Stats Insider: Your Team’s Mid-Season Report Card

Where are they excelling? Where are they falling down? And where do they most need to make improvements if they’re to figure in the Super Netball Finals series in a couple of months’ time?

This week, Champion Data’s Christian Eshman breaks down each team’s performance across the first seven rounds.

WEST COAST FEVER

The Fever currently sit top of the competition with 36 points, with five wins and 16 bonus points. The Fever started the season in sensational form, winning their first four matches, which included a one-goal victory against the Lightning away from home. The Fever have scored the most goals with 445 from 487 for a shooting percentage of 91.4%. Of those 445 goals, Jhaniele Fowler has scored 377 from 403 (93.5%) – 59 more attempts than her closest rival. Whilst not contributing on the scoreboard as much as some other goal attacks, Nat Medhurst’s ability to provide Fowler with the ball in a scoring position has been exceptional, and she leads the way among goal attacks for goal assists with 181.

Whilst Fowler and Medhurst have been impressive in the attacking third, their defensive teammates have been just as impressive. The Fever lead the competition in intercepts with 60. Courtney Bruce’s 22 is the equal most in the competition and Stacey Francis isn’t far behind with 18. The Fever have also deflected the ball 99 times, which ranks them third

GIANTS NETBALL

The Giants sit second with 34 points. They have five wins, 14 bonus points and the best ladder percentage of 109.2%. Out of their seven games played so far, the Giants have been leading six at three-quarter time and were tied in the other game, proving that they know how to get out of the blocks and stay there.

They’ve scored 414 goals, which only places them fifth for goals scored, but they make up for it at the other end, having conceded 379 goals – the competitions lowest number. Interestingly, the Giants play some of their best netball through the middle of the game, having only lost one second quarter (Round 1 v Lightning by one) and one third quarter (Round 3 v Swifts by one).

The Giants have been solid without being exceptional for stats such as intercepts (54 – 4th) and deflections (97 – 4th). But two stats where the Giants are leading the competition is goals from turnovers – they make teams pay for any errors, scoring 79 goals from opposition turnovers, which is 11 better than any other team. They’re also conceding the least amount of penalties with 404 – 330 contacts and 74 obstructions.

QUEENSLAND FIREBIRDS

The Firebirds are third on the ladder with 32 points and are right back in the hunt after a disappointing 2017. They have won four games and have secured 16 bonus points. The Firebirds also have a very health goal percentage with 108.6% (417 goals for, 384 goals against). The Firebirds’ missed shot conversion is the best in the competition with 42.9% of missed goals rebounded and then converted into a goal, which has become important, as Romelda Aiken’s 84% shooting accuracy is a long way off most of the other goal shooter’s in the competition.

Defensively, the Firebirds are second for intercepts with 56, and they’re ultra-consistent at the other end, ranking second for turnovers by only giving up possession 25 times per game on average. But discipline in defence could become an issue, with their 499 penalties the second highest in the league.

NSW SWIFTS

The Swifts are on 32 points, with five wins and 12 bonus points. Rated as an outside chance for finals before the season started, the Swifts have been a revelation, highlighted by one-goal victories against the Firebirds in Round 1 and the Giants in Round 3. The Swifts are on somewhat of a mini run at the moment as they haven’t been behind in a game at a quarter break since quarter-time in Round 5.

The Swifts’ new coach Briony Akle must have complete trust in her team to get the job done no matter how the game is playing out, as she has called the least number of timeouts with only 11. The Swifts have deflected the ball 106 times, which is the second most in the competition, and 23 of those have turned into a gain. They have also been very productive with the ball as they have only turned the ball over in general play 151 times, which is the second best in the competition.

MELBOURNE VIXENS

The Vixens are only two points out of fourth on 30 points, from four wins and 14 bonus points, and they announced that they could be back as a premiership force after an impressive result last week against the ladder-leading Fever. That 14-goal win included 26 goals in the second quarter, which is the most goals in a quarter by a team across both seasons of Suncorp Super Netball.

Mwai Kumwenda’s shooting accuracy is something to behold. She has currently only missed nine attempts at goal and scored 268, for a shooting percentage is 96.8%. Of those nine misses, she rebounded and scored seven times and only turned the ball over twice. Put simply: when Kumwenda gets the ball in shooting range, you can count the goal.

The Vixens are leading the way for the least amount of turnovers with 160 (22.8 per game) – 142 general play turnovers and 18 missed goal turnovers. They have only thrown 34 intercept passes, which is 12 better than any other team. Whilst the Vixens have only deflected the ball 86 times (second lowest) they have 23 deflections with a gain, which is the second best for the competition.

SUNSHINE COAST LIGHTNING

The Lightning are on 30 points, with three wins and a competition high of 18 bonus points. Considering there have only been 28 quarters played, it means the Lightning have only lost 10 quarters. But it’s the margins of those losing quarters that are costing them. They’re are the only team in the competition to lose two quarters by double figures. In Round 2 against the Firebirds they lost the second quarter by 11 and in the first quarter last week against the Swifts they lost the quarter by 10.

The Lightning’s deflecting ability is any area where they excel. They have deflected the ball 121 times (the most) with 27 leading to a gain (also the most). Geva Mentor is a standout in the competition for deflections, having deflected the ball 51 times. In addition to Mentor’s deflecting ability, Karla Pretorius is leading the competition for intercepts with 22.

MAGPIES NETBALL

The Magpies’ second season is turning out to be more of a struggle than their first. They are currently second last on 24 points, with two wins and 16 bonus points.

The Magpies’ quarter scores breakdown certainly tells contrasting stories and highlights their inconsistency. They have a goal difference in their first quarters of +10 but drop off the most by any team in any quarter to have a second quarter goal difference of -25. That equates to a 35-goal turnaround. They have a third-quarter goal difference of -3 but then have the biggest improvement by any team in any quarter, with a goal difference in the final quarter of +16. That equates to a 19-goal turnaround.

The Magpies’ intercepting ability is still first class, with 56 (equal second). Ash Brazill has 21 of those intercepts, which places her the third best in the competition, and by far the best of the midcourters. Madi Robinson is the Magpies’ go-to player at the centre pass with 197 receives. Erin Bell has 100, which is the next highest in the Magpies, but the 97 between Robinson and Bell is the largest gap by any team between the two highest centre pass receivers.

ADELAIDE THUNDERBIRDS

The Thunderbirds sit at the bottom of the table with only two points, which came in Round 6 when they won quarters three and four against the Swifts.

Unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, the stats aren’t painting a great picture. They are last for intercepts (37), last for penalties conceded (520) and last for turnovers (238). They also have the lowest shooting percentage of 85% (346 goals from 408 attempts). Their experienced players are standing up, however, with Chelsea Pitman sixth for goal assists with 123 and ninth for centre pass receives with 135. Leana de Bruin is equal second for deflections resulting in a gain with nine. Kate Shimmin has nine defensive rebounds, which places her fifth in the competition.