Reply To: ANZ CHAMPIONSHIP 2008-2016

Reply To: ANZ CHAMPIONSHIP 2008-20162023-09-28T23:18:09+10:00
Avatar photoIan Harkin
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    GRAND FINAL
    Mon 28 Jul
    Acer Arena

    SWIFTS 65 def MAGIC 56
    (19-14, 34-28, 50-45, 65-56)

    SWIFTS:
    GS Cox
    GA Pratley
    WA Ware
    C Green
    WD Gilsenan
    GD Purcell
    GK Bulley

    Changes
    None

    Shooting stats
    Cox 41/46 (89%)
    Pratley 24/30 (80%)
    TOTAL 65/76 (86%)

    MAGIC:
    GS Tutaia
    GA van Dyk
    WA Langman
    C Metcalfe
    WD Henry
    GD Tod
    GK williams

    Changes
    During Q2 – Metalfe to WA, Langman to C
    Start Q3 – Tutaia to GA, van Dyk to GS
    Start Q4 – Tod off, Pettit on at WD, Henry to GD

    Shooting stats
    van Dyk 45/46 (98%)
    Tutaia 11/15 (73%)
    TOTAL 56/61 (92%)

    Attendance: 12,999
    Umpires: Sharon Kelly & Bronwyn Meek (Reserve: Jacqui Jashari)

    ANZ Championship Awards:
    Grand Final MVP: Cath Cox (Swifts)
    Season MVP: Romelda Aiken (Firebirds) and Sonia Mkoloma (Pulse)

    Australian Netball Awards:
    Aust ANZC Player of the Year: Cath Cox (Swifts)
    Liz Ellis Diamond: Mo’onia Gerrard (Thunderbirds)

    Swifts down Magic in grand final thriller
    Chris Paine

    The New South Wales Swifts have been crowned champions of the inaugural trans-Tasman netball competition with a 65-56 victory over the Waikato Magic in Sydney on Monday evening. The Swifts and the Waikato-based Magic fittingly provided a true trans-Tasman clash in front of 12,099 spectators at Acer Arena, representing the spirit of world netball’s finest rivalry.

    NSW, marshalled by skipper and goal shooter Catherine Cox and industrious wing defender Selina Gilsenan, stemmed a Magic revival in a frenetic final period which threatened to level the scores. The Magic successfully whittled down a five-point deficit at the final change to just two goals before a controversial off-side call robbed prolific forward Irene van Dyk of the chance to move the visitors to within a goal of the Swifts. But the turnover of the ball ignited a ferocious 14-7 run home for the Julie Fitzgerald-coached Swifts, who successfully held off the Magic to deliver NSW the inaugural championship. “I think it was just sensational and so gutsy,” Fitzgerald said following the match. “It just proves to everybody that games aren’t won on paper.”

    Cox was on song in the Swifts’ attacking circle, linking up intuitively with forward partner Susan Pratley as the hosts set a high tempo from the outset of the match. Cox shot 36 goals at 82 per cent, bettered only by van Dyk’s 45 from 46, while Pratley contributed 24. The Swifts captain was full of praise for her team, which many pundits had written off prior to the kick-off of the inaugural trans-Tasman campaign.

    “I can’t even speak… a lot of people have asked us what it is about the Swifts this year and [we’re] genuinely a very, very happy team,” Cox told Fox Sports following the match. “I looked up with about four minutes left and saw that we had a healthy margin but it still makes me nervous against a side like Magic. They’re a star-studded line-up and you know they’re going to fight right to the end and they did.”

    The Swifts were relentless across all corners of the court and Cox paid tribute to a defence threatened constantly by the imposing figure of van Dyk, but which effectively subdued the threat of her forward partner Maria Tutaia. “Our defence end has just been incredible and absolute full-court effort every single person on the court tonight,” Cox said.

    Gilsenan confirmed her retirement from netball following the end of the match and thanked her team-mates for sending her out a winner. “I thought we played well in the semi-final but we just brought a whole new level this time,” she said. “I was just so surprised with how well the girls played… we were unbelievable on court tonight.”

    .

    Magic tumble to Swifts in ANZ Championship final
    NZPA
    By: Mark Geenty

    The New South Wales Swifts confirmed their trans-Tasman netball superiority tonight as another Australian trip proved a bridge too far for the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic. The Swifts finished strongly to win the final 65-56 for their ninth consecutive victory to be crowned deserved champions of the inaugural trans-Tasman competition at Sydney’s Acer Arena.

    A radar-like shooting performance by Silver Ferns shooter Irene van Dyk, who shot 45 out of 46, wasn’t enough for the Magic who trailed throughout. Two goals was the closest they got early in the final quarter. Led by their own shooting star Catherine Cox, the Swifts survived that anxious moment when they led 51-49 to draw clear, after holding a 34-28 advantage at halftime. Cox shot 41 out of 45.

    The margin blew out in the final 10 minutes as the Magic, boasting six internationals to the Swifts’ three, wilted with errors at key moments. The visitors were left rueing their 56-57 loss to the Swifts in the major semifinal which decided who would host the decider. No New Zealand side won in Australia this year, with the Magic 0-3 away from home and losing all three of their matches against the Swifts.

    It was more trans-Tasman heartache for standout defender Casey Williams, Joline Henry, Laura Langman, Maria Tutaia and van Dyk who were part of the Silver Ferns who lost 38-42 to Australia in last year’s world championships final.

    Officials had hoped the crowd might challenge the world record for a netball match — 14,339 at the same stadium in a trans-Tasman test in 2004. Still, the biggest domestic netball match of the season drew 12,099 fans, a cauldron for the Magic whose block of travelling supporters rattled cowbells and did their best to be heard.

    The Swifts went in as favourites and played like it in the opening stanzas against the nervy visitors. Magic captain Amigene Metcalfe threw a loose pass to Langman for the first turnover and Henry passed to no-one as the Swifts raced to a 7-2 early lead.It quickly became a Cox and van Dyk shootout, and both went goal for goal with a perfect 12 from 12 in the first quarter.

    The Swifts maintained their early advantage to lead 19-14 at the first break, moving Magic coach Noeline Taurua to swap centre Metcalfe and wing attack Langman.But the Swifts, with international centre-in-waiting Kimberlee Green giving great service to her shooters, stretched their lead to eight.

    Cox and Williams had an epic battle, with Williams giving her opponent more headaches as the match went on. One contest for possession ended with the pair crashing over the hoardings and into the Magic bench. In the battle of the shooters Cox was first to miss, with van Dyk going to halftime with 22 from 22 as the Swifts led by six.

    Taurua made her second switch after halftime, shifting goal attack van Dyk to her more accustomed goal shoot spot in a swap with Maria Tutaia. It seemed to pay dividends as the lob passes kept finding van Dyk and the Magic midcourt got some rhythm going. A brilliant Williams intercept switched momentum and consecutive goals narrowed the gap to 42-40 midway through the third quarter. But the Swifts stepped up the pace again and the Magic trailed 45-50 heading into the final 15 minutes.

    Magic captain Amigene Metcalfe said the scoreline was a fair reflection of how the teams performed. “We did put in a good effort but Swifts are a great side and they thoroughly deserved that win,” she said. “We just made more errors tonight, that’s been the story of our season really, not putting in a full 60-minute performance. We had some good moments but it just wasn’t consistent enough.”

    Van Dyk agreed the Swifts were relentless and her side didn’t capitalise on their occasional opportunities to close the margin. She was pleased with her own performance, particularly in an unfamiliar role. “Not too bad, running out at goal attack and then going back to where I know what I’m doing (goal shoot).”

    Swifts captain Cox was emotional after her team claimed the inaugural title. “A lot of people have asked what it is about the Swifts this year. We are genuinely just a very very happy team.”

    .

    2008 ANZ CHAMPIONSHIP LEADING SHOOTERS
    1 . Irene van Dyk – Magic – 529/570 (92.8%)
    2 . Catherine Cox – Swifts – 495/607 (81.5%)
    3 . Romelda Aiken – Firebirds – 492/547 (89.9%)
    4 . Caitlin Bassett – Fever – 452/519 (87.1%)
    5 . Caitlin Thwaites – Vixens – 422/536 (78.7%)

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