NSW Swifts’ Grace Nweke era begins with win over stacked Silver Ferns side

After a horror 2024 season, the NSW Swifts have signalled their intention to return to the finals with a pre-season win against a stacked New Zealand side.

The Grace Nweke era at the Swifts has started with the former New Zealand representative helping the club notch a historic win over the Silver Ferns.

Nweke has forfeited her Ferns eligibility for 2025 after signing to play Super Netball this season but has showed what an integral part of the Swifts line-up she will be this season as the club attempts to push its way back into the finals after a horror showing last year.

The Swifts won the match 74-52, with Nweke showing her versatility from range as well as underneath the post.

Grace Nweke showed off her versatility. Picture: Narelle Spangher, Netball NSW

The score did not reflect how close the match was though, particularly in the third quarter where the lead changed three times as the teams battled for supremacy.

While pleased with the win, Swifts coach Briony Akle was happier with the opportunity for such a quality hit-out and the chance for her side to have time to bond given the three new players coming into the squad.

“What a privilege it is for both sides. (To be the) first ever club side take on a national team and to be able to do it in such respect for each other and each other’s culture (was great),” Akle said.

“Certainly playing them, I think a lot of us are pinching ourselves at the opportunities there to be able to do it.”

Akle has worked with the Silver Ferns closely over the past year, acting as a specialist coach on Dame Noeline Taurua’s staff at the Netball Nations Cup, as well as in series against England and Australia.

The pre-season opportunity with the Kiwis came about when planned matches in Fiji fell through, with the Ferns choosing instead to head into camp in Sydney and asking to take on the Swifts, as well as NSW men and an all stars combination for matches.

New signing Verity Simmons also impressed. Picture: Narelle Spangher, Netball NSW

While the teams spent a few hours together at the start of the week running through drills and skills, they went their separate ways ahead of match play later in the week.

It was the time in camp that Akle valued as much as the match after a tumultuous 2024 campaign during which the Swifts parted ways with long-term shooter Sam Wallace-Joseph.

The happy post-season announcement that co-captain Maddy Proud would miss this year while pregnant means Akle now has three new faces in her squad and the time that Nweke, former Melbourne Vixens training partner Sharni Lambden and ex West Coast Fever midcourter Verity Simmons were able to spend bonding with their clubmates last week was crucial.

“I think the time together and the connection piece is what my goal was in this,” Akle said of working with the Ferns.

“We weren’t expecting to play a game this early, so off-court it was really important that we were connecting.

“We have three new players, we’ve obviously come off the back of that tough season and we were a little bit disconnected towards the back end going into our last game.

NSW Swifts coach Briony Akle is excited by the new additions. Picture: Narelle Spangher, Netball NSW

“So it was really important for us to connect and get away from our day-to-day environment that we’re in and just really get to know each other and draw all that energy into what can be in 2025.”

Swifts members who snapped up tickets for the clash in just minutes when they were released last month were treated to a high-quality clash which featured several Ferns front-liners including captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio, Karin Burger, Kelly Jackson and Kate Heffernan, as well as Amelia Walmsley, the holding goaler likely to be called on this year to step into the goal shooter role with Nweke unavailable.

The home side was also littered with internationals, with Akle’s starting seven showing the benefit of having been in camp together for the past week.

The Swifts will continue their pre-season preparations with matches against the Queensland Firebirds and Sunshine Coast Lightning ahead of next month’s Team Girls Cup.

Originally published as NSW Swifts’ Grace Nweke era begins with win over stacked Silver Ferns side