That got me thinking about what other records are out there from all the years of Suncorp Super Netball (2017-2018) and the ANZ Championship (2008-2016).
MOST GOALS IN A GAME
In the 2016 grand final between the Queensland Firebirds and the NSW Swifts, the teams scored a combined 136 goals were scored in the double overtime thriller. The winning Firebirds had 69, while the Swifts with 67.
The most goals scored in a game that didn’t feature extra time involving two Australian teams was 129 in Round 8, 2017. The Melbourne Vixens beat the Adelaide Thunderbirds 75-54. Mwai Kumwenda was impressive at goal shooter with 38/39 and Tegan Philip at goal attack scored 37/40.
BIGGEST MARGIN
The biggest margin ever recorded was in an ANZ Championship match when the Queensland Firebirds outscored their New Zealand opponents the Canterbury Tactix by 43 goals. The Firebirds scored 75 goals with the Tactix scoring only 32 goals. By three-quarter-time Romelda Aiken had already scored 32 goals and then went on to score another 15 goals in the final quarter for a personal total of 47 goals. In this game the Firebirds had a massive 98 goal attempts.
The 2016 Grand Final saw the most goals ever scored in a game.
FEEDS
The most shooting circle feeds record is held by arguably everyone’s favourite Kiwi (well, Sunshine Coast Lightning’s fans, anyway) in Laura Langman. When she was playing for the WBOP Magic in 2013 against the Queensland Firebirds she fed the shooters 66 times for 25 goal assists. In this game the Magic as a team had 106 circle feeds, 62% of which were Langman’s.
GOAL ASSISTS
This season the definition for goal assists has changed to include all feeds that lead to a goal, regardless of if a penalty occurs between the feed and the goal. With that in mind, the record for goal assists is now Melbourne Vixen Liz Watson’s 32 from Round 1. Watson completed 47 circle feeds, meaning an impressive 68% of her feeds led to a goal.
Before the definition change the record was 30 and was jointly held by three Aussies – Watson, Madi Robinson and Kimberlee Green.
GAINS
Fifteen is the benchmark for gains (positive turnovers). It has happened four times by three players that are all superstars in world netball and especially in their respective countries. No surprises that England’s Geva Mentor (twice), Aussie Laura Geitz and Kiwi Casey Kopua all share this record.
Mentor’s duo of records came in Round 13, 2017 when the Sunshine Coast Lightning came up against the NSW Swifts, when she gained the ball through seven intercepts, four rebounds and four deflections, followed by a loose-ball pickup, and in Round 8, 2014 while playing for the Melbourne Vixens against the Adelaide Thunderbirds, Mentor intercepted the ball twice, took nine rebounds and had four deflections.
INTERCEPTS
The highest number intercepts by one player in a game is held by Anna Harrison from the Northern Mystics, with nine, which she achieved in Round 7, 2012.
The highest number by a player in an Australian team is eight by Sharni Layton, which she achieved twice – first in Round 5, 2010 for the Adelaide Thunderbirds and then seven years later for Magpies Netball in Round 4, 2017. Geva Mentor also took eight intercepts in Round 5, 2011 for the Melbourne Vixens.
REBOUNDS
It’s no surprise that the record for most rebounds in a game is held by Romelda Aiken from the Queensland Firebirds, with 19 in the 2016 Grand Final against the NSW Swifts. However, Aiken did have 26 missed attempts for a shooting percentage of just 71%. The Swifts only managed four defensive rebounds that game, so while Aiken missed 26 times, she did make up for it.
DEFLECTIONS
The most deflections in a game goes to Sharni Layton, when she played for the NSW Swifts against the Adelaide Thunderbirds. In Round 14 in 2015, Layton tipped the ball 14 times and also got five intercepts.
CENTRE PASS RECEIVES
The record for centre pass receives stands at 44, set by Maria Folau in Round 6, 2014 for the Northern Mystics. Five of her teammates only had 16 between them.
The Australian record is held by Gretel Tippett for the Queensland Firebirds, with 38 in the 2016 Grand Final. Tippett was clearly the go-to player that game as the Firebirds had 68 centre pass receives, with Tippett getting 58% of them. The next best in that game for the Firebirds was Caitlyn Nevins with exactly half of Tippett’s number with 19.
Written By: Christian Eshman - Champion Data
