By Paddy Regester
Every week in my Round Preview, I try and highlight some reasons for everyone to be excited about each of the four matches. Some rounds are easier than others.
Let me tell you, Round 3 of the 2021 season might just be my easiest Round Preview yet.
We’ve got teams trying to get their first win of the season, undefeated teams going head-to-head, another look at the competition’s newest stadium, the chance for a little controversy, and more.
It’s a juicy round of netball, so let’s get stuck in!
Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Thunderbirds – Saturday, 3pm AEST, John Cain Arena, Melbourne – Tickets
Two teams desperate to get their seasons back on track after disappointing losses in the opening two rounds, a win here for either the Magpies or Thunderbirds could change everything.
Both sides have shown flashes of what they can do when everything is going right.
The Magpies were the better team in the second half last Saturday against the GIANTS, but just couldn’t climb out of the 17 point halftime hole they had dug themselves into.
Likewise, the Thunderbirds burst out of the Nissan Arena changerooms after halftime looking like a completely different team to the one that had allowed the Firebirds to drop the equal highest scoring quarter this year (22) on them in the first.
So, either these two teams have it in them to mix it with the best and just need to work on their consistency or Nicole Richardson and Tania Obst’s halftime rev-up speeches and Gatorade mixing skills are next level.
Collingwood mid Kelsey Browne has been incredibly impressive to start the season after a few trying years health-wise. She has really up’d the pace of the Magpies transition game and I particularly liked her play at Centre last week against a tough customer in Jamie-Lee Price.
She looks to be rounding into some seriously good form, which could be dangerous against a Thunderbirds defensive setup fresh off allowing 103 feeds, the most allowed by any team this season. They need to tighten up on their defensive circle-edge or KB could have a field day.
But the Magpies biggest concern coming into Round 3 will be the Thunderbirds ability to hurt teams in the Power Five. Sam Gooden leads the competition in Super Shots made with 11, which is surprising considering they have 2020 Super Shot stud Georgie Horjus running around too.
But they need to find a consistent option at WA to replace Chelsea Pitman before this season gets out of reach and before netball Twitter explodes.
Sunshine Coast Lightning vs West Coast Fever – Saturday, 7pm AEST, USC Stadium, Sunshine Coast – Tickets
A huge Saturday night match in Sippy Downs with the Lightning playing their first home game of the year against a Fever team that had their number last year.
And when I say the Fever had the Lightning’s number in 2020, I mean they made this dominant Sunshine Coast team look like witches hats. West Coast came away with the win all three times these two played, by 24 in Round 8, 20 in Round 11 and by 14 in the Preliminary Final. Yes, you are reading those margins correctly.
So, first port of call for the Lightning will be slowing down a Fever attack end that never scored less than 72 points on them in 2020 and have averaged 64 points in their opening two matches this year.
And it shouldn’t surprise any of us if that’s exactly what this Karla Pretorius led defence does on Saturday night, considering they have allowed the second fewest points against this season with 107.
Funnily enough, the team that’s allowed the fewest points against through the first two rounds… the West Coast Fever with 106. And that could be where this game is decided.
The combination of Courtney Bruce at Goal Keeper, Sunday Aryang at Goal Defence and Stacey Francis rolling through to spell those two has been incredible in the first two rounds. They are ultra-physical, instinctive and so confident coming out and getting the ball, combing for eight interceptions and 22 deflections through two games.
And for the Lightning, the combination of Cara Koenen and Steph Wood at Goal Shooter and Attack continues to get stronger with every minute they play together. Koenen is sitting at third on the points scored list with 81 while Wood is second on the Goal Assists list with 42.
If those two and their talented feeders in Laura Scherian, Mahalia Cassidy and Maddy McAuliffe can solve that Fever defence, we could be in for another exhilarating Saturday night match.
Of course, if the Fever jump on the plane back to Perth celebrating a win, they will have erased the negative 12 Premiership points penalty that they were given for breaching the salary cap and will be right back in the hunt for a place in the finals. It will be interesting to see the reaction if that is how things play out on Saturday night.
NSW Swifts vs Melbourne Vixens – Sunday, 1pm AEST, Ken Rosewall Arena, Sydney – Tickets
Swifts vs Vixens is always a huge moment in the Australian Netball calendar, and this one is no exception. Here’s a quick list of the storylines coming into Sunday’s early match…
The Vixens are trying to avoid starting a season 0-3 for the time in their history. They’ll also be trying to retain the Sargeant McKinnis Cup.
The Swifts will be looking forward to playing at their new home, Ken Rosewall Arena, for the first time and it will also be the first time in 616 days that the Swifts will play a home game in NSW. They’ll also be looking rebound from last week’s tough loss to the Fever and snap a two-game losing streak against their biggest rival.
There’s plenty going on.
The Vixens will come into this match with much more confidence than their 0-2 record might suggest, following a really strong second half against the Lightning in Round 2. They were ambushed early and could never come back from an 11 point halftime deficit, but they did manage to win the third and fourth quarters in the loss.
Mwai Kumwenda is in good form but needs some help from her fellow shooters. But things are looking up in that area as well, as young shooter Ruby Barkmeyer continues to improve and her connection with her primary feeders Kate Moloney and former VIC Fury teammate Hannah Mundy grows stronger.
Don’t let the eight-point deficit fool you, the Swifts were right in that match last Saturday night until the Fever scored seven unanswered points to finish the game.
The attack looks as dangerous as ever, their midcourt may be the deepest in the league and that Australian defensive trio of Klau, Turner and Moore continues to impress. It’s a stacked Swifts outfit that is going to take a monumental Vixens effort to stop.
Two huge clubs. A massive rivalry. Silverware on the line. Shiny new stadium. I don’t care what the other codes are serving up on Sunday, this is the hottest ticket in town.
GIANTS Netball vs Queensland Firebirds – Sunday, 5pm AEST, Ken Rosewall Arena, Sydney – Tickets
The only argument I will hear to the above statement is that this game between two of the most exciting teams in the competition is actually the hottest ticket in town.
And I’d see the merit in the argument.
The GIANTS have looked sharp to start the season and come into this one undefeated. But this will be their first real test after facing the Thunderbirds and Magpies in Round’s one and two. No disrespect to those two teams, but these Firebirds are no joke.
Queensland were stiff not to come away from their Round 1 clash against the Swifts with a win, who tied that one up late and pulled through in overtime, and they were excellent against Adelaide last Sunday.
They are playing with a confidence and speed that is going to trouble almost any of the teams in the competition. Kim Ravaillion, Gabi Simpson and the speedy WA combo of Jemma Mi Mi and Lara Dunkley are all combining beautifully through the midcourt. Tara Hinchliffe, Kim Jenner and Rudi Ellis are making good on the potential they have always promised. And I’m not sure there is any way to stop Aiken, Bueta and Dwan in attack.
So how do Julie Fitzgerald’s GIANTS knock-off Megan Anderson’s crew and remain undefeated?
Let’s ask Ricky Stuart…
Oh wait, what would he know?
The Firebirds are going to want to use that pace, so I think Fitzgerald will be keen to slow them down and muddy the supply to that potent attack end. The pressure will be on that GIANTS midcourt to hold them in check and give their defenders a fighting chance.
If they can do that then the GIANTS will fancy themselves a chance offensively against one the leakier defensive groups in the league. Captain Jo Harten’s steady hand at Goal Shooter has been instrumental for the GIANTS in the six quarters since Kiera Austin went down with a torn ACL, particularly for the development of young gun Sophie Dwyer. And the scoreboard pressure will be on them big time on Sunday, as they go head-to-head with the most potent attack in league.
This one is going to be huge so get yourself a ticket or invite over your netball besties and make some noise in the loungeroom. Round 3 is closing with a bang.
