Premier League netball round 2: First Nations Academy of Excellence Roos bounce into winner’s circle
The FNAE Roos have their first Premier League netball win after an incredible show of resilience and belief. Catch up on all four of Monday’s games and see our Team of the Week.
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It was a night they’ll never forget.
The First Nations Academy of Excellence (FNAE) Roos have their first Premier League netball win, beating Neptunes 52-39 on Monday night in an incredible show of resilience and belief.
The Roos led at every break and even kicked away in the final quarter, pushing out to a commanding lead before time elapsed.
As the fourth quarter went on, it became clearer and clearer that the Roos were closing in on their inaugural win and the energy and noise coming from the team’s bench and supporters started to grow.
Every turnover was like a matchwinner. Every goal like winning a World Cup.
FNAE pushed its lead out to five goals, eight goals, 12 goals, and with each score they stepped closer to history.
The team’s predecessors, the SCALA Indigenous Diamonds, went through the entire 2023 season winless but head coach Sharon Finnan-White was determined to come back stronger than ever.
“The very first year we came into the competition we won one game, but last year we didn’t get any wins, so to be getting wins this early in the season is very exciting for us and we’re just going to build and get more confidence,” Finnan-White said.
She has been working with the squad since late 2023 to get them at their fitness peak for this season, and it only took two rounds for the benefits of an unrivalled pre-season to shine through.
“I actually feel like we’ve just won a grand final. It wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when for us, because we’ve been building and building and building,” Finnan-White said.
“These girls have been putting in the hours in the gym with their strength and conditioning.
“I told them and they didn’t believe me at the start, but that is what’s going to hold them in good stead when it comes to the tough moments and when it comes to the fourth quarter.
“That is what’s going to help keep us going because we’re going to be able to execute our skills the right way under pressure.”
The Roos came into the contest on a high after claiming the opens title at the First Nations Festival of Netball over the weekend.
Goal shooter Sonnyanne Raggett was at her reliable best, potting 24/28 while GA Danielle Major made an impressive 12/15 in limited minutes.
Their defensive unit, spearheaded by dynamic GD Tenisha Solomon, were relentless at the back but it was the Roos’ abillity to win “bonus turnovers” that helped them edge out Neptunes.
“The support from the bench was awesome tonight. We picked up so many turnovers, mostly in our defensive end but all over the court, and I thought our defensive pressure was really strong,” Finnan-White said.
“What I loved about our girls tonight is although they were doing one-on-one (defence), they still had that ability to come off the body and take intercepts, so (they were) reading the play really well and picking up those bonus turnovers that we might not normally get.”
BURDEKIN v MARIAN VIXENS
A suffocating second half ensured the Burdekin Silverlinks would continue their glittering 2024 form, containing Marian Vixens to just 12 goals after halftime to secure the 50-32 triumph.
Marian Vixens GK Maddy Ryan’s strong circle defence kept her team in the contest despite being outgunned up front with a few of their regular offensive weapons still sidelined.
Leading by three goals at the major break, Burdekin stepped up to another level and tightened the screws of their defence to hold their opposition to seven goals and five goals in the third and fourth quarters.
Silverlinks player-coach Cara Trindle’s vision and execution were superb – she’s having some year already.
Trindle was accurate, shooting 17/23, but she did a great job rebounding any shots she missed to get a second opportunity at goal, which she usually drained.
SAINTS v RUNAWAYS
Saints overcame plenty of adversity to rein in a fast-paced Runaways and take control in the fourth quarter to win 64-54.
Runaways were on fire, particularly GA Bianca Theodore who shot 30/42 with most of her attempts from at least mid-range.
Theodore’s reliable shooting up front combined with GD Keely Warcon’s disruptive play at the back allowed Runaways to take a lead into quarter-time and halftime, and they trailed 43-42 at the final break.
But determined defence from Chelsea O’Neill and Jenna Green energised the Saints offence and the reigning champs kicked away to claim the 10-point victory.
HIGHLANDERS v PHOENIX
Highlanders were left with not much more than ‘what-ifs’ after squandering a handy fourth-quarter lead to draw with Phoenix 42-42.
Both sides were neck and neck throughout the match but Highlanders led by five goals midway through the final quarter and they appeared to have taken control.
But a ferocious push from Phoenix saw them wrestle back control with a seven-goal run to take a lead with two minutes to play.
Highlanders GA Grace Bowman nailed a tough shot in the final minute to level the score once again, and then with 10 seconds to throw a centre pass and push for victory they couldn’t get the ball back into the circle for a matchwinner.
It was a gutsy showing from Phoenix.
TOWNSVILLE BULLETIN TEAM OF THE WEEK
GS: Sonnyanne Raggett (FNAE) – Led the Roos to their inaugural win with her work in the circle, shooting a reliable 24/28 goals.
GA: Bianca Theodore (Runaways) – Almost carried Runaways to a surprise victory over Saints with a fantastic shooting display, shooting 30/42 often from difficult positions.
WA: Chandler Searle (Highlanders) – Fantastic showing from the Highlanders captain despite not securing the win. Searle was dominant when she was on court.
C: Anna Child (Saints) – Child played big minutes and was a perfect conduit between her side’s attack and defence. Saints had to fight to regain ascendancy and Child played a huge part in that.
WD: Lacey Triffett (FNAE) – The Roos’ win was built on a whole-team effort, but Triffett was superb at WD and never gave up on a play.
GD: Jenna Green (Saints) – Swung the momentum when she took a hard stance on her circle defence, forcing turnovers and helping her side come from behind to beat Runaways.
GK: Maddy Ryan (Marian Vixens) – Almost lifted her side to a win over Pre-Season Cup winners Burdekin. Her physical defence saved her side at least 10 goals.
SUB: Jess Freeman (Runaways)
SUB: Mischa Oliver (Phoenix)
SUB: Cara Trindle (Burdekin)
SUB: Hayley Killer (Neptunes)
SUB: Chrissy Salusalu (Highlanders)
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Originally published as Premier League netball round 2: First Nations Academy of Excellence Roos bounce into winner’s circle
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