By Paddy Regester
We're less than a three weeks away from the start of the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball season so we thought now would be the perfect time to dissect these team lists.
Which shooting circle do we think will be the hardest to stop? Which midcourt could struggle to keep up with the pace of the league? And which defences do we think will put the clamps on the opposition attack ends?
We’re going circle to circle and ranking the shooting circles, midcourts and defences of all eight Super Netball clubs, starting with the defenders.
1. Sunshine Coast Lightning
Karla Pretorius, Phumza Maweni, Annika Lee-Jones
Considering they have the best defensive player in the world in Karla Pretorius, the Sunshine Coast Lightning had to be number one.
And her fellow defensive starter, Goal Keeper Phumza Maweni, isn’t too bad herself.
What sets this trio apart from the other teams, and what makes them the number one ranked defence, is their ability to cause turnovers while keeping the opposition from blowing them out of the water on the scoreboard.
The South African duo had 102 interceptions (69 for Pretorius and 33 for Maweni) and 43 defensive rebounds in 2019. They also, alongside backup Annika Lee-Jones, allowed an equal second best 53.4 average goals against per game.
2. Melbourne Vixens
Jo Weston, Emily Mannix, Kadie-Ann Dehaney
The team who allowed the lowest average goals against per game in 2019 is our number two ranked defence coming into the new season.
The Melbourne Vixens have three proven world-class players in Jo Weston, Emily Mannix and Kadie-Ann Dehaney and Head Coach Simone McKinnis knows just how to use them.
These three combined for 79 interceptions and 35 defensive rebounds in their 16 matches. And as we mentioned earlier, they were the hardest team to score against in the league, allowing just 51.5 goals against per game.
But it’s more than just the stats for these three. It’s their ability to shut teams down in a number of different ways.
They will be well suited to defending the Super Shot, given Weston and Dehaney’s ability to defend the perimeter and Mannix’s uncanny ability to read passes into the shooting circle. And they are also big enough make scoring difficult for the holding shooters, with all three being 188cm or taller.
3. NSW Swifts
Maddy Turner, Sarah Klau, Lauren Moore
It was hard to put the Swifts number three on our defence ranking, we’re talking about the defence that won the 2019 Grand Final after all, but we had to give the Vixens a slight edge.
But make no mistake about it, Head Coach Briony Akle and her assistants have developed one of the most exciting defences in the country.
Sarah Klau and Maddy Turner both proved they were good enough to warrant national team selection in 2019, with both making their debuts for the Diamonds over the course of the year.
And the decision to bring them in would have been an easy one for the Australian selectors, given they were the starters of a defensive circle that allowed an equal second lowest 53.4 goals against and caused 71 turnovers.
When you compare the Vixens and Swifts starters, there really isn’t much to separate the two.
The one area where the Vixens have an advantage over Swifts is depth. Kadie-Ann Dehaney is not only a proven talent, she’s a starting calibre player. While Lauren Moore has plenty of potential, a lack of opportunity means we haven’t seen enough to give her the nod over Dehaney.
4. Adelaide Thunderbirds
Layla Guscoth, Shamera Sterling, Kate Shimmin
Going into the 2019 Netball World Cup break, the Adelaide Thunderbirds defence was flying and the relationship between new recruits Layla Guscoth and Shamera Sterling was growing stronger with every game.
That all ended when Guscoth went down with a ruptured Achilles while playing for England at the tournament.
Despite losing their star goal defence, the Thunderbirds kept opposition shooters to just over 57 goals per games, a testament to Sterling and backup Kate Shimmin’s hard work.
The main reason the Thunderbirds are above the next four sides is because of the potential here.
After finishing the regular season leading the league in Nissan Net Points, defensive rebounds, deflections and interceptions, Shamera Sterling is clearly the linchpin of the group.
But how Layla Guscoth rebounds from injury could be the key to success for Adelaide’s defence.
5. West Coast Fever
Stacey Francis, Courtney Bruce, Olivia Lewis, Shannon Eagland
2019 was a tough year for the West Coast Fever, particularly in defence, where the 2018 runner-ups allowed an alarming 64.6 goals against per game.
So why do we have them above the next three teams?
Team captain and arguably the best Goal Keeper in the world Courtney Bruce missed rounds two, three and four last season through injury. In those three games the Fever allowed both the Lightning and Swifts to score a record 80 goals and the Vixens 63.
She also missed their rounds 13 and 14 matchups against the Firebirds and GIANTS. The Fever allowed 68 and 70 in those matches.
With a healthy Courtney Bruce playing all 14 games alongside Stacey Francis, who had a down year by her lofty standards, we are tipping the Fever to have a bounce back season defensively.
6. Collingwood Magpies
Jodi-Ann Ward, Geva Mentor, Matilda Garrett
It feels harsh to put the Magpies this low but, with April Brandley sitting out of the 2020 season and question marks at the Wing Defence position, there are just too many unknowns to put the Magpies any higher.
Obviously, Collingwood have one of the greatest to ever play the Goal Keeper position in Geva Mentor so pencil in 30+ intercepts and rebounds from her.
To fill the void left by Brandley’s absence, the Magpies have brought in Jamaican international Jodi-Ann Ward, who plays an aggressive and attacking style of defence at Goal and Wing Defence.
Behind those two international stars is Matilda Garrett who, at 185cm, is able to play both defensive positions but is largely unproven at the Suncorp Super Netball level.
The 2019 Magpies allowed just 55.5 goals per game, but that was with two international calibre players at Wing and Goal Defence in Brandley and Ash Brazill, neither of which will take to the court in 2020.
7. GIANTS Netball
Kristiana Manu’a, Sam Poolman, Teigan O’Shannassy, Matilda McDonell
In Sam Poolman and Kristiana Manu’a, the GIANTS have a pair of solid if not flashy starters at Goal Keeper and Goal Defence.
The reason they are so low comes down to the 58.6 goals against they allowed, third highest in the league, and their inability to cause turnovers as a defensive pairing.
In fact, their 33 combined interceptions was the second lowest of the starting defensive combos in the league and just eight more than their Wing Defence Amy Parmenter.
They need to find a way to cause more momentum swinging turnovers.
That being said, there’s a lot to like in their young depth with Teigan O’Shannassy and Matilda McDonell widely considered two of the best young defenders in the country.
8. Queensland Firebirds
Kim Jenner, Tara Hinchliffe, Rudi Ellis
There’s a lot to like with what the Firebirds have defensively, but it’s very hard to argue with the 2019 numbers.
No team allowed more goals per game (65.3), no starting defensive duo had fewer interceptions (32) and no defensive duo reeled in less defensive rebounds (19).
Kim Jenner, Rudi Ellis and 2018 Rebel Rising Star Tara Hinchliffe have a lot of talent and, considering the oldest of the three is just 22, should continue to develop their defensive skills.
But, until they can get those goals down and start swinging the momentum of games by causing more turnovers and swooping on more rebounds, the Firebirds have to be considered the number eight defence in the competition.
