The month-long break for the World Cup is a great time to look at where each Suncorp Super Netball team is at, with just over half the season behind us.
I’ve run my eye over each of the teams and their performances so far, to work out who’s made the grade based on results, pre-season expectations and hope for the future.
NSW SWIFTS – A+
From where they were last year and without making any real personnel changes, the hard work is paying off for the Swifties. Having that confidence and belief in each other to know when to give that ball is such a huge part of netball, and the Swifts have it in spades this year. They’ve got three players in the Nissan Net Points rolling team of the year – Maddy Proud (71.1 average), Paige Hadley (87.6) and Helen Housby (81.3) – and they’re the second-highest scoring Net Points team, due to the fact that they almost never make errors. Their 185 possession changes are 40 fewer than anyone else in the competition, and that’s absolutely huge. Briony Akle has them combining beautifully, and they deserve top marks!
SUNSHINE COAST LIGHTNING – A
Any fears that the Lightning might bottom out after two premierships and losing Geva, C-Bass and Kelsey have been well and truly shut down. To be second on the ladder and title contenders again proves that if you get the right game plan for your players, and stick to it, you can do anything. Karla Pretorius (71.3 Net Points average) has somehow taken another step forward, while Peace Proscovia (63.5 average) stepping up to where she has is phenomenal. It just shows how amazing Noeline Taurua is as a coach to be able to pull these players together and get them playing well in such a short period of time.
MELBOURNE VIXENS – B
The Vixens are a tough one. When they’re good, they look super strong, but at times this season they’ve also looked vulnerable and have had weaknesses. Sometimes I think they don’t get enough ball defensively at crucial times, so it was great to see Emily Mannix (54.2 Net Points average) break the intercept record with nine against the Giants on the weekend (bloody shattered, Em, that you stole my record!). For the Vixens now it’s about maintaining that consistency if they’re going to be title contenders. They can’t have ‘down’ games in their attack end where Tegan Philip (20.8 Net Points average) goes missing or something like that, so they need to figure out what switches them on, if they’re going to have an impact come finals time.
COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES – C+
For a team with so much talent, the Magpies are incredibly frustrating. For the Magpies, their results hinge on whether their attack end turns up. They have the lowest Net Points average of any team in the competition (282.2 per game) purely because they make so many errors in their attacking line, so they need to be held accountable. For example, Nat Medhurst was MVP and the top-scoring GA in the competition in Round 9, with 87 Nissan Net Points, and that’s what she needs to do every week – she can’t pick and choose when she wants to rock up. It’s the same with Kelsey Browne (39 Net Points average). But I’ve loved what I’ve seen of Kimiora Poi so far – she looks like she could give them something heading into finals if the Pies can find a way to work her into their rotation. Every game is like a final now for the Magpies, who are in fourth spot, so they’ve got five games to prove they’re the real deal.
GIANTS NETBALL - C
The GIANTS are an interesting beast. Caitlin Bassett (51.7 Net Points average) has stepped up a lot after the first couple of rounds, but I still wonder whether a tall combination is the right one for this team. Previously the strength of the GIANTS was that moving goal circle with Jo Harten (47.1 average) and Susan Pettitt, but with Bass in there it just hasn’t worked as well for them. Because almost every team has a tall shooter, it’s an easier game plan to play against as the defenders do it every week. Jo’s strength is being in a moving goal circle – that’s when she’s most dangerous and it confuses the defenders and allows a lot more space to open up for her. I also think they’re missing Bec Bulley’s experience in the defence end. With Sam Poolman (115 contacts – highest in the league) and Kristiana Manu’a both quite heavily penalised, it makes it difficult to slow opposition teams down. They need to find a way to get both ends firing at the same time if they’re going to push back into the top four.
WEST COAST FEVER - D
They might still be in with a chance of making finals, but for mine, the Fever have been the biggest disappointment of the 2019 season. After the huge gains they made last year, they’ve just not been able to hit those heights again. After getting rid of Nat Medhurst, the Fever really had to prove that that was the right decision, but you’d have to say that on the whole it hasn’t worked. They’ve lacked that experience in the attack end, and both Kaylia Stanton (32.5 Net Points) and Alice Teague-Neeld (17.6 Net Points average) have struggled to fill that void. They’ve got the biggest weapon in the competition in Jhaniele Fowler (86.5 average) haven’t been able to open up the space to her like they were able to in 2018.
They’ve been unlucky with the number of draws they’ve had, but the best teams find a way to win those games.
ADELAIDE THUNDERBIRDS - B
After two years from hell, the Thunderbirds have given their supporters plenty to cheer about this season. It’s always going to be a work in progress, but it’s been a big step forward for a team that’s struggled so much with both form and confidence. For a team without a “get of jail free card” under the post at goal shooter, they’re doing very well, and Sasha Glasgow has really stepped up. Shamera Sterling (85.4 Net Points average) has been the recruit of the season, and is far and away the best GK in the competition. After nine rounds she has the top five scores among all goal keepers – incredible! They’re obviously getting enough ball defensively, and if they can just tighten up a little bit in attack they’ll be a real danger team coming home. I definitely wouldn’t want to be playing them in Round 13 or 14 and needing a win to make finals. And importantly, it’ll now potentially be a lot easier to convince players to go there in future years.
QUEENSLAND FIREBIRDS – F
Zero wins from nine games says it all for the once-mighty Firebirds. Losing Romelda Aiken for a large part of the season is tough to recover from – it’s now really obvious how much they’ve relied on her over the years. That said, with Gretel Tippett in the line-up I’d still expect the Firebirds to have at least a couple of wins on the board. They’re clearly in a rebuild phase, but given their history over the past decade, we probably hold them to higher standards than other teams. On the positive side, Tara Hinchliffe and Kim Jenner are still only babies but look like future Diamonds, while Gabi Simpson and Tippett are still only in their mid-20s so have plenty of good netball ahead of them. Some work will need to be done in the off-season if the Firebirds are going to climb back to the top of Super Netball.
