Super Netball, Round 2: Fever storm home to big win over Lightning
The Fever are flying high in 2024, romping home to a huge win against the Lightning on Sunday as Courtney Bruce made her much anticipated return out west. While the Swifts got their season moving against the Mavs.
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West Coast Fever have made a strong statement to the Super Netball league, dismantling premiership favourites Sunshine Coast Lightning in Perth in the largest margin ever recorded between the two sides. During the 81 to 56 thumping, bodies regularly hit the deck in a highly physical clash, during which Steph Fretwell left the court to have her ankle restrapped, Fever’s pivotal defender Sunday Aryang limped off after an awkward landing, and Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard copped a poke in the eye.
Throughout the 25 point demolition, all eyes were on Courtney Bruce, as she made her first return to the west since defecting to Sunshine Coast Lightning. It proved to be a tough outing for the defender, who pulled in three intercepts but lowered her colours to shooting juggernaut Fowler-Nembhard, who hit 67 from 69 attempts. Bruce had received a rousing round of applause from a massive Perth crowd pre-game, and while she and former teammate Fowler-Nembhard had their game faces on during match play, the pair shared a laugh during the breaks.
Speaking after the match, Lightning coach Belinda Reynolds said that her star, who flew over a few days early to catch up with family, relished playing in Perth. “She kept her head in the game, and fought to the end.”
In a match studded with 11 current and former internationals, including the Australian, English and Jamaican captains, Lightning made heavy use of the supershot to keep pace with their rivals. They shot eight to Fever’s five, while Reynolds also rotated her bench, trying to find a match-winning formula. She called for better communication and fearlessness from her defenders in an attempt to quell Fever’s dominant attacking line.
In chase mode throughout the match, Lightning were thrown into temporary disarray when long range specialist Fretwell was forced from the court with injury. Fever took the opportunity to pounce, restricting Lightning to just nine goals for the term while building an 11 point lead by half time. They continued to capitalise on any errors, recording a 93% conversion of their gains, compared to just 78% efficiency by Lightning.
While both teams played crisp attacking netball, Fever were far more consistent, giving up just 10 turnovers across the game. Lightning’s errors continued to mount as they battled to hunt down the margin, allowing Fever to pull further away. The Western Australians have become LIghtning’s nemesis, winning 10 of their last 11 outings.
Aryang was rewarded with most valuable player for her three intercepts and constant hassling of the Lightning’s shooters.
BRUCE BATTLES
In last night’s interview with Fox Netball, Courtney Bruce revealed that she’s been battling depression for the last couple of seasons, often teary on her way to or from netball training. Describing her move to Sunshine Coast Lighting as a ‘really tough decision’, she said it was in part to improve her game, and in part to find what makes her happy away from the court. Bruce spent 13 seasons with West Coast Fever, captaining them to a maiden premiership in 2022.
JAMAICAN JUGGERNAUT
After five years as the Super Netball MVP, Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard lowered her colours to colleague Shamera Sterling-Humphrey in 2023. However, Fowler is looking to regain her crown. She scored 70 points in Round 1, just one point shy of the record set by Donnell Wallam last year, and backed it up with another 70 in Round 2.
Swifts get off the mark in physical encounter
-Georgia Doyle
A physically punishing Super Netball contest saw the NSW Swifts open their account for 2024. The 67 to 56 win handed the Melbourne Mavericks their second straight loss, with a late flurry of super shots from 50 gamer Gabby Sinclair not enough for the league’s newest team.
The match was rugged from the first whistle, particularly as Mavericks tried to claw back the ever-growing deficit. In an attempt to win ball, they were contesting every single pass to no avail except for a rising penalty count, finishing with a whopping 75 infringements.
The Mavericks drew the umpires’ ire as their penalty count increased dramatically across the match. At half time the umpires spoke to Super Netball’s newest side, telling them to tidy up.
Desperate not to let the lead get out of reach, Mavericks vice-captain Eleanor Cardwell urged her team to settle.
“It’s like a deer in headlights. Chill the hell out,” she implored her side in a break.
Her words fell on deaf ears, as the pressure mounted they continued to crumble with no combination successful at reining in the scoreline.
Confusion ran rampant in the third quarter when a late challenge from Swifts’ co-captain Maddy Proud sent Maverick’s captain, Amy Parmenter, heavily to the floorboards. The umpires spoke to Proud but no warning was given. Under tighter World Netball regulations, dangerous play can result in a player being immediately sent from the court.
Parmenter spoke about her sides difficulty in adapting to the umpiring, and how it cost them in parts of the match
“It’s about adjusting to what the umpires call, learning what you can get away with and what you can’t. I think it took us too long in that first half to adjust to that, so we then overcompensated and were a bit too far off our players in the second half”
Understandably, Tracey Neville was upset that her charges were being told to tidy up, yet the Swifts were allowed to physically contest play.
During a broadcast interview, Neville spoke of her frustration. “The penalty count is too high, and you can’t build pressure when out of play,” she said. “We spoke to the umpires and know how we need to adjust. We need to get off the body and work around our players.”
The tide began to turn in the third quarter, as Swifts struggled to find the flow they had in the first half of the match. Proud, in particular, was expensive with three turnovers that allowed the Mavericks to close the gap slightly. Swifts co-captain Paige Hadley earned MVP honours for her slick mid-court work, finishing with zero turnovers for 13 feeds as well as one intercept.
Swifts shooter Sam Wallace-Joseph received a raucous welcome to her home court, playing in front of them for the first time since 2022. She scored a perfect 37 from 37 including one supershot, wiping away any negative memories of the arena that was the scene of the knee injury that took her a monster two years to rehabilitate.
Speaking post match, Swifts coach Briony Akle was full of praise for her start shooter’s return to court.
“I thought Sammy was super strong, having two years out of the game it’s going to take some time to get the timing back in terms of when to come out of the circle, but she picked those moments really well today”
CARDWELL AGAINST THE WORLD
English International and SSN Premiership player Eleanor Cardwell has been touted as the key signing for the inaugural Mavericks side. However, the 2023 grand final MVP has been below her best so far in her new colours, forced to do too much outside the circle as a result of a struggling mid-court. The rest of the team will need to lift significantly to relieve the pressure on the shooter, so she can get back to her world beating form.
Firebirds come up clutch in clash with the Giants
-Katrina Nissen
Queensland Firebirds took their second consecutive Super Netball match down to the wire, but this time the score was in their favour.
With the game hanging in the balance, they put away a final goal with just 10 seconds on the clock, to secure a 65-62 win over Giants Netball.
The Firebirds launched confidently out of the gates, piling on a 21-point opening quarter.
The lead was enough to play cat-and-mouse with the Giants for the rest of the match and set up a tantalising final few minutes where the lead narrowed to as little as two points.
With her radar well and truly switched on, Donnell Wallam built momentum in a brilliant display that netted her a 55-point haul.
The visitors also had no answer for Firebirds vice-captain and match MVP Lara Dunkley, and were unable to break her connection to Wallam.
Down by 10 points at quarter time, Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald looked visibly frustrated as her team made a litany of errors and missed vital shots.
After the match, the coach said their lacklustre first quarter was definitely what cost them the match.
“I don’t know why, but we were just not in the game in the first opening quarter,” she said. “We didn’t bring the intensity until the last two quarters, and it cost us dearly.”
In response she introduced former Silver Fern Sam Winders, who brought some much needed urgency to the defence end.
Young Giants goal attack, Sophie Dwyer, celebrating her 50th national league cap, was pivotal in keeping her side in touch. She shot six supershots in an overall haul of 29 points.
On her milestone, Dwyer said, “I probably got to 50 national league games a lot quicker than a lot of people. I know I have so much more to give the sport. So 50 games down but hopefully a lot more to come.”
Her animated captain Jo Harten tried to rally the troops, telling them to ‘demand the ball’, and screaming encouragement from behind her transverse line.
Late in the game the Giants clawed the deficit back to just one, but a strong defensive play from the Firebirds kept the game just out of their reach.
Tongan captain Hulita Veve was among the best on court for the Firebirds. Her impressive shutdown role kept the Giants most experienced midcourter, Chelsea Pitman to a sobering seven goal assists. Veve’s blistering closing speed also allowed her to collect two intercepts for her side.
After the match, Veve was humble in the achievement, saying, “I think the work we do as a defensive unit from the start really helps. It is never an individual job. So credit has to go to my defensive team.”
SUPER RECOUP
Since the Super Shot was introduced, Giants have applied it the best, often using the two point period to recoup large scoring deficits.
But as more shooters get better at the long-range shot and defenders work tactics to shut them out, where does that leave a team like the Giants who need to keep evolving their game.
GIANTS IN A HAY-ZE
Maddie Hay may not be a household name like some of her teammates, but her absence from the Giants starting seven is definitely being felt.
In 2023, Hay led the team stats for centre pass receives and feeds into the circle.
Her defensive contribution is also missed, with the wing attack supplying at least one intercept, deflection and pickup per match. Her 2024 injury substitute, Chelsea Pitman, may be experienced but has yet to make this level of impact for the side.
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Originally published as Super Netball, Round 2: Fever storm home to big win over Lightning
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