The premiership contenders are locked in for 2023 but the question of which teams will face each other in the minor and major semi final will be answered by Sunday evening.
The NSW Swifts have secured their position in the major semi final but could play either the West Coast Fever or Adelaide Thunderbirds next weekend.
Which makes their battle against the Thunderbirds this weekend, a big one.
The Magpies will play their final Suncorp Super Netball match in front of a packed house in Tasmania, while the GIANTS and Melbourne Vixens go head-to-head. And there's a state showdown on the cards for the Queensland teams.
TBIRDS' BIG TASK
The NSW Swifts will have momentum on their minds aiming to make it 10 in a row heading into the business end of the season when they face the Adelaide Thunderbirds this weekend.
While the Thunderbirds will be desperate to prove themselves against the ladder leaders ahead of their first finals appearance in 10 years.
The last time the two teams met it was neck and neck at halftime, however, the match had to be abandoned due to a power outage leaving the scores level.
The Thunderbirds can fall to fourth if they don't get up against the Swifts.With nothing separating the two sides that evening in Round 2 and a spot in the major semi final on the line for the Thunderbirds this weekend, the match is sure to come down to the wire.
The NSW Swifts will feel confident hitting the court in front of their red army while on a winning streak while the Thunderbirds will enter enemy territory coming off the back of two losses.
To win the match the Thunderbirds will need to find a way to minimise the damage Swifts shooter Helen Housby can do during the Suncorp Super Shot period. Leading the league with 72 Suncorp Super Shots this season, Housby had a prolific match against the Queensland Firebirds slotting eight of the long-range shots last weekend while doing a wealth of work on the court.
All eyes will also be on Jamaican teammates Romelda Aiken-George and Shamera Sterling this weekend with Sterling’s defensive efforts capable of turning a match on its head while Aiken-George has been strong for the Swifts all season in the absence of Sam Wallace.
With a second chance in finals on the line the Adelaide Thunderbirds will need to win this match up to be in with a chance of finishing second on the ladder come Sunday evening.
REST OF THE ROUND
In front of a home crowd in Tasmania, the Collingwood Magpies will take to the court for the final time on Saturday evening when they face the West Coast Fever.
For the Fever a win will secure them a spot in the major semi final while a win for the Magpies will provide a bittersweet ending to the club’s Suncorp Super Netball journey.
Collingwood will play their last match in Tasmania on Saturday.On Sunday the Sunshine Coast Lightning will battle for bragging rights against the Queensland Firebirds.
With both sides not playing finals, the winner will end the season claiming Queensland supremacy. The last time the two teams met it was the Lightning that came out on top by 10 goals, however, the Firebirds are no easy beat and will rise to the challenge.
Rounding out the final match of the regular season the Melbourne Vixens will travel to New South Wales to face the GIANTS.
No matter the outcome of the match the Vixens will be playing in the minor semi final come next weekend.
The Vixens were the better of the two sides when they last played each other, however, the GIANTS in front of a home crowd will put their everything into the match to try and end 2023 with a win.
