By Matt Fotia
The SSN season is a marathon, not a sprint.
And deep down all fans will tell themselves not to overreact to one win, one loss, one quarter or even one moment.
Basically, don’t ride the rollercoaster.
Thursday Takes flies in the face of that logic.
Each week you’ll find our raw, unfiltered views on your club and what the weekend’s performance means for them going forward.
Check it out below.
SUNSHINE COAST LIGHTNING
Cara Koenen just gave us a timely reminder that form is temporary, class is permanent.
The Diamonds shooter has had her fair share of critics across the opening fortnight of the season, but the two-time premiership star let her netball do the talking on the weekend.
Celebrating her 100th SSN (and Lightning) appearance, Koenen started in her more traditional position of goal shooter, a move which allowed her to isolate young Firebirds defenders Isabelle Shearer and Ashlee Barnett and utilise her trademark ownership of the baseline.
Koenen set the tone in the first quarter nailing 15 goals from 15 attempts, before finishing the match with 39 goals from 44 attempts, including two super shots. It was the back-to-back super shots which elicited the biggest response from the home crowd and should send a little shiver up the spine of the Lightning’s rivals.
If Koenen can build on her work from long range become a proper two-point threat, the Lightning’s unique goal circle will become an unpredictable nightmare for coaches' league wide.
Cara Koenen was back to her brilliant best on the weekend.QUEENSLAND FIREBIRDS
Ruby Bakewell-Doran is making 2025 her own.
The Firebirds co-captain has been one of the Queensland sides best performers since her SSN debut, but she has gone to another level in 2025.
The athletic goal defence has played 175 of a possible 180 minutes this season, the most of any Firebird and has been brilliant at creating turnover for her teammates further up court, as well as guiding her younger defensive deputies.
Bakewell-Doran is ranked 10th in the league for deflections with 12, fifth for pick-ups with six, sits in third for gains with 16 and is the number one defensive rebounder in the SSN, having claimed 11 in the opening three rounds.
The 26-year-old is about to enter her netballing prime and will be a key pillar in the Firebirds push for a return to the finals this season.
MELBOURNE VIXENS
Now is not the time to panic, not that we think the Vixens will.
The usually clinical Vixens have been uncharacteristically off their game to start the 2025 season.
Simone McKinnis’ crew are ranked last for goals from centre pass across the opening three rounds of the season, converting just 62 per cent of their centre passes into scores.
The 2024 grand finalists have also conceded the second most penalties per game, averaging 63 and are turning the ball over more than all sides (outside of the GIANTS), with 26.3 turnovers per game.
There is of course a caveat.
The Vixens have played the Thunderbirds in Adelaide, a trip they are beginning to dread, and had to handle an Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard inspired West Coast Fever on the weekend – both very tough tasks.
With six Diamonds squad members amongst their ranks, things will surely start to turn, but with a tricky set of fixtures ahead of them (Mavericks, Swifts and Lightning), it’s a watch on the Vixens’ push for a second SSN title.
The Vixens have been strangely off the body to start the season.WEST COAST FEVER
You could imagine there would have been a few people within the Fever organisation who may have been worried Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard might take a week or two to get back to her brilliant best, such is the standard of the SSN.
But Fowler-Nembhard is the best for a reason.
The Fever star did not miss a beat on her return, finishing the match with 59 goals from 61 attempts, three rebounds and three pick-ups, as the Fever scored their first win of the season.
The Jamaican champion is not only ruthless under the post, but she also makes bad passes good with her incredible ability to reach any ball and move to any spot.
This ability in turn gives the rest of her teammates more confidence to let the ball fly, which means the Fever are suddenly back playing with some speed on the ball and giving opposition defenders nightmares.
Such is her impact on the way they play, Sunday’s win against the Vixens was the first time the Fever had gone past the 55 goal mark this season.
One day we will discuss the downsides of one player creating such a turnaround in a sides’ fortunes.
But for now, let's just appreciate greatness when we see it.
