COMMONWEALTH BANK TROPHY 1997-2007

[Ian Harkin]

#1317843

Not only was this year memorable with the Vixens first ever SSN Premiership, but it also marks the 20-yr anniversary of the Melbourne Phoenix’s Premiership win against the in 2000 🏆👏🏼

Hear Susan Meaney and Joyce Brown's reflections with @LindaCPearce: https://t.co/G5rkV89g2w pic.twitter.com/MZNxr00D82

— Melbourne Vixens (@MelbourneVixens) November 30, 2020

20 YEARS ON FOR THE 2000 MELBOURNE PHOENIX PREMIERSHIP TEAM https://melbournevixens.com.au/news/feature-articles/20-years-on-for-the-2000-melbourne-phoenix-premiership-team

[Ian Harkin]

#1317857

2001 COMMONWEALTH BANK TROPHY

ADELAIDE RAVENS
Stephanie Chapman
Alicia Claire
Kelly Cotton
Sharon Durbridge
Trudy Gardner
Rachel Gregory
Kristen Heinrich
Fiona Huppatz
Sally Lampshire
Peta Matthews
Jaime McKinnon
Brianne Pannach
Jane Poole
Leanne Reid
Kerryn Truslove
Alison Tucker
Melissa Tump
Rebekah Webster
Natasha Westbrook

ADELAIDE THUNDERBIRDS
Anna Coldbeck
Jacqui Delaney
Demelza Fellowes
Kathryn Harby
Alex Hodge
Nikki Kreig
Amanda Martin
Cassie Martin
Leanne Oats
Fiona Pointon
Jacqui Roberts
Rebecca Sanders
Peta Squire
Sarah Sutter
Laura von Bertouch
Natalie von Bertouch

MELBOURNE KESTRELS
Amanda Burton
Kirsten Daley
Narelle Garbutt
Anne Harrison
Janine Ilitch
Cynna Neele
Nicole Richardson
Michelle Rossoukas
Dani Smith
Rebecca Strachan
Abbey Teare
Leah van Rensburg
Melanie Vivian

MELBOURNE PHOENIX
Andrea Booth
Bianca Chatfield
Natasha Chokljat
Ingrid Dick
Wendy Jacobsen
Sharelle McMahon
Susan Meaney
Eloise Southby
Liz Taverner
Kelly Vennus
Christine Waller
Elizabeth Walton
Hayley Warne

PERTH ORIOLES
Sam Andrews
Sally Browning
Catherine Cox
Catherine Devitt
Tanya Edwards
Rebecca Elborough
Jenna McClure
Fiona Mitchell
Dianne Ring
Waveney Seinor
Jessica Shynn
Anna Vidler

QUEENSLAND FIREBIRDS
Rebecca Chapman
Karen Clarke
Sascha Connell
Sharon Finnan
Amanda Jordan
Vanessa Liccioni
Kelly MacKenzie
Melanie McKenzie
Leanne Matthews
Karen Miller
Stacey Rosman
Helena Saunders
Peta Stephens
Carla Stuart
Karen Wright
Kate Ziebell

SYDNEY SANDPIPERS
Natalie Avellino
Sarah Barrett
Kate Cramsie
Samantha Dennis
Kristy Doyle
Megan Fleiner
Mo’onia Gerrard
Danielle Harvey
Sarah Leach
Katrina McCaffery
Nicole McMahon
Annika Menke
Joanne Morgan
Michelle Neville
Paula Peralta
Kimberley Purcell
Amy Stevens
Penny Wannop

SYDNEY SWIFTS
Kelly Adamson
Jane Altschwager
Shay Barley
Susan Diver-Tuck
Liz Ellis
Michelle Gillett
Kimberlee Gilmour
Selina Gilsenan
Raegan Jackson
Hayley McKivat
Natalie Sloane
Julia Symons
Briony Thornley
Alison Williams

[Ian Harkin]

#1317858

Round 1
Phoenix 50 v Swifts 42
Sandpipers 63 v Kestrels 52
Thunderbirds 49 v Ravens 45
Firebirds 43 v Orioles 51

Round 2
Swifts 58 v Sandpipers 45
Orioles 45 v Thunderbirds 53
Kestrels 49 v Firebirds 52
Ravens 54 v Phoenix 69

Round 3
Sandpipers 55 v Orioles 42
Firebirds 38 v Ravens 52
Thunderbirds 54 v Swifts 40
Phoenix 52 v Kestrels 48

Round 4
Kestrels 32 v Thunderbirds 61
Swifts 62 v Firebirds 34
Ravens 55 v Sandpipers 72
Orioles 41 v Phoenix 58

Round 5
Phoenix 63 v Firebirds 40
Orioles 44 v Ravens 58
Thunderbirds 76 v Sandpipers 54
Swifts 61 v Kestrels 43

Round 6
Sandpipers 54 v Phoenix 58
Kestrels 54 v Orioles 43
Ravens 37 v Swifts 49
Firebirds 36 v Thunderbirds 68

Round 7
Phoenix 41 v Thunderbirds 57
Ravens 47 v Kestrels 48
Sandpipers 62 v Firebirds 39
Orioles 41 v Swifts 54

Round 8
Swifts 46 v Phoenix 51
Kestrels 54 v Sandpipers 60
Ravens 39 v Thunderbirds 63
Orioles 55 v Firebirds 45

Round 9
Sandpipers 45 v Swifts 67
Thunderbirds 70 v Orioles 44
Firebirds 42 v Kestrels 64
Phoenix 73 v Ravens 47

Round 10
Swifts 51 v Thunderbirds 47
Ravens 61 v Firebirds 34
Kestrels 50 v Phoenix 49
Orioles 51 v Sandpipers 63

Round 11
Thunderbirds 68 v Kestrels 47
Sandpipers 65 v Ravens 56
Firebirds 23 v Swifts 65
Phoenix 66 v Orioles 44

Round 12
Ravens 59 v Orioles 47
Firebirds 48 v Phoenix 60
Sandpipers 67 v Thunderbirds 51
Kestrels 40 v Swifts 69

Round 13
Thunderbirds 67 v Firebirds 35
Phoenix 62 v Sandpipers 48
Swifts 75 v Ravens 47
Orioles 56 v Kestrels 48

Round 14
Thunderbirds 63 v Phoenix 45
Swifts 70 v Orioles 37
Firebirds 45 v Sandpipers 63
Kestrels 57 v Ravens 52

.

LADDER

TEAM . . . . . P . . W . . L . . D . . . F . . . A . . . .+/- . . . . % . . . . Pts
T’BIRDS .. .. 14 . .12 . . 2 . . 0 . . 847 . . 621 . .+226 . . 136.39 . . 24
SWIFTS .. .. 14 . .11 . . 3 . . 0 . . 809 . . 594 . .+215 . . 136.20 . . 22
PHOENIX .. 14 . .11 . . 3 . . 0 . . 797 . . 682 . .+115 . . 116.86 . . 22
S’PIPERS … 14 . .. 9 . . 5 . . 0 . . 816 . . 767 . . .+49 . . 106.39 . . 18
—
KESTRELS . 14 . .. 5 . . 9 . . 0 . . 689 . . 775 . . .-86 . . . 88.90 . . 10
RAVENS .. . 14 . .. 4 . 10 . . 0 . . 709 . . 783 . . .-74 . . . 90.55 . . .8
ORIOLES … 14 . .. 3 . 11 . . 0 . . 647 . . 796 . .-149 . . . 81.28 . . .6
FIREBIRDS. 14 . .. 1 . 12 . . 0 . . 555 . . 842 . .-287 . . . 65.91 . . .2

[Ian Harkin]

#1317860

MAJOR SEMI FINAL – THUNDERBIRDS v SWIFTS
ETSA Park, Adelaide

SWIFTS WON 63-59 (extra time) (49-49)
Swifts (Anderson 35, Altschwager 28)
Thunderbirds (Delaney 40, C.Martin 12, Roberts 7)

.

MINOR SEMI FINAL – PHOENIX v SANDPIPERS
State Netball Hockey Centre, Melbourne

PHOENIX WON 75-48
Phoenix (McMahon 48, Southby 27)
Sandpipers (Morgan 24, Avellino 22, Doyle 2)

.

PRELIMINARY FINAL – THUNDERBIRDS v PHOENIX
ETSA Park, Adelaide

THUNDERBIRDS WON 57-40
(12-11, 24-21, 38-31, 57-40)

THUNDERBIRDS:
GS . Martin
GA . Delaney
WA . N.von Bertouch
C .. Sanders
WD . Squire
GD . Harby
GK . Sutter

Changes:
None

Shooting:
Delaney 41/53 (77%)
Martin 16/23 (70%)
TOTAL 57/76 (75%)

PHOENIX:
GS . McMahon
GA . Southby
WA . Jacobsen
C .. Meaney
WD . Chokljat
GD . Chatfield
GK . Taverner

Changes:
3rd Q – Taverner to GD, Chatfield to GK.
4th Q – Vennus C (Jacobsen), Meaney to WA.

Shooting:
McMahon 21/26 (81%)
Southby 19/21 (90%)
TOTAL 40/47 (85%)

Umpires: Sharon Kelly, Michelle Phippard

[Ian Harkin]

#1317861

ELLIS TAKES A SWIFT RIDE TO THE TOP
Linda Pearce
The Age

Anyone who tunes in for the replay of tonight’s national netball grand final might recognise the familiar figure in the colors of the Sydney Swifts.

They might have seen the Sportsworld program on Sunday mornings, or caught an episode of The Fat one Monday night. Perhaps they have heard her voice on Triple J over the past three years, or watched the enthusiastic newcomer reading the autocue on the overnight shift of C7’s Olympic coverage.

In other sports, such a bulging media schedule is as common as a Sam Newman excuse to get his gear off. But this is netball, where Anne Sargeant, who retired in the 1980s, is still almost as close as it gets to a household name. Thus the transformation of Liz Ellis, sportswoman, into Liz Ellis, very visible multi-media personality, is all the more unusual.

People who see the grand final will probably think, What’s she doing playing netball?” Ellis said jokingly this week. They probably won’t recognise me because I haven’t been in make-up for an hour.”

And her Swifts and Australian teammates? What do they think of all this newfound celebrity, which will soon include co-hosting a new Channel10 health and lifestyle series with George Gregan, Shane Heal, Brett and Shane Lee? They just think I’ve got far too much to say for myself sometimes.” Are they right? Oh, yeah. God, yeah.”

Since 1993, the 183-centimetre Ellis has been the first-choice Australian goal keeper, a key member of the 1995 and 1999 world championship teams, and a gold medallist at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. She has also led the Swifts’ defence since the competition began in 1997, and twice won the netballer-of-the-year award.

Off the court, too, all seemed in place. But although Ellis practised as a solicitor for four years, she soon discovered that the life of a lawyer was not the glamorous fight for truth and justice against evil that she had imagined. Nor did the long hours always fit in with her training commitments. And so the genesis for her career change came about three years ago when she met TripleJ drive host Adam Spencer during an appearance on the ABC’s Good News Week.

That eventually led to a regular breakfast radio slot, while a chance at television arrived a few months after sitting next to Channel Seven executive Andy Kay at a netball dinner. I told him I didn’t want to practise law any more and that if they had anything, I’d be interested,” Ellis said. Then midway through last year he just rang me out of the blue and said, `Come in and read off the autocue and see if you want to be involved in the Olympic coverage’.”

Right place, right time, or something more? Of all Australia’s elite netballers, why Ellis? I don’t know,” she cackles. I think I just prostituted myself around so much that it eventually paid off!”

More seriously, Ellis also recognises the importance of timing, and of netball’s growing profile and professionalism. In the mid-90s, the grand total of the Ellis sponsorship stash was $2000 worth of footwear and clothing. Now she has a handful of sponsors, both personally and for her business running school holiday netball clinics, is a regular after-dinner speaker, government taskforce member, promotions consultant, and makes what she calls a quite comfortable” living through all of this plus her growing media work.

For netball alone, which includes the national league and various international series, Ellis receives $9000 in match payments and allowances. It does not need a calculator to determine that ball skills alone are what have enabled the forthright 28-year-old to help buy the unit with views of Manly beach she shares with her husband of two years, Matthew Stocks. Indeed, Australia-wide, only Kathryn Harby-Williams shares the luxury of being a full-time netballer.

So, fittingly, the Adelaide-based national captain and her outspoken deputy will be opposing captains in the showpiece domestic game of the year, tonight at Sydney’s State Sports Centre. The star-studded Thunderbirds, who have never missed a grand final, won the first 13 matches between the teams, but the Swifts have won the past two, and this year earned the important home-court advantage through an overtime semi-final win in Adelaide.

As much as the team is what counts, it is also personal for Ellis, who has won everything else there is to win. Except this. It’s been gnawing at me for years,” she said. Every year you sort of console yourself and say, `Next year, next year’, but I’d love not to have to say that at the end of this season.”

Certainly, a victory speech would be far preferable. And if, by some chance, Liz Ellis is stuck for a word, it will surely be for the first time.

—

Sydney Swifts v Adelaide Thunderbirds
State Sports Centre, Sydney, 8pm tonight

TV: ABC replay tomorrow, 5pm
Head to head: Swifts 2, Thunderbirds 13
Last five meetings: Swifts 2, Thunderbirds 3
Last time: Swifts 63 d Thunderbirds 59 (in overtime in the major semi-final in Adelaide
two weeks ago)

Coaches: Julie Fitzgerald (Swifts), Marg Angove (Thunderbirds)

[Ian Harkin]

#1317862

GRAND FINAL – SWIFTS v THUNDERBIRDS
State Sports Centre, Sydney

SWIFTS WON 57-32
(13-13, 26-20, 44-25, 57-32)

SWIFTS:
GS . Anderson
GA . Altschwager
WA . Akle
C .. Jackson
WD . Gilsenan
GD . Williams
GK . Ellis

Changes:
During 4th Q – Sloane GS (Altschwager), Anderson to GA.

Shooting:
Anderson 28/35 (77%)
Altschwager 27/32 (84%)
Sloane 2/2 (100%)
TOTAL 57/69 (83%)

THUNDERBIRDS:
GS . Martin
GA . Delaney
WA . N.von Bertouch
C .. Sanders
WD . Squire
GD . Harby
GK . Sutter

Changes:
3rd Q – Colbeck GS (Martin).
4th Q – Roberts GA (Delaney), L.von Bertouch WA (N.von Bertouch).

Shooting:
Delaney 20/33 (61%)
Colbeck 7/10 (70%)
Roberts 3/6 (50%)
Martin 2/5 (40%)
TOTAL 32/54 (59%)

Player Of The Match: Liz Ellis

Umpires: Sharon Kelly, Michelle Phippard

[Ian Harkin]

#1317871

SWIFT JUSTICE: THE TITLE IS OURS
Jessica Halloran and Michael Bradley
Sydney Morning Herald

The sweetness of a premiership was something the Sydney Swifts had not tasted until last night. The Swifts denied the Adelaide Thunderbirds their third premiership and humiliated them in the process, 57-32.As the final whistle was blown, the Swifts’ ecstasy was clear the National Netball League trophy was finally coming to Sydney. The Swifts had played in every finals series yet had never tasted title glory.

“If you want something bad enough, the universe has to give it to you eventually,” Swifts captain and player of the grand final Liz Ellis said. Even she was surprised by the huge margin. “I thought it would be a one- or two-goal affair but we were so determined and wanted it so badly. It might have looked easy from the sideline but in the third quarter we were really sucking in the deep breaths.”

The loss left Adelaide Thunderbirds coach Marg Angove shattered. “Whatever we tried, it just didn’t work. They were very focused and they played the game very positively, and apart from the first quarter we were hardly ever in it,” she said.

The Swifts shed tears of joy as they celebrated their historic win. An emotional Ellis was held aloft by her fellow goal defender Alison Broadbent to cut the net from the ring she had waited so long to do this. “It’s fantastic, it’s been an unbelievable year,” Swifts goal attack Jane Altschwager said.

It was an even first quarter, although the Swifts struggled to deliver the ball smoothly to their goalers. However, Altschwager dominated the goal square, shooting 10 goals from 11 attempts in the quarter as Raegan Jackson and Briony Akle delivered the ball smoothly to the 192cm shooter. Ellis and Broadbent combined to form a tough defence in a game that produced some feisty encounters with the Thunderbirds goalers.

The second quarter saw the Thunderbirds midcourt initially out-muscle the Swifts, who were having trouble feeding the ball to their goal circle. Thunderbirds centre Rebecca Sanders and wing attack Alex Hodge were efficient in their delivery to Thunderbirds goaler Jacqui Delaney.

Yet, with seven minutes to go, the momentum swung the Swifts’ way and the Sydneysiders went out to a six-goal break. They were not headed. The precise shooting of Altschwager was a major contributing factor, as she shot six goals from eight attempts.

Angove swapped her goal shooters in the third quarter. Cassie Martin, silenced by Ellis, was sent to the bench and Anna Coldbeck debuted in an attempt to lift the visitors. It failed to ruffle the Swifts’ defensive combination as the Thunderbirds’ goal efficiency slipped to 42per cent.

Some roughing-up of Altschwager by Kathryn Harby did little to unsettle the Swift, who continued her dominance of the goal ring. Megan Anderson found the ball more easily and her accuracy increased. Thunderbirds goal attack Delaney was dragged in the final quarter, with Jacqui Roberts coming on, but it was no use. It became a goal-fest for the Swifts as they finished off the Thunderbirds easily. Altschwager shot 29 goals for the game and Anderson 26.

The premiership is a fitting finale to a stellar year for the Swifts. After a slow start with a loss to 2000 premiers Melbourne Phoenix, a round-10 win over their long-time nemesis the Thunderbirds set the ball rolling for an improved second half of the competition. Ellis paid tribute to the quality of the Thunderbirds in their fifth consecutive grand final. “You can measure how good your team is by the quality of the teams they defeat,” she said.

[Ian Harkin]

#1317873

Thanks to Sebastian Luckai…

[Ian Harkin]

#1317875

ALSO IN 2001…

There was a controversial ruling by Netball Australia in June. NA decided to ban pregnant players from taking part in all netball games under their control, due to the risk of injury, and the possible legal consequences that could arise from that injury. The player initially affected was Adelaide Ravens’ captain, Trudy Gardner.

.

PREGNANT NETBALLER IS DELIVERED COURT VICTORY
Penelope Debelle
19 Jul 2001

Pregnant netballer Trudy Gardner will be back on the national league court in Sydney tomorrow night after a federal magistrate ruled yesterday she was fit to play. “I’m very excited and it’s a big relief,” Ms Gardner said outside the court in Adelaide before training with her team last night. “I think I’ve done the right thing.”

Netball Australia banned pregnant players in mid-June because of the risk and potential consequences from injury to pregnant players. Ms Gardner, 28, who is 15-weeks pregnant, sought the injunction so she could play four more games with the team she captains, the Adelaide Ravens. She had not sought to play after her pregnancy reached 20 weeks, even if her team made the semi-finals.

During a video conference linking parties in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, magistrate Mr Murray McKinnis found the concerns of netball Australia were “understandable, but exaggerated” and Ms Gardner should be allowed to compete at the elite level. “Pregnancy is not an illness,” Mr McKinnis said. “At this stage, there is not a sufficient basis to justify restrictions on her participation in netball.

The national executive director of Netball Australia, Ms Pamela Smith, said last night the body had not changed its mind about the ban, and the issue of the risk to pregnant players still had to be resolved. It would be up to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission to decide whether discrimination had occurred. “the judge did not order us to lift the ban,” Ms Smith said. “All he indicated was that based on Trudy’s doctor’s evidence, there were minimal risks and we should allow her on court.”

.

This case led to the Federal Government introducing guidelines in 2002 clearing the way for pregnant players to continue playing sport. Then in 2003, Trudy Gardner was awarded damages after the Federal Magistrates court found that Netball Australia had discriminated against her.

[Ian Harkin]

#1318310

2002 COMMONWEALTH BANK TROPHY

Round 1
Thunderbirds 56 v Kestrels 37
Phoenix 60 v Ravens 47
Swifts 56 v Orioles 36
Firebirds 49 v Sandpipers 63

Round 2
Orioles 42 v Firebirds 44
Ravens 35 v Thunderbirds 57
Kestrels 33 v Swifts 50
Sandpipers 54 v Phoenix 59

Round 3
Swifts 51 v Ravens 38
Thunderbirds 70 v Sandpipers 48
Phoenix 68 v Firebirds 36
Kestrels 51 v Orioles 26

Round 4
Sandpipers 49 v Swifts 50
Phoenix 58 v Orioles 37
Ravens 44 v Kestrels 68
Firebirds 26 v Thunderbirds 67

Round 5
Swifts 43 v Thunderbirds 46
Ravens 45 v Firebirds 55
Kestrels 45 v Phoenix 59
Orioles 40 v Sandpipers 47

Round 6
Firebirds 35 v Kestrels 57
Phoenix 59 v Swifts 51
Sandpipers 48 v Ravens 35
Orioles 28 v Thunderbirds 61

Round 7
Thunderbirds 43 v Phoenix 51
Kestrels 49 v Sandpipers 50
Swifts 56 v Firebirds 24
Orioles 36 v Ravens 47

Round 8
Sandpipers 66 v Firebirds 42
Ravens 44 v Phoenix 59
Orioles 31 v Swifts 54
Kestrels 54 v Thunderbirds 45

Round 9
Swifts 54 v Kestrels 45
Firebirds 60 v Orioles 41
Thunderbirds 50 v Ravens 31
Phoenix 56 v Sandpipers 56

Round 10
Orioles 35 v Kestrels 42
Sandpipers 37 v Thunderbirds 70
Ravens 42 v Swifts 71
Firebirds 49 v Phoenix 64

Round 11
Swifts 45 v Sandpipers 43
Kestrels 57 v Ravens 43
Thunderbirds 73 v Firebirds 31
Orioles 31 v Phoenix 56

Round 12
Thunderbirds 61 v Swifts 47
Firebirds 51 v Ravens 44
Sandpipers 49 v Orioles 40
Phoenix 64 v Kestrels 41

Round 13
Ravens 56 v Sandpipers 60
Swifts 49 v Phoenix 46
Thunderbirds 74 v Orioles 33
Kestrels 61 v Firebirds 39

Round 14
Phoenix 60 v Thunderbirds 47
Sandpipers 50 v Kestrels 55
Ravens 51 v Orioles 48
Firebirds 32 v Swifts 66

.

LADDER

TEAM . . . . . P . . W . . L . . D . . . F . . . A . . . .+/- . . . . % . . . . Pts
PHOENIX .. 14 . .12 . . 1 . . 1 . . 815 . . 630 . .+185 . . 130.61 . . 25
T’BIRDS .. .. 14 . .12 . . 2 . . 0 . . 807 . . 548 . .+259 . . 147.26 . . 24
SWIFTS .. .. 14 . .11 . . 3 . . 0 . . 743 . . 585 . .+158 . . 127.01 . . 22
KESTRELS . 14 . .. 8 . . 6 . . 0 . . 712 . . 668 . . .+44 . . 106.59 . . 16
—
S’PIPERS … 14 . .. 7 . . 6 . . 1 . . 720 . . 716 . . .. +4 . . 100.56 . . 15
FIREBIRDS. 14 . .. 4 . 10 . . 0 . . 573 . . 813 . . -240 . . . 70.48 . . .8
RAVENS .. . 14 . .. 2 . 12 . . 0 . . 602 . . 771 . . -169 . . . 78.88 . . .4
ORIOLES … 14 . .. 0 . 14 . . 0 . . 504 . . 750 . . -246 . . . 67.20 . . .0

[Ian Harkin]

#1318311

MAJOR SEMI FINAL – PHOENIX v THUNDERBIRDS
State Netball Hockey Centre, Melbourne

PHOENIX WON 53-38
(10-6, 26-20, 40-30, 53-38)

PHOENIX:
GS . Southby
GA . McMahon
WA . Jacobsen
C .. Meaney
WD . Chokljat
GD . Boniello
GK . Chatfield

Changes:
Unknown

Shooting:
Southby 31/37 (84%)
McMahon 22/30 (73%)
TOTAL 53/67 (79%)

THUNDERBIRDS:
GS . Roberts
GA . Delaney
WA . L.von Bertouch
C .. Sanders
WD . N.von Bertouch
GD . Harby-Williams
GK . Squire

Changes:
2nd Q – Fellowes GK (N.von Bertouch), Squire to WD, Worthley GS (Roberts).

Shooting:
Delaney 22/36 (61%)
Worthley 14/18 (78%)
Roberts 2/7 (29%)
TOTAL 38/61 (62%)

Umpires: Sharon Kelly, Stacey Campton

Crowd: 2000

[Ian Harkin]

#1318312

MINOR SEMI FINAL – SWIFTS v KESTRELS
State Sports Centre, Sydney

SWIFTS WON 55-47
(15-13, 32-23, 43-33, 55-47)

SWIFTS:
GS . Cox
GA . Altschwager
WA . Akle
C .. Anderson
WD . Gilsenan
GD . Broadbent
GK . Ellis

Changes:
Unknown

Shooting:
Cox 36/40 (90%)
Altschwager 19/22 (86%)
TOTAL 55/62 (89%)

KESTRELS:
GS . Burton
GA . Neele
WA . Doyle
C .. Richardson
WD . Vivian
GD . Garbutt
GK . Ilitch

Changes:
Unknown

Shooting:
Neele 35/40 (88%)
Burton 8/9 (89%)
Doyle 4/?
TOTAL 47/??

Umpires: Michelle Phippard, Deb Farrelly

Crowd: 3000

[Ian Harkin]

#1318313

PRELIMINARY FINAL – THUNDERBIRDS v SWIFTS
ETSA Park, Adelaide

THUNDERBIRDS WON 46-42
(14-12, 29-21, 41-29, 46-42)

THUNDERBIRDS:
GS . Worthley
GA . Delaney
WA . L.von Bertouch
C .. Sanders
WD . Squire
GD . Harby-Williams
GK . Fellowes

Changes:
None.

Shooting:
Delaney 28/39 (72%)
Worthley 18/26 (69%)
TOTAL 46/65 (71%)

SWIFTS:
GS . Cox
GA . Altschwager
WA . Akle
C .. Anderson
WD . Gilsenan
GD . Broadbent
GK . Ellis

Changes:
3rd Q – Altschwager to GS, Cox to GA. Ellis to GD, Broadbent to GK.

Shooting:
Altschwager 21/24 (87%)
Cox 21/28 (75%)
TOTAL 42/52 (81%)

Umpires: Sharon Kelly, Michelle Phippard

Crowd: 3300

[Ian Harkin]

#1318314

THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO BUT PHOENIX SET TO RISE
Jessica Halloran and AAP
Sydney Morning Herald

Melbourne Phoenix coach Lisa Alexander felt a pit of nervousness in her stomach as she drove home from yesterday’s netball grand final breakfast in Melbourne. After two hours on the Gippsland Highway she arrived at her home in the country and stared out on to the “rolling green hills” to relax and put aside of the task of steering her team to a third premiership trophy.

But tonight pure determination will engulf Alexander’s mind as she attempts to plot the Adelaide Thunderbirds’ downfall. Adelaide have been uncharacteristically out of form and have lost to the Phoenix in their past two games, but Alexander and her players are expecting more from them in Melbourne tonight. “It will be a much closer encounter between the two teams,” she said. “We watched them carefully last week [against the Swifts in the preliminary final]. The Thunderbirds are a great outfit. They do their home work very well.”

Phoenix co-captain and goal shooter Eloise Southby also believes the Thunderbirds will be a sharper team because of the occasion and said a great start” to the match was the key to victory. “I don’t think we can expect them to play how they have in the past. I expect them to give us their all,” Southby said. “I think the first quarter will be a bat out of hell. We will make sure we get off to a good start and play to their pace.”

Southby believes the Thunderbirds’ centre court is their key weapon. “I think they’ve got different strengths all over the court, but their mid-court with Bec [Sanders] in centre and you have [to watch] Jacqui Delaney in that centre corridor. Southby also said Adelaide captain Kathryn Harby-Williams’s intercepting in defence was the key to Adelaide’s staunch defence.

Southby labelled their clash in June last year “physical and bitter” after players from both sides finished with bloody noses and bruises. But Alexander said the rules had changed since and umpiring had become more vigilant. “I think the umpires now have got a lot more room to manoeuvre in terms of discipline on the court,” she said. “They are not putting up with any dissent and are not prepared to put up with it. They set the standard at the start of the game.”

The vigilance of the umpiring was shown in their major semi-final when the Thunderbirds gave away a massive 106 penalties. But while the game may not be as physical as in the past, it should be just as intense. Phoenix co-captain Liz Boniello said her team was “pumped up and ready to go”. “The umpires have been controlling the game, especially in the recent weeks,” she said. I expect it not to be physical, but we expect to control [the play].”

She said Adelaide’s preliminary final win showed how strong and tough they were. The rest of the season is so irrelevant now, what matters is [tonight]. They will be tough, they will want this grand final just as much as we do.”

The odds favour the Phoenix. The Thunderbirds don’t have a great record in Melbourne winning only one-third of their 15 matches there, the grand final has always been won by the home team and the Phoenix have beaten the Thunderbirds in their two previous grand final clashes. But Harby-Williams said the Thunderbirds, fitter and more confident, were capable of vast improvement.

Harby-Williams said Adelaide’s unflattering grand final record of successive losses in 2000 and 2001 and two wins from five title deciders also counted for little. “A lot of people will say, `Look, if you lose this one you’re under-achievers’, but we’re a lot happier to have reached the grand final than to have lost last week [in the preliminary final]. There’s no fear at all, our group is quite relaxed, we’ve exceeded our own expectations and we’re confident we can come over and be prepared to win the game.”

Adelaide centre Sanders seems to have fully recovered from the dislocated ankle she suffered in the semi-final against the Phoenix two weeks ago and starred against the Swifts last week. And shooters Jacqui Delaney and Jacqui Roberts, who had been out of touch in recent times, showed better form last week. Thunderbirds wing defence Peta Squire, who has never missed a game with the side since the competition started in 1997, will play her 100th match tonight.

THE FACTS AND FIGURES

MELBOURNE PHOENIX:
Coach: Lisa Alexander.
Captains: Liz Boniello and Eloise Southby.

ADELAIDE THUNDERBIRDS:
Coach: Marg Angove.
Captain: Kathryn Harby-Williams.

HEAD TO HEAD:
Played 19: Phoenix 12, Thunderbirds 6, Drawn 1.

2002:
Phoenix 51-43 (round seven).
Phoenix 60-47 (round 14).
Phoenix 53-38 (major semi-final).

Grand finals: Phoenix 58-48 (1997), Phoenix 52-51 (2000).

[Ian Harkin]

#1318315

GRAND FINAL – PHOENIX v THUNDERBIRDS
Vodafone Arena, Melbourne

PHOENIX WON 49-44
(11-9, 26-14, 36-30, 49-44)

PHOENIX:
GS . Southby
GA . McMahon
WA . Doran
C .. Meaney
WD . Chokljat
GD . Boniello
GK . Chatfield

Changes:
3rd Q – Dick C (Meaney)
During 3rd Q – Meaney C (Dick), McMahon to GS, Southby to GA.

Shooting:
McMahon 27/35 (77%)
Southby 22/29 (76%)
TOTAL 49/64 (77%)

THUNDERBIRDS:
GS . Worthley
GA . Delaney
WA . L.von Bertouch
C .. Sanders
WD . Squire
GD . Harby-Williams
GK . Fellowes

Changes:
3rd Q – Roberts GS (Worthley).
During 3rd Q – Colbeck GS (Roberts).

Shooting:
Delaney 22/36 (61%)
Colbeck 17/17 (100%)
Worthley 5/7 (71%)
Roberts 0/3 (0%)
TOTAL 44/63 (70%)

Player Of The Match: Sharelle McMahon

Umpires: Sharon Kelly, Michelle Phippard

Crowd: 5500

[Author]

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