The key takeaways from round five

There were tight tussles, nail-biting finishes, upsets and memorable milestones aplenty. Round five of Suncorp Super Netball was certainly one we won’t forget. 

We delve into the highlights from round five. 
 
LONG BOMBS 
 
As the season heats up the importance of every goal attempt increases and while the Suncorp Super Shot can be a double-edged sword the teams who use it well and can absorb the pressure are reaping the benefits. 
 
During the weekend the Collingwood Magpies struggled throughout their match against Super Shot specialists the GIANTS. Maintaining their lead throughout the match the GIANTS didn’t utilise the Super Shot as much as they have in previous weeks, but for the Magpies the Super Shot became a non-negotiable in the final quarter. 

The Magpies stuck with their pairing of Shimona Nelson and Sophie Garbin for most of the match with Kelly Singleton only being injected into the game for the final minute of the second quarter, not giving her time to do any damage to the scoreboard and for the final five minutes of the last quarter. 

Singleton who is comfortable at a long-range was the best option the Magpies had to steal the win late off the back of a phenomenal fourth quarter and a strong third quarter, however, with only six minutes of game time to make an impact, Singleton and consequently the Magpies ran out of time.  

Garbin tried to put up the Super Shots throughout the match as well and with two from two to start she looked good but that faded with her then missing her five other attempts. Looking back at the last few weeks the Magpies have also had accuracy issues from the two-goal zone which is costing them.  
 
On the flipside the Queensland Firebirds led by Donnell Wallam chipped away at the Suncorp Super Shot throughout the match and managed to work their way back to only seven goals down at three quarter time.  

Wallam stepped up in the last quarter comfortably slotting four from five Super Shots to narrowly lose but the Firebirds' overall Super Shot accuracy sitting above 60% allowed them to only lose by two goals in the end. Their opponents undefeated in 2023 week after week have showed they're comfortable shooting the Super Shots no matter their lead and this has enabled them to hit the front and stay in front of teams.  
 
The Melbourne Vixens' accuracy with the Super Shot prevented them from a comeback against the Thunderbirds with their combined average sitting below 45 per cent. The majority of these taken in the second half under pressure as the Vixens needed to pick up ground. 
 

THE REAL DEAL 

The Adelaide Thunderbirds put out a showstopping performance in front of their home crowd on Saturday night.  
 
The Thunderbirds’ defensive pressure was suffocating with the Melbourne Vixens getting visibly frustrated more and more on the court as the match went on. Finishing the game with 74 penalties to 59, the Vixens frustration showed as their challenges saw them spend more time out of play with a game high of 20 contacts in the last quarter to the Thunderbirds’ nine. 

The home side kept Melbourne Vixen Liz Watson to only 30 feeds, a season low for the midcourter who instructs so much of her team’s movement on the court. Latanya Wilson stuck to Watson like a glove while she was on her throughout the match forcing the Vixens into making uncharacteristic mistakes.  
 
The Thunderbirds have often been lauded for their defence end as well as their newly formed shooting combination of Eleanor Cardwell and Tippah Dwan, however, it was the Thunderbirds' midcourters who were the difference and stole the show.  

Georgie Horjus was a standout finishing the match with 35 feeds and creating opportunities for the Thunderbirds to keep the ball moving forwards on the court. While Hannah Petty and Tayla Williams both looked at home and held their own against one of the best midcourts in the league, shutting down the Vixens at every turn.   
 
The Thunderbirds put out a four-quarter performance across the court and the Vixens were exposed as a step behind the pace for the last three quarters of the match.   
 
The roar from the pink army in South Australia’s Netball SA Stadium was deservedly deafening and with a convincing win against last year’s grand finalists under their belt the Thunderbirds look to take on their biggest challenge yet 2022 premiers the West Coast Fever this week. 
 
FEVER UNBLEMISHED 
 
Undefeated after five rounds of netball the reigning premiers still look likely to go back-to-back in 2023, however, the side’s two-goal win over the Firebirds raises the question of whether they’re about to falter.  

Losing the second half of the match to the Firebirds by 11 goals and letting the bottom-placed team almost defeat them highlights that maybe there is a chink in the armour of the Fever.  

Undoubtedly the Firebirds played a phenomenal half of netball, however, the Fever let their foot off the pedal and their intensity noticeably dropped allowing the Firebirds to feed off the energy of their home crowd and charge home.  
 
The reigning premiers tested the depth of their bench with every player taking to the court and fresh combinations took time to settle into the play, however, with how dominant the Fever have been so far this season they’ve set the standard high and the standard dipped over the weekend. 
 
The Fever next play the Adelaide Thunderbirds who will go into the match with confidence having been able to defeat the Melbourne Vixens and will be studying the defence from the Firebirds that allowed them back into the match during the third quarter.  

The defence from the Firebirds across the court in that third term paired with sharp shooting allowed them back into the clash with Fever and with the Thunderbirds strengths in defence and attack the Thunderbirds might be the team to put an end to Fever’s run.