The opening round of Super Netball was always going to provide plenty of discussion points, with the whole competition playing out of a Queensland hub and with a slew of rule changes plus a whole stack of derbies to get the season off to a thrilling start.
As Erin Delahunty wrote, recent rule changes—notably the two goal shot—raise some red flags, particularly around international competition. But, in positive news, ‘last weekend, 85 players got minutes – that is more than were on lists last season. Being stress-tested in the best league can only be good for development.’
Broadcast break
Not as positive was the break in the broadcast of the Swifts game against the Giants. With the Swifts leading by two goals and with only 13 minutes on the clock, the broadcast cut to the Victorian Premier’s press conference.
As Megan Maurice wrote, while the press conference was important, that Channel 9 didn’t return to the match, or provide any update during the NRL pre-game show that followed the press conference, speaks to bigger issues around the coverage of women’s sport.
GIANTS Netball vs Adelaide Thunderbirds, Saturday August 8th @ Nissan Arena, Brisbane
GIANTS Netball – 51
Adelaide Thunderbirds – 59
Score breakdown
Q1: GIANTS 19 v Thunderbirds 14
Q2: GIANTS 8 v Thunderbirds 19
Q3: GIANTS 12 v Thunderbirds 12
Q4: GIANTS 12 v Thunderbirds 14
Player of The Match
Kate Shimmin (Adelaide Thunderbirds)
GIANTS shooting statistics: 43/68 (63%)
Caitlin Bassett – G1 – 12/15 (80%) G2 – 0/1 (0%), total points 12
Jo Harten – G1 – 14/17 (82%) G2 – 6/13 (46%), total points 26
Kiera Austin – G1 – 9/14 (64%) G2 – 2/9 (22%), total points 13
Thunderbirds shooting statistics: 55/64 (86%)
Lenize Potgieter – G1 – 42/44 (95%) G2 – 1/1 (100%), total points 44
Georgie Horjus – G1 – 9/11 (82%) G2 – 3/5 (60%), total points 15
Samantha Gooden – G1 – 0/0 (0%) G2 – 0/3 (0%), total points 0
GIANTS starting seven
GS – Caitlin Bassett GA – Jo Harten WA – Kiera Austin C – Jamie-Lee Price WD – Amy Parmenter GD – Kristiana Manu’a GK – Sam Poolman
Thunderbirds starting seven
GS – Lenize Potgieter GA – Georgie Horjus WA – Chelsea Pitman C – Maisie Nankivell WD – Shadine Van Der Merwe GD – Kate Shimmin GK – Shamera Sterling
Queensland Firebirds vs Melbourne Vixens, Saturday August 8th @ Nissan Arena, Brisbane
Queensland Firebirds – 50
Melbourne Vixens – 78
Score breakdown
Q1: Firebirds 13 v Vixens 16
Q2: Firebirds 8 v Vixens 22
Q3: Firebirds 11 v Vixens 19
Q4: Firebirds 18 v Vixens 21
Player of The Match
Liz Watson (Melbourne Vixens)
Firebirds shooting statistics: 45/64 (70%)
Romelda Aiken – G1 – 34/41 (85%) G2 – 0/2 (0%), total points 35
Tippah Dwan – G1 – 5/6 (83%) G2 – 2/5 (40%), total points 9
Ine-Mari Venter – G1 – 0/1 (0%) G2 – 3/8 (37.5%), total points 6
Mia Stower – G1 – 0/0 (0%) G2 – 0/1 (0%), total points 0
Vixens shooting statistics: 65/77 (84%)
Mwai Kumwenda – G1 – 20/22 (91%) G2 – 3/5 (60%), total points 26
Caitlin Thwaites – G1 – 13/13 (100%) G2 – 6/10 (60%), total points 25
Tegan Philip – G1 – 19/23 (0%) G2 – 4/4 (83%), total points 27
Firebirds starting seven
GS – Romelda Aiken GA – Kim Jenner WA – Jemma Mi Mi C – Mahalia Cassidy WD – Gabi Simpson GD – Kim Jenner GK – Rudi Ellis
Vixens starting seven
GS – Mwai Kumwenda GA – Caitlin Thwaites WA – Liz Watson C – Kate Moloney WD – Kate Eddy GD – Jo Weston GK – Emily Mannix
Related—Super Netball Round One wrap up
Sunshine Coast Lightning vs Collingwood Magpies, Sunday August 9th @ USC Stadium, Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast Lightning – 51
Collingwood Magpies – 47
Score breakdown
Q1: Lightning 10 v Magpies 11
Q2: Lightning 11 v Magpies 13
Q3: Lightning 16 v Magpies 9
Q4: Lightning 14 v Magpies 14
Player of The Match
Laura Langman (Sunshine Coast Lightning)
Lightning shooting statistics: 51/68 (75%)
Cara Koenen – G1: 38/44 (86%) G2: 0/0 (0%), total points 38
Steph Wood – G1: 5/9 (55%) G2: 0/1 (0%), total points 5
Peace Proscovia – G1: 6/9 (66%) G2: 0/1 (0%), total points 6
Binnian Hunt – G1: 2/3 (66%) G2 0/0 (0%), total points 2
Magpies shooting statistics: 44/57 (77%)
Shimona Nelson – G1: 32/37 (86%) G2: 0/1 (0%), total points 32
Gabby Sinclair – G1: 5/8 (46%) G2: 1/5 (20%), total points 7
Nyah Allen – G1: 4/4 (100%) G2: 2/2 (100%), total points 8
Lightning starting seven
GS – Cara Koenen GA – Steph Wood WA – Laura Scherian C – Laura Langman WD – Maddy McAuliffe GD – Karla Pretorius GK – Phumza Maweni
Magpies starting seven
GS – Shimona Nelson GA – Gabby Sinclair WA – Madi Browne C – Molly Jovic WD – Melissa Bragg GD – Jodi-Ann Ward GK – Geva Mentor
NSW Swifts vs West Coast Fever, Sunday August 9th @ USC Stadium, Sunshine Coast
NSW Swifts – 73
West Coast Fever – 72
Score breakdown
Q1: Swifts 18 v Fever 20
Q2: Swifts 15 v Fever 21
Q3: Swifts 27 v Fever 11
Q4: Swifts 13 v Fever 20
Player of The Match
Sophie Garbin (NSW Swifts)
Swifts shooting statistics: 65/82 (79%)
Sophie Garbin – G1: 28/32 (87%), total points 28
Helen Housby – G1: 13/14 (92%) G2: 06/11 (54%), total points 19
Sam Wallace – G1: 16/20 (80%) G2: 02/05 (40%), total points 18
Fever shooting statistics: 65/74 (88%)
Jhaniele Fowler – G1: 49/51 (96%) G2 – 04/07 (57%), total points 53
Kaylia Stanton – G1: 01/01 (100%), total points 1
Alice Teague-Neeld – G1: 08/10 (80%) G2 – 03/05 (60%), total points 11
Swifts starting seven
GS – Sam Wallace GA – Helen Housby WA – Nat Haythornthwaite C – Paige Hadley WD – Sophie Craig GD – Lauren Moore GK – Sarah Klau
Fever starting seven
GS – Jhaniele Fowler GA – Alice Teague-Neeld WA – Ingrid Colyer C – Verity Charles WD – Jess Anstiss GD – Stacey Francis GK – Olivia Lewis
And lastly, last week we showed you some footage from the 1963 Netball World Cup. This week we bring you the story of the first Australian netball team to tour England in 1956.
Thanks to the work of Netball Victoria Heritage Taskforce, you can read more about that 1956 tour on Netball Victoria’s website.