By Damien Stannard
The Melbourne Vixens kept their unbeaten record intact, the Queensland Firebirds and NSW found gritty ways to win and the Collingwood Magpies were barely recognisable to the team battled over the first three rounds.
Netty in a nutshell
Well, now we know who everyone is.
Round 4’s results have partly cleared the fog and the Suncorp Super Netball ladder has taken some shape.
Despite their first loss of the season, West Coast Fever are a powerful outfit with a stack of home games lined up in their path to the finals.
They appear likely to sit at the apex with competition leaders the Melbourne Vixens while the rest scramble for finals qualification.
Even at this early stage the Vixens are creeping towards the form that lifted the 2020 title.
Liz Watson and Kate Moloney are doing Watson and Moloney things, Kiera Austin has clicked into place, Kate Eddy looks fitter and stronger than ever and Jo Weston is back to her fearsome best.
Then, almost out of nowhere, Olivia Lewis took some skin off the world’s best goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler.
The upside for the rest is that a win or two and a percentage gain is enough to climb from the rabble into the top four.
The Adelaide Thunderbirds will be looking for answers ahead of their trip to Brisbane.
Having not left Adelaide, they now have four of their next five matches away from home, including assignments against the Vixens, Fever and Swifts.
Eyecatcher
Nyah Allen’s breakout game for the Collingwood Magpies should not have been a major shock.
She’s been a training partner for three years and before that was on the Adelaide Thunderbirds’ radar.
Yet her seamless transition into a COVID-19 ravaged Magpies attack weaponised a shooting circle that had previously been struggling.
The 20-year-old’s strong body positioning took the battle to the Sunshine Coast Lightning’s defenders and her use of space ensured there was tonnes of room for circle partner Shimona Nelson.
Her three first-quarter super shots would have shocked the Lightning and she added 25 circle feeds for a polished all-round game.
The goal attack bib could be hers for the keeping if Allen backs up that form against Giants Netball on Saturday.
Long bomb
When the NSW Swifts won the club’s sixth title in 2019 they embraced a ‘Why not us?’ mantra.
Defender Maddy Turner and coach Briony Akle revealed on Fox Netball their new motto is ‘Find a way’.
“I just thought this was going to be one of those games you have to stick with the ugliness, grind it out, (and) if it doesn’t feel great just find a way,” Akle said after the one-point win against the Thunderbirds.
That is a fitting slogan for a group who’s lost shooter Sam Wallace for the season, posted back to back wins and is now in Perth waiting for a shot against the Fever.
There were moments in the final quarter when it seemed inevitable either Shamera Sterling or Latanya Wilson would haul the Thunderbirds to a relieving victory but the air escaped their charge when Wilson was called to the bench.
You could almost hear the fresh oxygen gushing into Swifts goaler Sophie Fawns’ lungs. She nabbed an intercept, Helen Housby sank a series of goals and the match was virtually over.
Winning in Perth will be a mighty task but there’s always a way.
Cracking stat – 12
The Magpies were flawless for much of their maiden win of the season and 12 turnovers was the lowest recorded by any team in Round 4. Where has this team been hiding?
