Reply To: ANZ CHAMPIONSHIP 2008-2016

Reply To: ANZ CHAMPIONSHIP 2008-20162022-11-29T20:26:23+10:00
Avatar photoIan Harkin
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    Round 1
    Sun 13 Feb – New South Wales Swifts 60–40 Adelaide Thunderbirds
    Mon 14 Feb – Northern Mystics 51–34 Southern Steel

    Round 2
    Sat 19 Feb – Central Pulse 44–54 Northern Mystics
    Sun 20 Feb – Adelaide Thunderbirds 47–65 Melbourne Vixens
    Sun 20 Feb – Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 51–36 Southern Steel
    Mon 21 Feb – Canterbury Tactix 48–54 West Coast Fever
    Mon 21 Feb – Queensland Firebirds 51–48 New South Wales Swifts

    Round 3
    Thu 24 Feb – Northern Mystics 39–45 Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
    Thu 24 Feb – West Coast Fever 53–72 Adelaide Thunderbirds
    Sat 26 Feb – Central Pulse 43–45 Southern Steel
    Sat 26 Feb – Queensland Firebirds 64–41 Adelaide Thunderbirds
    Sun 27 Feb – Canterbury Tactix v Northern Mystics *
    Sun 27 Feb – New South Wales Swifts 45–49 Melbourne Vixens
    Mon 28 Feb – Central Pulse 44–46 Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
    Mon 28 Feb – West Coast Fever 38–62 Queensland Firebirds
    * Postponed to Round 9

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    Tactix-Mystics postponed due to earthquake

    The trans-Tasman netball league match between the Canterbury Tactix and Northern Mystics that was scheduled to be played at Christchurch on Sunday has been postponed following today’s devastating 6.3 earthquake. League organisers and Netball New Zealand (NNZ) will now work through arrangements to reschedule the game for a later date. An announcement will be made as soon as details have been confirmed.

    League general manager Anthony Everard and NNZ chief executive Raelene Castle jointly expressed their deepest sympathy to the Canterbury community, with 65 people having been confirmed dead and the death toll expected to rise as rescuers dig deeper into the inner city rubble.

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    Round 4
    Sat 5 Mar – Adelaide Thunderbirds 51–41 Central Pulse
    Sun 6 Mar – Queensland Firebirds 51–36 Southern Steel
    Sun 6 Mar – Northern Mystics 56-54 Melbourne Vixens
    Mon 7 Mar – Canterbury Tactix 56–63 Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic *
    Mon 7 Mar – New South Wales Swifts 55–51 West Coast Fever
    * Tactix home game but played in Magic’s venue

    Round 5
    Sat 12 Mar – Melbourne Vixens 70–39 West Coast Fever
    Sun 13 Mar – Adelaide Thunderbirds 42–64 Queensland Firebirds
    Sun 13 Mar – Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 46–47 Northern Mystics
    Mon 14 Mar – Southern Steel 50–44 Central Pulse
    Mon 14 Mar – New South Wales Swifts 54–45 Canterbury Tactix

    Round 6
    Thu 17 Mar – West Coast Fever 49–70 New South Wales Swifts
    Sat 19 Mar – West Coast Fever 50–47 Southern Steel
    Sun 20 Mar – New South Wales Swifts 53–57 Queensland Firebirds
    Sun 20 Mar – Central Pulse 46–43 Canterbury Tactix
    Mon 21 Mar – Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 53–41 Melbourne Vixens
    Mon 21 Mar – Adelaide Thunderbirds 57–55 Northern Mystics

    Round 7 (Rivalry Round)
    Sat 26 Mar – Northern Mystics 52–61 Queensland Firebirds
    Sun 27 Mar – Melbourne Vixens 65–50 Canterbury Tactix
    Sun 27 Mar – Central Pulse 43–48 New South Wales Swifts
    Mon 28 Mar – Southern Steel 52–48 Adelaide Thunderbirds
    Mon 28 Mar – West Coast Fever 41–42 Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic

    Round 8
    Thu 31 Mar – Canterbury Tactix 49–44 Southern Steel
    Thu 31 Mar – Melbourne Vixens 42–52 Queensland Firebirds
    Sat 2 Apr – Northern Mystics 61–48 Central Pulse
    Sun 3 Apr – Melbourne Vixens 42–33 Southern Steel
    Sun 3 Apr – Canterbury Tactix 56–59 Adelaide Thunderbirds
    Mon 4 Apr – Central Pulse 63–61 West Coast Fever
    Mon 4 Apr – Queensland Firebirds 53–49 Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic

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    McMahon injured in Vixens loss
    ABC/AAP

    The playing future of Australian netball captain Sharelle McMahon is in doubt, after the 118 Test veteran appeared to rupture her left Achilles tendon in a trans-Tasman competition match between Melbourne and Queensland on Thursday night. With netball’s world championships to be held in Singapore in July, the injury is a massive blow to Australia’s hopes of retaining the title. McMahon, 33, has captained Australia since 2008 and has been the co-captain of the Vixens since their inception in the trans-Tasman competition in the same year.

    With just under three minutes left in the first half, McMahon appeared to be running to position at the top of the Vixens’ circle, when she fell to the ground grabbing at her left ankle. She was immediately carried from the court and continued to receive treatment. Vixens physiotherapist Steve Hawkins could not confirm the extent of damage immediately after the match. “We have had two physios and two doctors look at it and everyone is of the same opinion, that we can’t be definite at the moment,” he said.

    Vixens coach Julie Hoornweg admitted that if scans showed a rupture in the Achilles it would be difficult for McMahon to return to the highest levels of the game. “But we don’t know yet, we will just wait and see,” she said. With the season condensed because of the world championships, the Vixens are in the middle of an intense stretch that sees them play three games in just eight days. Hoornweg was critical of the fixture. “That is hard, they are bruising encounters out there,” she said. “We can’t ask these athletes to play that many games, you wouldn’t ask elite footballers to front up and play three matches in eight days, so why would you ask (a netballer)?”

    McMahon, who will turn 34 in August, has been Australia’s leading goal shooter since first representing her country at the 1998 world championships in Christchurch. She led Australia to the silver medal at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi. McMahon had made 10 of her 13 shots before checking out, and was replaced by Kathleen Knott (16/19) in the 52-42 loss. It was the second major injury in the match for the Vixens. During the warm-up McMahon’s usual replacement Tegan Caldwell injured her ankle and was forced to withdraw from the team.

    The Firebirds remain undefeated after eight games this season and lead the competition, while the Vixens are clinging to fourth spot on goal difference. Queensland was led to victory by international stars Romelda Aiken (31/38) and Natalie Medhurst (21/27) up front. The Firebirds finally return to Brisbane on Monday night for a much-anticipated match against New Zealand’s top team, the Magic. “It was a tough win and we did it hard. The Vixens really took it right up to us and we had to work for every ball and every opportunity that we got,” Firebirds coach Roselee Jencke said.

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    Round 9
    Thu 7 Apr – Canterbury Tactix 45–58 Northern Mystics *
    Sat 9 Apr – Southern Steel 49–40 Canterbury Tactix
    Sun 10 Apr – Melbourne Vixens 55–53 Adelaide Thunderbirds
    Sun 10 Apr – Central Pulse 44–61 Queensland Firebirds
    Mon 11 Apr – Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 46–53 New South Wales Swifts
    Mon 11 Apr – West Coast Fever 54–56 Northern Mystics
    * Tactix home game but played in Mystics’ venue

    .

    Firebirds alight for fallen skipper
    Alex Murdoch

    “LET’S do it for Loz,” the Firebirds vowed last night, after captain Lauren Nourse was ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Queensland coach Roselee Jencke said the team had been devastated when scans yesterday confirmed Nourse had suffered a tear in her anterior cruciate ligament. But, she said, instead of crushing the side’s spirit, Nourse’s loss had made the Firebirds more determined to win the ANZ Championship. “Yes, we have been dealt a huge blow but I have every confidence in the team’s ability to step up and do the job and more,” Jencke said.

    Firebirds high-performance manager Brian Hopley agreed, suggesting this was not the same team that had been knocked for six by the loss of Sarah Wall to the same injury in the same round last year. Nourse went down clutching her left knee in the second quarter of the match against Kiwi team Central Pulse in Porirua on Sunday night. The injury rules her out for the world championships in Singapore in July.

    The captain, who specialises as centre and wing attack, is the second Australian star to succumb to injury in the condensed new championship format after Vixens captain Sharelle McMahon ruptured her achilles tendon. Jencke said the tight-knit team would help keep the momentum going. “Loz has been having a superb season but Lis (Elissa Macloud) came on last night and did a good job,” she said. “It’s a positive step knowing we’ve still got a strong line-up that’s capable of winning.”

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    Round 10
    Thu 14 Apr – Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 53–49 Canterbury Tactix
    Thu 14 Apr – Queensland Firebirds 57–36 Melbourne Vixens
    Sat 16 Apr – Adelaide Thunderbirds 57–53 New South Wales Swifts
    Sun 17 Apr – West Coast Fever 38–54 Melbourne Vixens
    Sun 17 Apr – Southern Steel 33–38 Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
    Mon 18 Apr – Canterbury Tactix 45–47 Central Pulse
    Mon 18 Apr – New South Wales Swifts 53–46 Northern Mystics

    Round 11
    Thu 21 Apr – Southern Steel 39–40 New South Wales Swifts
    Sat 23 Apr – Melbourne Vixens 58–42 Central Pulse
    Sun 24 Apr – Adelaide Thunderbirds 36–55 Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
    Sun 24 Apr – Northern Mystics 62–43 Canterbury Tactix
    Mon 25 Apr – Queensland Firebirds 56–54 West Coast Fever

    Round 12
    Sat 30 Apr – Canterbury Tactix 52–69 Queensland Firebirds
    Sun 1 May – Melbourne Vixens 33–45 New South Wales Swifts
    Sun 1 May – Southern Steel 35–47 Northern Mystics
    Mon 2 May – Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 60–50 Central Pulse
    Mon 2 May – Adelaide Thunderbirds 59–64 West Coast Fever

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    Firebirds finish campaign undefeated
    AAP

    Queensland Firebirds completed a regular-season sweep of the trans-Tasman netball league on Saturday but questions linger about their title credentials without skipper Lauren Nourse. Despite icing their unbeaten record in Christchurch, the Firebirds were stretched by last-placed Canterbury Tactix before running away in the second half to win 69-52.

    The last-round victory marks the Brisbane-based team as only the second in the four-year history of the trans-Tasman championship to go through the preliminary rounds undefeated. But the Queenslanders are wary of repeating the deflating efforts of the New South Wales Swifts who last year enjoyed a perfect regular season before getting knocked in the finals in straight sets.

    Vulnerable without centre Nourse, they were fortunate not to fall to the upset of the season against ninth-placed West Coast (56-54) on Monday night, and also started poorly against the Tactix who led for most of the first quarter at Canterbury Arena.

    The absence of their captain, sidelined by a season-ending knee injury, was again highly noticeable as the Firebirds committed a litany of mid-court turnovers but were saved by inaccurate shooting by the Tactix goalers (75 per cent). “In the first quarter we got eight or nine balls off them but we just couldn’t convert them at the other end,” Tactix coach Helen Mahon-Stroud said.

    Coach Roselee Jencke experimented with Jacqui Russell at centre for the first term but replaced her with Elissa MacLeod with the scores deadlocked at 15-all and the former Vixen had more success. Wing attack Chelsea Pitman endured a nervous start against her former team, giving up three early turnovers, before warming to the task as the Firebirds took a 33-27 half-time lead. It was the class of star shooters Romelda Aiken, who finished with 50 goals at 96 per cent, and Natalie Medhurst (19 at 93), and the defence of stand-in skipper Laura Geitz which ultimately saw the competition leaders dominate the second half.

    After finishing a heart-breaking fifth for the previous three seasons, Queensland can book a home grand final with victory in next weekend’s major semi-final. “We’re absolutely ecstatic and couldn’t wish for any more,” Geitz said. “It’s amazing but we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We’ve got some tough games coming up.” The Firebirds will likely play New Zealand’s best side, the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic, on the Gold Coast next Sunday or Monday.

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    LADDER

    ( Team … Pts … % )
    1 . Firebirds . 26pts . 129.13%
    2 . Magic . . . . 20pts . 111.94%
    3 . Swifts . . . . 18pts . 111.72%
    4 . Mystics . .. 18pts . 110.50%


    5 . Vixens . . .. 16pts . 108.85%
    6 . T’birds . . . 10pts . . 89.82%
    7 . Steel . . . . .. 8pts . . 89.73%
    8 . Pulse . . . . . 6pts . . 87.70%
    9 . Fever . . . . . 6pts . . 85.68%
    10. Tactix . . . . 2pts . . 85.89%

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