Australian Netball Championships 2023: Players relish distraction from CPA concerns
The Australian Netball Championships are the perfect distraction from ongoing CPA concerns, as players relish the opportunity ‘to get out there and play.’
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With her future undecided up and coming midcourter Amy Sligar says the Australian Netball Championships is the perfect distraction – a chance to just focus on the netball.
The 21-year-old had a stand out game in the Giants Academy side’s first win of the ANC – defeating Capital Darters 66-47.
Sligar, who got on the court for the Giants SSN team five times this past season, recorded 10 goal assists, 12 feeds and four intercepts.
Like every Super Netball player Sligar is waiting on the CPA to be signed off before being able to confirm her future with the Giants or any other club.
“I think we always talk about controlling what we can control and one of those things is just getting out and playing,” Sligar said.
“So having a competition like this that allows us to do that is super important at this time.
“This provides us an opportunity to get out there and play and not have to think about anything else. Our main focus, everyone here is playing for Giants Academy and regardless of what’s around the corner.”
Sligar took to the court alongside three Giants SSN training partners; Charli Fidler, Erin O’Brien and Angelina Frketic.
“This competition provides such a range of experiences,” Sligar said.
“We’ve got girls coming into ANC for the first time and they’re kind of getting their first taste of this level and then the players that are looking to really push into the SSM and get their first contracts or get another contract.
“It’s really important to have such high standards and netball and kind of showcase what’s coming through Australian netball.”
Impressive displays across the court 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dIVqty3RS7
— GIANTS Netball (@GIANTS_Netball) August 23, 2023
Giants got off to a slow start against the Darters – falling 3-0 down very quickly – but they had turned the lead around by the end of the first quarter and didn’t falter for the rest of the match.
They scored 21 goals to the Darters 11 in the final term.
Giants were beaten by Collingwood 51-57 in their first game so the win was needed to keep their chances of playing finals alive.
“I think we’re fired up after our first game,” Sligar said.
“So it was good to get out there and it was a tough game, but they certainly gave us a run for our money. So it was good that we got to work through it and get the win in the end.”
Giants will play Sunshine Coast Lightning Bolts on Thursday afternoon.
FEVER DOMINATE
West Coast Fever Reserves are sitting on top of the pool B ladder after a dominant performance over Tasmania Wild at Morayfield Sports Centre on Wednesday afternoon – racing away to win 57-42.
Rising shooter Jasmah Haywood had a standout game netting 35 of her 40 shots.
Jordan Cransberg was almost unstoppable in the midcourt with 42 feeds and 23 goal assists.
FURY ON FIRE
Victoria Fury are on a roll now with a second win against a tough Firebirds Futures team.
Firebirds’ Leesa Mi Mi had an impressive workrate for the Queensland side with 22 goal assists and 30 feeds but it wasn’t enough to stop the slick ball movements of the Fury side – who closed out the game 67-57.
It is the second win in a row for the Victorian team, after they lost their first game to QBE Swifts Academy.
Zara Walters was impressive for Fury – dominating the midcourt. The 20-year-old Colac netball player plays club netball for the Geelong Cougars and is also part of the 2023 Vixens Academy.
Fury goaler’s stunning Super Netball audition
-Emma Greenwood
If new Southeast Melbourne coach Tracey Neville is perched in front of a screen watching replays of the Australian Netball Championships as she works to assemble the newest Super Netball list, she’s getting a red hot audition from Victorian goaler Emily Andrew.
Andrew, a Melbourne Vixens training partner last season, is starring for the Victorian Fury at the ANC at Morayfield, just north of Brisbane.
The 190cm goaler who was part of the national U19 squad, has scored 74 goals in two games at the tournament so far, marking her as one of the brightest talents at the carnival.
The 20-year-old was drafted into the Vixens’ match-day squad on a couple of occasions last season as Rahni Samason battled a knee injury but has not yet made her Super Netball debut.
Given her performances against some of the best defenders in the country though, that’s unlikely to be far away.
Andrew knows this week is part audition, part competitive tournament, with the likes of Neville, Vixens assistant and Fury head coach Di Honey and national selector Nicole Richardson watching on.
But she’s doing her best to keep focused on court and do her part for the team.
“It’s definitely always running through the back of your mind,” Andrew said on what could come from a strong ANC performance.
“You can see people watching and you also know on the other end of the camera people are going to be watching and taking notes.
“So it is in a way a bit of an audition but you’ve just got to get back to the focus on the game and that’s winning that game and working with the team.
“So that’s always at the forefront but definitely in the back of your mind are all the different things that are going down in the netball world.”
Andrew waged an enthralling battle against Swifts Academy goalkeeper Teigan O’Shannassy in her opening game of the tournament, making 38 of her 41 attempts against the established Super Netball defender.
“She held great, so we had to have a game plan – doubling on her, moving off, so I thought she had a really good game as well,” O’Shannassy said of her rival.
Andrew backed that performance up with 36 goal from 38 attempts in just over half a game in the Fury’s 75-45 win over Tasmania Wild on Tuesday.
Being able to test herself for four quarters against players who were consistent performers at the next level was one of the great aspects of the ANC, Andrew said.
While she has come through the Netball Victoria pathway and the Vixens system, a call from Neville would be hard to refuse if the new franchise gave her an opportunity to break into the Super Netball ranks.
Just making the bench for the Vixens earlier this year was “possibly the two best weeks of my life”, so she will take any opportunity to make the next step.
“If I got a contract anywhere, there’s absolutely no way you could say no to that,” she said.
“I obviously have so much respect for (the program I’m in) and they know that they’re developing all their trading partners – hopefully to one day take the court for Vixens – but they’re stoked if you can get any court time at any club.”
WILKINSON RACKS UP HALF CENTURY
The Collingwood Magpies are proving the surprise packets of the ANC so far, knocking off highly rated Sunshine Coast Lightning Bolts 61-49 in their round 2 clash, with shooter Olivia Wilkinson scoring 52 goals.
Wilkinson finished with 52-of-55 shooting (95%), with not even a stellar effort from Lightning Super Netball defender Ash Ervin able to stem the flow.
Ervin had eight gains, including three intercepts and four rebounds, as well as a massive 10 deflections, as hunted ball at goal defence.
But it was not enough to stop the Pies, or impressive teen Wilkinson, who has come through the Australian U17 and U19 squads and was a Collingwood Super Netball training partner.
Able to play at both goal shooter and goal attack, Wilkinson is another who is likely to cross the radar of incoming Southeast Melbourne coach Tracey Neville as she compiles the club’s inaugural Super Netball squad.
T-BIRDS TITLE FAVOURITES
The Adelaide Thunderbirds have shown why they are regarded among the favourites this week as they attempt to defend the ANC title they won for the first time last year.
The T-Birds were ruthless in their 78-35 demolition of the Capital Darters, allowing just 14 goals in the second half as their rivals wilted under relentless pressure.
The T-Birds were able to rest several of their big names after a strong start, with Super Netball premiership winner Lucy Austin on the bench for the second half after slotting 24 goals in the opening two quarters.
Captain Tyler Orr, Tabitha Packer, Jessie Grenvold and Kayla Graham also hit the bench in the second half with coach Jacqui Illman able to give her bench a good run.
Goal attack Lauren Frew had another strong outing, finishing with 27-of-29 attempts at goal attack while Lucy Denton worked hard in the midcourt racking up impressive stats in a 60-minute performance.
Molly Watson gave away nothing in defence, managing eight gains, including six intercepts as she frustrated the Darters feeders.
Despite Adelaide’s frugal defence, Darters goaler Nalani Makunde – who played for Zimbabwe at the recent Netball World Cup – made the most of her chances, converting 29 of her 31 attempts, shooting at 94 per cent to grab the majority of her team’s goals.
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