Net Gains: Fever still a force despite player movement, Thunderbirds celebrate premiership and Vixens will contend in 2024

Round one of the new Super Netball is complete with quite a few talking points headlined by yet another standout performance by super star Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and the Melbourne Mavericks make their debut with a difference, writes EMMA GREENWOOD.

For all the movement at West Coast Fever over the off-season, one thing remains the same.

If you’ve got the most dominant holding shooter in your side, you’re going to be hard to beat.

Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard may have changed her name after getting married in the off-season but little else has changed for the Jamaica and Fever stalwart, who gave everyone a reminder of why she is regarded as one of the best goalers in the world with her efforts in her side’s 84-65 win against the Giants.

To miss just one goal from 68 attempts is phenomenal, regardless of how many were from close range.

Fowler-Nembhard again showed she is no one-trick pony, hoisting four super shots and connecting on three of them while also dragging down six rebounds.

Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard took no time to pick up her trademark form to open the new season. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

The recruitment of her Sunshine Girls teammate Shanice Beckford may have been a masterstroke by the Fever.

Not only is there already plenty of upside in the game of and ability of the diminutive goal attack but coach Dan Ryan and Fever officials know she is only likely to improve being in a full-time professional outfit for the first time, while she already boasts an on-court relationship with Fowler-Nembhard.

GIANTS STRUGGLE THROUGH OPENER

Easter may have been more than a fortnight ago now but Saturday’s match was meant to have been a resurrection of sorts for the Giants after a disappointing 2023.

England goaler Jo Harten showed she will be back to carry a full load again this year in a busy performance, while new recruit Jodi-Ann Ward was their best on court.

But it was a tough night apart from that, with the Giants suffering their biggest ever loss to West Coast.

Sophie Dwyer, who has shown outstanding development through the off-season for both the Diamonds and Giants, finished with nine super shots but shot at just 69 per cent overall for the night and had an uncharacteristic seven turnovers.

With Maddie Hay still recovering from off-season surgery, the Giants’ midcourt is not yet settled, with Chelsea Pitman and Sam Winders new elements and it’s going to take time for things to hum.

Giants’ Jo Harten talks to her team during the time-out during round one against West Coast Fever. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

THUNDERBIRDS CELEBRATE FLAG

The Thunderbirds made a successful return to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre to celebrate their premiership win in front of an adoring crowd on Saturday night.

But it could be a long season if they can’t work out their attack end quickly.

The TBirds have had a major overhaul of their offensive end after losing goalers Eleanor Cardwell (Mavericks) and Tippah Dwan (Firebirds) but the recruitment of Romelda Aiken-George was a masterstroke.

What coach Tania Obst must do though is resist the temptation to play the Jamaican veteran for 60 minutes a match to allow for the continued development of rising star Lucy Austin while keeping Aiken-George fresh.

The Thunderbirds have long boasted the best defence in the competition but they returned to the bad old days on Saturday of wasting the opportunities that were hard win by Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, Latanya Wilson and Matilda Garrett.

Sterling-Humphrey alone finished with 10 gains, including six intercepts, among 21 gains the TBirds won.

But in failing to convert many of them, as well as committing 21 turnovers of their own, they were wasteful and will be punished if it’s something they cannot sort soon.

FIREBIRDS IN THE MIX

Few expected the Queensland Firebirds to get as close as they did to the defending premiers on Saturday night, let alone have a shot to win the game as Donnell Wallam did at the death.

The Thunderbirds were hardly at their best in the 63-62 victory but the Queenslanders showed they’re going to be a different prospect in 2024.

One of the big injections is Tippah Dwan at goal attack. Returning to her former stomping ground, Dwan seemed to take a while to work into the match but was outstanding in the end, finishing with five successful super shots among her 18 goals.

Ravaillion made a surprise comeback against the Adelaide Thunderbirds. Picture: Maya Thompson/Getty Images

Among the biggest moments for the Firebirds though was the injection of Kim Ravaillion in the third quarter, the captain racking up her 150th national league game just months after off-season surgery.

There was a chance Ravaillion might not have been able to hit the court at all this season after rupturing a disc in her back in December but one of the fittest players in the competition has worked diligently on her rehab and the midcourt looked better when she was injected.

VIXENS WILL CHALLENGE

Most expected the Melbourne Vixens to be in the mix this season but their 68-61 win over the Melbourne Mavericks in the newest Victorian derby showed just why that will be the case.

Jo Weston’s absence in defence was no surprise after the Diamonds defender missed most of the pre-season with a lower leg complaint but another spanner was thrown into the works when it was announced Hannah Mundy would miss the game with a quad complaint.

Already without Diamonds captain Liz Watson, who moved to the Sunshine Coast Lightning in the off-season, the Vixens just pulled another recruit from the Victorian pathway.

There’s been plenty of buzz around Zara Walters but few expected her to start in round 1 and she made the most of it, playing the full 60 minutes and finishing with 26 goal assists and 40 feeds in an outstanding showing.

While captain Kate Moloney and new shooter Sophie Garbin battled for MVP honours, Walters was not far behind.

“It’s a big thing for a first-year player to be out there starting games,” coach Simone McKinnis said of the youngster.

“I’m rapt for her.”

NETBALL DONE DIFFERENTLY

The Mavericks promised they would do things differently and they put on a show in Sunday’s derby against the Vixens.

Mavericks’ fans show their support during the round one. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

From the pre-match show to the introductions and music blaring throughout the game, it’s not the same old, same old netball production from Super Netball’s newest team.

No team wants to be style without substance though and the Mavericks showed they will be in games, making the Vixens work hard for their seven-point win.

Down by 11 at one stage in the final term, the Mavs were in danger of having the game really get away from them at the end.

They won’t be happy with the loss but the fight they showed in the final stages will impress coach Tracey Neville and they’ve got something to work with.

After a horror pre-season run with injury, a side that was already full of new combinations struggled for consistency at the shooting end in particular.

But they are a work in progress and once those on-court combinations gel, they’ll start to sing.

What a moment for the Mavericks! 🙌
Their first goal in the SSN! pic.twitter.com/Lqly9OxpRm

— Fox Netball (@fox_netball) April 14, 2024

LIGHTNING STRIKE

The match between the Lightning and Swifts was always going to be a clash of the heavyweights.

But what the Lightning’s 79-63 win showed is just how much they’ve already addressed their problem areas.

Getting the ball quickly across the transverse line has been an issue for the Sunshine Coast for the past couple of years – really since the retirement of Kiwi great Laura Langman.

And the amount of work Steph Fretwell has had to do in helping the ball up the court has taken the shine off her shot late in the game.

But the introduction of Liz Watson, along with Lessa Mi Mi to give the Lightning a genuine four-player middie rotation, paid immediate dividends.

Liz Watson had an immediate impact in round one for her new club. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

When the Swifts mounted a fightback in the third quarter on Sunday, Helen Housby and Sophie Fawns bombing super shots, a fresh Fretwell was able to answer in kind, keeping the margin at four goals heading into the final quarter.

Their recruits have given them weapons all over the court and they deserve to be competition favourites.

SWIFTS THE INNOVATORS

Four seasons after the sudden introduction of the two-point super shot, teams seem to have a handle on the five-minute period per quarter and there’s an argument that no one does it better offensively than the Swifts.

Helen Housby had ice running through her veins when converting nine of 10 from long range, a shot that now seems her regular in that period rather than an occasional, risky attempt.

But the super shot cannot be a panacea for weaknesses in other areas of the game.

It’s an offensive weapon when team win the first 10 minutes of the quarter. But when they’re trying to play catch-up, the pressure will eventually tell.

The Swifts threw the ball away way too many times to be competitive against a team that has become the competition benchmark in just round 1.

It’s a sin for any team, let alone one like the Swifts that came into the season with the type of settled line-up that others could only dream of and the main offenders were Diamonds Paige Hadley and Maddy Proud, who each had five turnovers in a tough afternoon.