By Matt Fotia
When the Adelaide Thunderbirds lost star shooter Eleanor Cardwell, versatile mid courter Maisie Nankivell and big-name assistant coach Tracey Neville to the Melbourne Mavericks during the off-season, there was collective concern the 2023 premiers would fall back down the table.
Just over 12 months later, that worry disappeared as the Thunderbirds overcame an impressive Melbourne Vixens, and some early game jitters, to claim back-to-back SSN crowns.
Thunderbirds coach Tania Obst said she had full confidence her new look side would contend for the premiership when they first came together in the pre-season.
“Last year feels like so long ago and there was so much happening between the two seasons,” Obst said.
“When we did come together and start to play, I knew we were going to be a good team and be able to contend.
“The players really bought in to what we wanted to do.
“There have been some hard conversations, some blood, sweat and tears, but everyone has embraced what we’ve been trying to do, and ultimately that’s paid dividends.”
More than 9,500 fans packed into the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday, with the majority of the crowd eager to push the Thunderbirds over the line.
They were silenced early, as the Vixens shot out to a five-goal lead midway through the first quarter, with their short sharp ball use making it hard for the likes of Sterling-Humphrey to get involved in the game.
The Vixens were on top early.Obst said she expected nothing less from such a battle-hardened opponent.
“The Vixens were really good, and we didn’t expect anything less,” Obst stated.
“They’re a club I have a lot of respect for.
“Their players are very experienced, and there are a lot of Diamonds that have played a lot of international netball, so we knew they wouldn’t have been happy with what they put out in the semifinal.
“We were able to steady the ship in the second half of the first quarter and from then on we held on.”
It wasn’t just the Vixens tactics in attack that surprised the Thunderbirds in the opening stages.
Defensively the Vixens deployed tactics usually saved for later in games and limited the influence of young goal attack Lauren Frew, who had starred in the Major Semi Final two weeks ago.
“On reflection they played differently, with the style of defence they put on,” Obst explained.
“We expected that later in the game, so as a whole we really struggled to adjust.
“When Loz (Lauren Frew), understood what she needed to do, to slightly change her role, then brought Romelda into the game.
“There were elements she knows she’ll be able to do better, but ultimately, I thought she was pretty solid, once she understood how her role changed.”
For the past two seasons the Thunderbirds have leant on their bench heavily to change the flow of matches, with evident success.
Saturday’s premiership performance was no exception; however, the timing was a point of discussion, with Obst injecting skipper Hannah Petty into the game during the first quarter, much earlier than usual.
Obst explained none of her moves are pre-planned, and said her side needed the two-way running Petty provides.
Hannah Petty was immense on Saturday night.“I never pre-plan changes, it’s about what my eyes are telling me,” Obst said.
“It was obvious to Cathy and I the Vixens were playing differently, both in attack and defence.
“It was about then recognising what we needed to do, and how we needed to alter and stem their flow to goal and then be able to expose how we get down the court.
“While Hannah hasn’t necessarily been coming on during the first quarter, there was no hesitation, we needed Hannah in the centre because we needed her ability to get down the court.”
The Thunderbirds will head into 2025 with the chance to do something no SSN side has ever done before and win three consecutive titles.
Obst says that challenge can wait for the new year.
“We’ll enjoy tonight and worry about next year, next year.”
