By Charlotte Knoke
The Adelaide Thunderbirds produced a clinical four-quarter performance, winning by an enormous 20 goals against the GIANTS in game two of Inclusion Round. Winning every single quarter, the Thunderbirds sealed the win easily and utilised a variety of combinations from their ten-strong roster.
After a less-than-ideal start to the 2024 season, the GIANTS were desperate to clinch their first win of the year, while the reigning premiers the Adelaide Thunderbirds were looking in fine form and keen to maintain their dominant run.
The start of the game has continually been the GIANTS’ biggest weakness this season, and while their intensity was better than in previous games, their start was once again not their best.
On the other hand, the Thunderbirds had a strong and quick start to the game, with the attacking end in particular standing up.
Jamie-Lee Price was crucial for the visitors, doing a wealth of work in both attack and defence for her team, but her hard work was not always rewarded as a few shots were missed and unforced errors were made.
As soon as the first Power Five period began, Thunderbirds youngster Lauren Frew scored a Super Shot and increased her side’s lead.
Adelaide’s defenders were all over the GIANTS and their intense pressure allowed them to contest and pick up ball. Both Matilda Garrett and Shamera Sterling-Humphrey gained intercepts and the Thunderbirds’ run of impressive starts continued.
The GIANTS’ start was much better than previous weeks but even with a Super Shot from Harten right on the buzzer, they still finished the first quarter down 18-12.
The GIANTS once again struggled with their start.The immense pressure from the Thunderbirds continued into the second quarter, with the GIANTS struggling to get the ball down to their shooting end.
An early deflection from Matilda McDonell was much-needed for the NSW side but a tip on the shot from Sterling-Humphrey caused Harten to miss another shot and the Thunderbirds were able to convert.
Shooter Matisse Letherbarrow was brought onto court for the GIANTS to try and spark some change for the team.
The GIANTS’ defenders were getting multiple tips and deflections and they seemed to be building and getting closer to gaining possession through intercepts.
Georgie Horjus’ superb form this season continued as she seamlessly moved from wing attack into goal attack for the Adelaide team. The young Adelaide-local sank multiple Super Shot and helped her side extend their lead out.
Sterling-Humphrey caused more confusion in the shooting circle and picked up more intercepts for the Thunderbirds. Meanwhile at the other end of the court, Laura Scherian’s introduction into the midcourt brought more speed and strength for the home side.
Dwyer slotted in a few crucial Super Shots for her team but it wasn’t enough. It was a worse quarter from the GIANTS, with the visitors kept to only 11 goals.
The Thunderbirds’ lead extended even further and they went into half-time up by 14 goals 37-23.
Adelaide were clinical in the first half.Following the halftime break, the Thunderbirds’ fine form continued while the GIANTS once again struggled to stay in touch with their opposition.
Adelaide used all 10 players from their roster and it seemed that no matter what combinations they had on court, the connections were strong and effective.
Lucy Austin and Horjus have known and played with each other since they were young so their knowledge of each other’s play was unsurprisingly strong.
Despite being down by so many goals, Dwyer’s confidence didn’t waver and she found her rhythm which was important for the visitors.
However, as it felt like there was a momentum shift, Dwyer broke on the centre pass, giving up much-needed possession.
Once the third Power Five period began, both sides picked up intercepts and there was a bit of back-and-forth. The positional swap between Latanya Wilson and Sterling-Humprey was extremely powerful for the Thunderbirds, causing confusion in the circle.
The GIANTS surprisingly didn’t opt to take many Super Shots despite the large deficit but when they did go for the two-pointers, they were almost always denied by Adelaide’s defenders. At the other end of the court, Austin sank a Super Shot easily for the T’birds.
The Thunderbirds continued to put their foot down in the third quarter, and they went into the final period up 54-36.
There was a lot of physical intensity throughout the game.Before the fourth quarter, GIANTS captain Jo Harten rallied her teammates to continue playing their best and keep fighting despite the huge scoreline difference and the difficult position they were in.
The T’birds on the other hand didn’t waver and kept chipping away at the scoreboard and playing their own clinical game.
Erin O’Brien entered the court in goal defence for the GIANTS and she instantly picked up an intercept for her team, but Garrett immediately reciprocated with one of her own.
The Thunderbirds denied the GIANTS of almost any opportunity to get the ball down court smoothly and easily, but in saying that the visitors stayed in it in the final quarter.
Before the final Power Five, T’birds coach Tania Obst changed up some more combinations, and the Adelaide side once again easily adapted.
The GIANTS expectedly tried to go for the Super Shots, but the Thunderbirds denied them from scoring many. The team in orange opted to take more single shots than they probably would have liked to due to the defensive pressure they were under.
The Adelaide Thunderbirds emerged victorious with a 20-goal win over GIANTS Netball with the final score sitting at 69-49.
Thunderbirds midcourter Tayla Williams was named Player of the Match after receiving 87.5 Nissan Net Points powered by e-powered. The Adelaide local had 20 goal assists, 36 feeds, three intercepts and one deflection throughout the game.
