Five things we learned: SSN Round 12

By Sophie Taylor

Who will make finals? The race never stops – and it’s continuing to heat up with percentages getting tighter and nothing stopping the bottom teams from challenging for a finals spot.

We run through the five things we learned this week.

THRILLERS KEEP US GUESSING

Tight matches were the name of the game this week, and there’s no denying how much pressure it puts on the ladder.

Only one match finished with a margin of more than three goals, and that was the the Thunderbirds’ 15-goal victory over the Vixens.

It was a tense round and again, showed how tight the competition really is. The Mavericks kept their finals hopes alive with a one-goal thriller over the Lightning, thanks to back-to-back clutch Suncorp Super Shots from goal attack Gabby Sinclair sealing the deal.

Her slick shooting helped the Mavs steal the four points in stunning fashion, similar to the last time these teams met back in Round 4.

But more importantly, it puts them on equal points with the Lightning in fourth.

The Firebirds have gone two from two under new co-coaches Katie Walker and Roselee Jencke, overrunning the Swifts at home in a topsy-turvy battle.

While the Swifts defence was immense,  particularly Teigan O’Shannassy who put on a defensive clinic against the Firebirds moving circle,  the Queensland overcame all odds to claim the win without sharpshooter Donnell Wallam.

Meanwhile, the GIANTS almost got the job done against the West Coast Fever but fell short at the final hurdle.

A huge opening half was testament to the GIANTS hunt as Tilly McDonnell put on her best performance of the season.

But it was England Roses defender Fran Williams who came alive in the third quarter to change the game, as the Fever overcame an eight-goal half-time deficit to take the lead and hold it to the end.

NOTHING IS GUARANTEED THIS SEASON

One thing that has become clear this season is that nothing is guaranteed. In fact, the battles keep on heating up.

The bottom four fight has never been tighter, with only the top three teams confirmed as finals contenders and the remainder of the ladder still in with a chance, no matter how narrow.

While Fever will be rueing the missed opportunity to leap the Thunderbirds on the ladder, with a chance to host a semi-final on the line over the next few weeks, they are safe on the finals front after a huge start to the season.

Similarly, the Thunderbirds and Vixens are safe from dropping out of finals contention but will be hoping for some strong form leading into the finals, particularly the Vixens who were thoroughly outplayed on Saturday.

Comparatively, the Lightning and Mavericks have both kept their seasons alive after some solid form in the back-half of the season, but cannot afford to drop a game if they are serious about their finals chances.

The Firebirds are only one win out of finals contention but will need to rely on Lightning and Mavericks dropping games to make the final four.

However unlikely it looks, both NSW-based teams are technically still in with a chance of making finals if everyone above them drops the remainder of their games.

At any rate, both teams continue to put everything out on the court and will be hoping to put the pressure back on this weekend as they try to cause a ruckus to other teams.

The Firebirds have a really big few weeks coming up. And while they’re in good form, they will have to face the Lightning and Vixens. Keep your eyes peeled for these final two rounds, they could be the real gamechanger heading into finals.

INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS SHINE

While netball is the ultimate team sport, sometimes its short bursts from individuals that can turn a game on its head.

Fran Williams’ individual effort on the weekend was just one example of this, lifting her game superbly after a quiet start against the GIANTS attack.

Playing in Fever green in front of her family for the first time, Williams came alive in the third quarter and was a key part of the Fever’s eventual win with three gains (two intercepts) to her name to turn the tides and gift Fever the lead.

For the Firebirds, it was Macy Gardner who put on her running shoes and shone through the midcourt. She had just one general play turnover for the match, flying through the centre up against the Swifts’ high-powered midcourt.

 While the Thunderbirds have no shortage of high-flyers, it was captain Hannah Petty who caught the eye this week.

Often an unsung hero, Petty’s ability to play a high-impact game is what makes her so dangerous, and despite her 33 minutes on court was able to pull off some outstanding feeds and high-impact plays.

For the Mavericks, it was a massive five-minute burst from Gabby Sinclair that effectively won them the match.

Trailing by four goals heading into the last five minutes of the match, the tactical move of long-range shooter Sinclair into goal attack was a given. But with the Lightning in form defensively (eight gains between the three circle defenders) it was a move that got tongues wagging. With just three goals to her name for the match, including back-to-back super shots, Sinclair proved exactly why she is a threat, no matter how much time she has on court.

THE GAME ISN’T WON IN QUARTER ONE

From a holistic perspective, this week featured an intriguing trend arise across the competition.

Not one of this round’s four winning sides won their opening quarter, a timely reminder that a game of netball is very rarely won or lost in the opening 15 minutes.

While there must always be a ‘loser’, not all was lost for the four losing teams this week after reasonably strong starts.

Turnovers were the challenge for the Vixens after a reasonably strong start, drawing level with the Thunderbirds at the end of the first quarter but unable to capitalise.

The Swifts led the opening quarter 19-15 off the back of an enormous effort from Uneeq Palavi, who shot away in the first quarter with 16 goals and one super shot.

The Firebirds tightened up from there though, with Isabelle Shearer playing a massive shutdown role in the second quarter and Ruby Bakewell-Doran able to play a high impact role on Helen Housby in turn.

 The Fever and Mavericks both lost the first half of their respective matches, but came out flying in the second half to stave off away wins from their opponents.

The Fever only ended up winning one quarter for the match which included a 20-9 third quarter blitz wherein they had an 80% turnover to goal rate and 80% centre pass conversion rate compared to the GIANTS’ 50%.

The Mavericks only led once throughout the game prior to the final minutes, leading into three quarter time, but were able to stay close from there to stem the flow and claim the second half 38-34.

STATS WRAP

Times are a-changing on court but the stats leaders remain the same with key players holding top spot across the board.

Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, Liz Watson and Shamera Sterling-Humphrey continue to shine on the Nissan Net Points tally and elsewhere.

Fowler-Nembhard (1309 NNP) retains top spot once more and continues to hold strong on the goals leaderboard too with 685 goals from 716 attempts.

Sterling-Humphrey continues to lead all-comers defensively, with 80 deflections, 42 intercepts and 29 rebounds, while Liz Watson holds down the midcourt tallies with 330 centre pass receives and 317 goal assists.

Romelda Aiken-George retains top spot for offensive rebounds while Helen Housby (65 Suncorp Super Shots from 101 attempts) continues to shine from range.