By Rosie Gale
In the Thunderbird’s biggest win to date, the collective unleashed a blistering second half to secure a resounding 26-goal victory over the Melbourne Mavericks (67-41) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
The Thunderbirds vault into second place on the strength of their league-leading percentage. Despite entering this round with the lowest goal tally in the competition, they still boasted a goal difference 93 goals greater than their conceded total.
The win also underscores their unbeaten record at home.
New Diamonds squad maker and key playmaker Georgie Horjus dominated all four quarters, finishing with 116 Nissan Net Points, while Shamera Sterling-Humphery (106 NNP) and Latanya Wilson (77.5 NNP) delivered standout individual performances.
Shamera Sterling-Humphery was briefly sidelined after taking a knock to the face while goal shooter Shimona Jok switched ends to match Romelda Aiken-George's height.
“We’re really happy with what we did out there, I think the first quarter was a bit iffy but I think that’s where we’ll look and we want to come out strong next game,” Horjus said post-match.
“We’re really lucky to have 10 that can be out there and it doesn’t matter who’s on the court, they’ll do their job so I think everyones ready to come on and do their work so we’re really lucky to have that.”
The Mavericks celebrated the return of international shooter Eleanor Cardwell, who made a successful comeback to the court after recovering from a quad injury that had kept her out for the past two rounds. Meanwhile, Molly Jovic was unavailable due to a concussion sustained last week.
The Mavericks burst out of the blocks from the opening whistle, with top shooter Shimona Jok scoring the first three consecutive goals for her side. She had her work cut out for her against ball winner Sterling-Humphery though, who raked in two gains, two intercepts and a deflection in the first term alone.
Amy Parmenter and Kim Jenner were central in setting the tone, with both players driving down the court to facilitate quick transitions and create open spaces.
But Romelda Aiken-George was prolific on the scoreboard for the Thunderbirds in a tightly contested and physical quarter, while Lauren Frew led from the front with her own goals and precise feeds in the opening stanza.
The Thunderbirds led by one (15-14) going into the first break after a Cardwell Super Shot and a flurry of Aiken-George goals under the post.
Adelaide was always going to bounce back after the first term, and goals to Lauren Frew and Aiken-George inside the opening minutes was a sign of the home team’s intent.
After a missed shot and an aerial duel between Jok and Sterling-Humphery, the Thunderbirds advanced with clean, patient play to score under the post. Sterling-Humphery was then forced to the bench with a suspected concussion from a hit behind the ball, leading to Wilson subbing in for her.
The trio of Williams, Horjus, and Frew proved lethal in the Thunderbirds' attacking end, expertly feeding the ball to Aiken-George and racking up an impressive 77 Nissan Net Points between them in the second quarter alone.
Penalties and possession changes were the killer for the Mavericks in the second quarter as they needed to improve their defensive pressure to win the ball.
In an attempt to turn the tide, the Mavericks injected Gabrielle Sinclair into Goal Attack and shifted Jok to Goal Keeper, replacing Olivia Lewis. However, the strategy failed to yield results.
The Thunderbirds entered the halftime break with a seven goal lead (18-11).
Like the first two quarters, the Mavericks struggled to make the most of the ball when they had possession in their attacking third.
The Thunderbirds were well and truly in control with turnovers really mounting up against the Mavericks (53-35 penalties and 22-16 turnovers).
Matilda Garrett’s attacking prowess was second to none, running rings around Eleanor Cardwell as she drove the ball down the court.
Horjus had her best in the third term with 38.5 Nissan Net Points, seven goal assists, and 10 feeds.
A standout moment in the game saw Hannah Petty execute a spectacular intercept on the circle edge against Montana Holmes, who had just come on. Petty not only made the intercept but also managed to keep the ball in play.
The Mavs needed to use the Power Five time to sink some Super Shots to inject a spark and climb back on the scoreboard. Despite a strong performance from Jok and a Super Shot from Sinclair, it wasn’t enough to claw back the 15-point advantage heading into the final break (49-34).
In the final term, Parmenter came on in Wing Defence for the Mavericks, shifting Tayla Fraser to Centre. With a 15 goal deficit from last break to bridge, the Mavs looked to put their training to the test, generating some shots on goal.
The Mavericks' flurry of four quick goals in the opening three minutes deflated the contest, despite a deflection from Sterling-Humphery and a couple of impressive long-range goals from Horjus widening the gap to 17 points.
Lucy Austin was subbed in at Goal Attack for the Thunderbirds just before the Power Five, while Montanna Holmes came in at Wing Attack for the Mavericks.
Sterling-Humphery maintained her stellar performance through to the final quarter, finishing with a rebound, six intercepts, and five deflections. Wilson’s athleticism also stood out, ending the match with an impressive seven deflections and an intercept.
The contest ended with a flurry of attempts by Sincalir in a desperate bid to claw back some points, but Adelaide won with 26 points the final margin.
