Super netball 2022: Swifts, Firebirds, Thunderbirds season review
Shocking luck marred the Swifts’ premiership defence, rather than give up the team dug deep and have set themselves up for a big 2023 rebound. See their full season ratings here.
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It’s likely to take time for the NSW Swifts to be able to see it this way but for the defending premiers to come within a whisker of making the finals after losing their main shooter in the first game of the season was little short of success.
Immediately ruled out as contenders by most, the Swifts showed they are way more than a one-woman band, grinding their way back into the season to remain in contention for a finals spot.
They did what they could, beating the Queensland Firebirds to ensure the season would go down to the final fixture before having their hearts broken when the Magpies hung on for fourth place.
In the next of our series of deep dives, we take a look at the Swifts’ season.
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NSW SWIFTS
This year: 5th
Last year: Premiers (2nd after regular season)
What went wrong
You can’t address the Swifts’ season without talking about the moment they lost Sam Wallace.
In the dying stages of their opening match of the season, the defending premiers and heavy competition favourites watched on as one of the best shooters in world netball was helped from the court after a knee injury so severe she had to wait more than a month for swelling to go down before surgeons could operate.
After the off-season move of Diamonds goaler Sophie Garbin to the Magpies, most ruled the Swifts out on the spot.
Things weren’t pretty early. Co-captain Paige Hadley was ruled out the following week under Covid protocols and the Swifts lost five of seven games in the first half of the season.
Losing coach Briony Akle and defender Teigan O’Shannassy to Covid protocols for the final match of the season was another cruel blow in a season they’ll want to forget.
What went right
The Swifts are an outfit that pride themselves on being more than the sum of their parts.
With Diamonds defenders Sarah Klau and Maddy Turner, co-captains Paige Hadley and Maddy Proud and international goaler Helen Housby still humming, there was a quality foundation.
All five were outstanding, playing key roles in helping the club rebound.
They vowed to work harder and smarter to gain and retain ball and get it into the circle and put faith in rookie shooters Kelly Singleton and Sophie Fawns in a ploy that almost paid immediate dividends this season.
Wallace is determined to return and show she’s lost nothing.
But after their baptism of fire, the Swifts have a pair of shooters fast-tracked to Super Netball level.
Star player
Maddy Proud
Proud had an outstanding season, breaking the record for the most feeds in a single year, with her efforts eventually lifting her into the Diamonds squad.
The midcourter’s absolute belief in Wallace and her ability in the circle had led to her pushing the ball to her tall shooter almost without question, having established a near telepathic connection with the 193cm Trinidad and Tobago international.
She was forced to play a different way this year though and the patience and workrate it took lifted her own game to another level.
In an incredibly deep pool of Australian midcourt talent, Proud muscled her way into the Diamonds squad and it would have been a tough decision for coach Stacey Marinkovich and fellow selectors to leave her out of the final squad.
There’s little doubt she’ll be in a gold dress by the end of the year though, with several internationals to follow the Games this year.
Under pressure
The imminent return of Wallace next year means either Singleton or Fawns will be without a full-time contract again next year - a tough prospect for both the duo and the Swifts. Singleton was signed to the Swifts’ full-time list ahead of the season but is only on a one-year deal and while Fawns was a training partner before signing a temporary replacement player deal following Wallace’s injury, her talent is undeniable and she would be in demand in an open market.
What they need for success in 2023
Little needs to change for the Swifts to become title threats again. Much will depend on Wallace’s recovery but the 28-year-old was determined to return, saying her injury had actually given her a motivational boost after she last year questioned whether she would return to the league.
With threats in each section of the court, established combinations and arguably the closest player group in the league, the Swifts are a tight unit that believe their premiership window is still open.
Watch this space.
QUEENSLAND FIREBIRDS
Finish: 6th
Last year: 5th
What went right
There’s plenty that went right for the Firebirds, who few pundits rated as finals chances early in the season. After being rated among the favourites by many last year, they had what seemed a lacklustre trade period, losing defenders Tara Hinchliffe and Rudi Ellis and shooter Tippah Dwan and promoting from within before adding the league’s only new import, Eboni Usoro-Brown, in the final deal of the off-season.
The pre-season news that Romelda Aiken-George would miss the season to take maternity leave ahead of the birth of her first child seemed a blow but the addition of Donnell Wallam was a massive fillip, with the West Australian shooter developing an almost instant connection with Gretel Bueta and ending the season in the Diamonds’ Commonwealth Games squad.
The Firebirds showed glimpses of play last season that were almost league-leading and managed to push those out for longer this year as connections built between the returning Kim Ravaillion and midcourt companions Lara Dunkley and Gabi Simpson with their attack end.
The emergence of Ruby Bakewell-Doran was been another highlight for the Firebirds this year, while Usoro-Brown’s experience and ability to get under the skin of opponents cannot be underestimated.
Coach Megan Anderson’s fingerprints were all over the Firebirds’ style of play in her second year in charge, with the team looking tight on and off the court.
When they were good, the Firebirds soared and they will watch the finals with regret knowing their best netball was the equal of any team in the league.
What went wrong
Consistency is king for every team in the league and there was just too big a gap between the Firebirds’ best and worst this season.
Whether from game to game, from quarter to quarter – sometimes even from minute to minute – the Birdies’ lapses ultimately cost them a finals spot, with three of their losses by two goals or less.
The pace at which they play the game is a massive strength when they’re on song but they also need to learn to temper that speed and enthusiasm when it leads to multiple turnovers, and find another gear before it costs them the game.
Defensively, their penalty count was costly at times and while they largely rectified this it’s something they’ll have to continue to work on, with crafty opponents able to exploit their tendency to be out of play at key moments.
The midcourt is another area that suffered from highs and lows, with consistent feeding of the circle an issue that impacted at times, especially through May when they lost four games on the trot.
Star player: Gretel Bueta
In a great sign for the Firebirds, there were plenty of nominees. The fact that Wallam and Bakewell-Doran will head overseas to help the Diamonds prepare for the Commonwealth Games is a boon for the club, while Ravaillion had another enormous season, despite her confidence suffering a blow after missing the initial Diamonds squad.
Bueta is having some sort of year, though. Coming off an MVP performance at the Quad Series in London in January, Bueta carried her stellar international form into Super Netball and almost impossible for opposition defenders to stop.
Her connection with Wallam, incredible workrate and athleticism were sublime and she remains one of the best in the league.
Under pressure: Romelda Aiken-George
It seems strange that a player that didn’t take the court for a club could be under pressure. But the Firebirds have a conundrum they need to solve – and quickly.
Aiken-George re-signed with the Firebirds on a one-season deal for 2022 and while she’s remained on contract on maternity leave, she will not automatically be extended.
The performance of Donnell Wallam in purple this season leaves the Firebirds with a real dilemma moving forward. Will the veteran Jamaican product head into retirement in motherhood, or will Wallam have to find another home in 2023?
What they need for success 2023
Consistency is the key for the Firebirds. There’s no doubt they’re good enough to compete with any team in the league when playing at their best.
But the constant lapses have hurt them. While they’ve actually finished one place lower on the ladder than in the past two years, this year is likely to have hurt more for the Firebirds, knowing that if they have managed to convert either of the last fortnight’s narrow losses into a win, they’d be preparing for the playoffs this week.
With most of their squad having re-signed for two years in the last free agency period though, the Birdies will be adamant they’re top-four material in 2023.
ADELAIDE THUNDERBIRDS
– Erin Smith
Finish: 7th
Last year: 7th
What went wrong
The ability to close out tight games was the Thunderbirds’ undoing this season.
They managed to scrape just five wins from their 14 games – with 10 of their losses being by 10 points or less. Thunderbirds suffered back-to-back one point losses to Lightning and Swifts in Round 3 and 4.
Last Sunday’s must-win clash against Fever was another example, going down 57-68.
Thunderbirds netted just 724 goals this season, the lowest number of goals in the competition, with an overall 84 per cent shooting accuracy.
They were unable to make the most of the super shot in those close games, putting away less than half of their chances this season.
Covid also played havoc with Thunderbirds, who were forced to take the court several times during the season without key players.
What went right
Shamera Sterling was a shining light for Thunderbirds this year, helping them have the best defensive record in the competition.
The Adelaide side conceded just 747 goals, 77 goals less than the next best team and minor-premiers Vixens.
Sterling’s partnership with fellow defender Latanya Wilson grew significantly during the season with the duo among the most feared defenders in the league.
Thunderbirds were able to pull off some good wins – with their 68-55 victory over the Firebirds in Round 10 keeping their finals hopes alive.
They recorded early wins over finals contenders Magpies and Giants and kept pace with Vixens and Fever each time they met.
Thunderbirds have shown they have potential and the ability to match it with the league’s best.
Star player
Voted by her peers as the equal best player in the league, Shamera Sterling was without a doubt the star of the Thunderbirds.
Sterling had the best defensive statistics in the competition with 37 rebounds, 67 deflections and an impressive 52 intercepts.
She pulled together 1177.5 Nissan Net Points this season, placing her third in the competition and the top ranked defender.
Sterling proved one of the few defenders able to slow down Fever’s super shooter Jhaniele Fowler in the circle.
Georgia Horjus also deserves special mention, proving a versatile player with an ability to create something out of nothing.
Playing it safe
While they didn’t achieve their goal of making the finals, Thunderbirds did come agonisingly close, just one win short of achieving it.
Coach Tania Obst has worked hard to get the team to gel together, especially newcomers Tippah Dwan and Taylah Williams. The former Giants assistant coach joined Thunderbirds in 2018, with her job not quite done, her position as head coach is safe.
It seems most of Thunderbirds athletes are on one-year contracts but after putting on solid performances and showing plenty of potential it could prove unwise to mess with what could be a winning formula, once they learn to play together.
What they need for success in 2023
Adelaide has no shortage of talent and there is no reason they cannot challenge for the top four again in 2023.
Thunderbirds need to find the happy balance between playing defensive and putting points on the board.
Their talented goalers Tippah Dwan, Georgie Horjus and Lenize Potgieter have no problem finding the net when given the ball.
If they can find that winning formula they will be on track for their first Super Netball finals berth.
Ingles a super sub for Magpies do-or-die clash
by Emma Greenwood
Renae Ingles hasn’t played a professional game of netball in three years but she has come to the rescue of the Collingwood Magpies who have been struck by Covid for their do-or-die finals clash.
Hours our form the final clash of the Super Netball season - and with a maiden finals berth on the line - Collingwood received devastating news that both Ash Brazill and Magpies’ 2021 best and fairest Jodi-Ann Ward were out with Covid.
The duo join Nicole Richardson and midcourter Maggie Lind on the list of names out due to health and safety protocols.
Enter Ingles who, just days after returning to Australia with her family from their home in Utah, will don the black and white and come to the club’s rescue.
“Collingwood Nominated Athlete Casey Adamson will replace Brazill, while former Australian Diamond Renae Ingles comes into the side for Ward,” a club statement said.
“Richardson, Brazill, Ward and Lind will return to the program upon clearing the health and safety protocols.”
Earlier this week Ingles played for the Casey Demons just 72 hours after touching down on home soil.
Despite defeat, Ingles was thrilled to be back on court.
“I’m actually nervous, just because I haven’t played netball in so long,” she said.
“Obviously I’ve been keeping fit and doing all those kind of things but since having Jack (in November 2020), I haven’t been on a netball court.”
The last time Ingles suited up for Super Netball was a 10-match stint with the Vixens in 2019, just 15 months after her retirement from the sport.
The Ingles family are home in Australia while Renae’s husband Joe recovers from an ACL injury which ended his NBA season in February
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LETS GOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! 🙌ðŸ»ðŸ™ŒðŸ»ðŸ™ŒðŸ»
— Joe Ingles (@Joeingles7) June 13, 2022
Always in shape, opportunity comes. Take it and run @RenaeIngles. Enjoy it out there â¤ï¸ https://t.co/Z7nMjwjqfN
Originally published as Super netball 2022: Swifts, Firebirds, Thunderbirds season review
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