayla Williams at centre. Williams proved a greater match for the Swifts fast midcourt, and by the tip of the primary half, she had collected 4 intercepts in her 20 minutes.
Turnovers, ball dealing with errors and questionable selections have been rampant from either side all through the match. Neither aspect settled till late within the third quarter when the Swifts finally pulled out to an eight purpose lead, off the again of some nice defensive work and a closing seconds tremendous shot.
Swifts purpose keeper, and match MVP, Sarah Klau acquired the higher of Thunderbirds shooter Lenize Potgieter. Klau was cellular, exhibiting superior footwork to get round Potgieter to get her fingers to balls. Potgieter didn’t admire the additional consideration on the physique from Klau and finally conceded a couple of offensive contacts.
Speaking after the match Klau acknowledged that it was a scrappy match – with 57 turnovers between the groups – however stated it was a defender’s dream.
“From a defender’s perspective collecting those turnovers is my job though, some of those tips could have been intercepts. But hopefully, we can produce a cleaner style of netball in the weeks to come because a cleaner style of netball will get us over the line,” she stated.
Klau’s defensive companion Maddy Turner acknowledged their triumphant effort of holding the Thunderbirds to 17 targets for the second half.
“I think it was a full team effort. I think there were a couple of plays where I sent Sarah out to get a touch and then pulled her back to get another one,” she stated.
“It was good fun to boss each other around. Because it was so slow coming down we had time to play our besttogether. We had time to talk.”
The final time these two groups met, younger Swifts shooter, Sophie Fawns was monstered by the extra skilled Shamera Sterling. However, when she entered the match from the bench within the late levels of the primary quarter, she had an air of confidence about her. She continued that method for the remainder of the match and scored a powerful 15/21 at 72.7%
It was an unusually quiet match for Shamera Sterling who appeared to have hassle with the attacking switches between Fawns and Helen Housby. The similar can’t be stated for Sterling’s teammate, Latanya Wilson who relished a chance to play a full 60 minutes.
Wilson was brimming with confidence and was pestering in assault, forcing the Swifts capturing change.
But, for all of the ball which the Thunderbirds gained, they have been unable to show them into targets on the different finish of the courtroom. By halftime they’d gained the ball again 14 instances however solely transformed 50%. By the tip of the match that proportion had dropped to 46%.
NSW Swifts 54 def Adelaide Thunderbirds 40
ROAD TO FINALS
The Adelaide Thunderbirds have a troublesome highway to the finals. In the subsequent 5 matches, they’ve three away video games and can tackle every of the highest 4 groups together with West Coast Fever throughout Round 14 at RAC Arena in Perth.
The Swifts have a barely simpler path with three back-to-back video games on the highway after which two house matches to complete the season. Only one away match is towards a prime tier workforce, although their two house matches might be towards Fever (at present 2nd) and Firebirds (at present third).
Knowing what’s forward of them, league consultants have predicted Thunderbirds to complete sixth and Swifts to complete seventh in season 2022. Though, after this efficiency from the Swifts, they could change that prediction.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
On paper, the NSW Swifts and the Adelaide Thunderbirds are fairly matched. Both got here into Round 9 with a 38% win charge in 2022, with their final conflict being determined by a single purpose.
The Thunderbirds have essentially the most potent defensive finish with their purpose keeper, Shamera Sterling, snaffling 32 intercepts throughout the 8 rounds – essentially the most of any league athlete. She additionally sits third for deflections (35), first for defensive rebounds (26) and first for blocked photographs (10).
The Swifts have one of the crucial efficient midcourters within the league, of their co-captain Maddy Proud. The speedy attacker leads the league for purpose assists (207) and circle feeds (353).
DOING IT FOR THE KIDS
Each yr a number of Suncorp Super Netball groups undertake a charity to help, and plenty of dedicate a Round to the trigger. For this match, the Swifts held a loopy hair and sock day for the Kids Cancer Project. Each of the athletes on each groups confirmed their help by sporting short-term tattoos, however sadly, no loopy hair or socks, not like in earlier years.
