Season-defining weekend awaits

By Stephanie Smarrelli

We're at the business end of the season and with one spot in finals still up for grabs the hunt for that fourth and final spot is still on.  

In the hot seat, the Lightning are holding on by the skin of their teeth while the Mavericks, Swifts, Firebirds and GIANTS are desperately trying to climb into their place. 

There are only three weeks left for teams to determine their finals destiny but how they play this weekend could determine the outcome of their season. 

While five teams battle for their spot in the top, the other three are fighting for a double chance to play in the granny.  

WILL THE MAVS SEIZE THEIR MOMENT? 

It's been a turbulent first season for the Mavericks but from the get-go the team has embraced the unconventional. 

Sitting in fifth place, they've strung together enough wins in their maiden season to be in finals contention but they're running out of chances to get there. 

Going head-to-head with the fourth-placed Lightning, this weekend will be instrumental in determining their season. 

Win and they'll sit on equal ladder points with the Lightning giving them a shot at taking their place in the top but lose and they could tumble down the ladder. 

If the Mavericks want to make history, they'll need to step up to the challenge this week. 
 
And luckily for them, it’s a challenge they’ve met head on before. When the Mavericks and Lightning clashed in Round 4, they won by a goal, putting their first SSN win in the record book.  

But this time the stakes are higher. The Lightning have found their groove and with a target on their back they're going to do everything they can to stop history repeating. 

With the pressure on the Mavericks to seize their moment they'll need to keep the ball away from the long reach of Lightning young gun Ash Ervin who has seized her moment time and time again this season. 

Ervin is one of the league's most dominant defenders with 20 intercepts and 67 deflections to her name. Three of those intercepts and 12 of those deflections were from her outing in Round 4. 

The Mavericks struggled to move the ball last weekend against the Thunderbirds, but they'll need to turn that around if they hope to keep the ball from the prying hands of the Lightning. 

If scores are close, Saturday night's showdown between the two sides is likely to turn into a Super Shot shoot out with both teams capable of sinking the long bombs. 

Lightning's Steph Fretwell slotted eight from 11 Super Shot attempts last weekend to keep a charging GIANTS outfit at bay, her tally for the season 44. While Maverick Gabby Sinclair shot three from eight against the Thunderbirds. Her season tally not far behind Fretwell on 43.  

Will the Mavericks make the most of their opportunity or will the Lightning add another win to their bank as they aim to secure their spot in finals?  
 
By the end of Saturday night, we'll have an answer. 
 

THE REST OF ROUND 12 

While the Lightning and Mavericks battle over fourth, the top two sides are on a collision course for a tantalising match up to open the round. 

The Vixens and Thunderbirds will be playing finals this season but what remains to be determined is whether they'll have a double chance at making the Grand Final. 

Both teams are currently in prime position with the Vixens at the top of the ladder, a win this week will help to secure their spot in the top two.  

While the Thunderbirds must win to keep the Fever from sliding into second position.  

The last time the Vixens and Thunderbirds met they put on a show in Melbourne with the match going down to the wire, the Vixens walking away with the win. 

But this time the Vixens are in the Thunderbirds’ territory and with the Grand Final to be played in Adelaide, there's nothing the TBirds would want more than a double chance at being there.  

Then on Sunday, one of netball's biggest rivalries writes another chapter as the Swifts host the Firebirds in Sydney. 

Both sides still mathematically have the chance to make finals but lose this match, and their odds drop significantly. 

The Swifts will be looking to snap their losing streak when they come up against the Firebirds while the Firebirds will be chasing a second win in a row to prove they've turned over a new leaf. 

The last five times the sides have met it's been the Swifts who have been victorious but following a convincing win over the Fever last weekend spearheaded by star Donnell Wallam, the Firebirds will carry into the match the belief that they can beat anyone. 

Prior to the Swifts and Firebirds taking the court, Ken Rosewall Arena will be treated to a special Suncorp Off-Court All Stars match.

Suncorp is bringing together some of netball’s most unlikely stars for a one-off match that will serve as a curtain-raiser to the Swifts and Firebirds game. 

Coached by Suncorp’s Team Girls ambassadors, Laura Geitz and Gretel Bueta, the Suncorp Off-Court All Stars is set to feature women from all walks of life who have played netball at some time in their lives. 

Then to close our Round 12 the Fever will host the GIANTS. Both sides are looking to bounce back from losses in Round 11. The GIANTS are still trying to make a late charge at finals, but the odds are stacked against them. 

While the Fever will be determined to win in hope that come the end of Round 14, they will be one of two teams with double the opportunity to make the Grand Final.