[Ian Harkin]

#1318333

PHOENIX HUNGRY TO MAKE HISTORY
Daniella Miletic
The Sunday Age

Reigning dual premier Melbourne Phoenix came into the National Netball League finals an underdog, but will enter next Saturday’s grand final against the first-placed Swifts at the Sydney SuperDome with the intention of creating history. Last year Phoenix became the first team to win a grand final on the road, beating the Sydney Swifts on their home court in the championship game, 47-44.

This year, after struggling to finish third on the national ladder, the Phoenix are determined to become the first team to achieve three consecutive national league premierships. Coach Lisa Alexander said yesterday the Phoenix “want it bad”. “We have already experienced it twice, and just because we have done it twice, doesn’t mean we are tired of it. I think that the Brisbane Lions would tell you that as well,” she said.

She said the Phoenix, who slumped early on in the season as star players Sharelle McMahon and Eloise Southby-Halbish struggled with ankle injuries, had come into their best form late in the season.

“We have come into the finals as the underdog, because we haven’t been consistent through the season. However, what we are doing is showing that when a competition gets more mature, we are going to have things that change precedents. They say that the teams that finish in the top two win the grand final. Our goal this week is to make sure that doesn’t happen,” she said. “We feel we are coming into our best form at the right time of the year, and that’s really what counts.”

Phoenix, who have won four premierships titles, last defeated the Swifts in round 13 by just one goal, 48-47. The Swifts thumped the Phoenix earlier in the year, 63-46.Swifts coach Julie Fitzgerald yesterday said the game would be tough given the Phoenix’s ability to play under finals pressure.

“Even though Phoenix struggled in the first rounds of the competition, I do still think they are the benchmark of the competition. They obviously have enormous success in finals, so you always knew in the back of your mind that they were going to step up. And you are always weary of the fact that you know they perform well under a finals situation,” she said. “This premiership means everything in the world. We have worked really hard this year … we really think we have got a chance of getting this and we deserve it and will be giving it everything.”

Alexander said Sydney’s home court advantage would count for nothing. “Funnily enough, a home grand final is more exhausting for us than an away grand final. I know that sounds strange, but with girls who work full time and have study and other commitments, taking them away takes them from their busy lives and allows them to focus,” she said. “We don’t fear going to Sydney at all. Obviously we would love to play in Melbourne in front of a home crowd, but that’s just not the case.”

Phoenix goal keeper Bianca Chatfield, who is preparing for her fourth grand final, said the fight to the finals was toughest the team had encountered. She said that winning the grand final from third place was always going to be a “tough struggle”. “This is definitely the hardest challenge we have had, going through this season. We all feel that we got this far, why can’t we go that little bit extra?”

NATIONAL NETBALL LEAGUE GRAND FINAL

SYDNEY SWIFTS v MELBOURNE PHOENIX
4.30pm Saturday, Sydney
Live on ABC TV
Head to head: Swifts 10, Phoenix 8, draw 1

MELBOURNE PHOENIX
Coach: Lisa Alexander
Captains: Sharelle McMahon, Eloise Southby-Halbish

SYDNEY SWIFTS
Coach: Julie Fitzgerald
Captain: Liz Ellis

[Ian Harkin]

#1318334

GRAND FINAL – SWIFTS v PHOENIX
Superdome, Sydney

SWIFTS WON 52-51
(14-14, 27-29, 39-42 52-51)

SWIFTS:
GS . Cox
GA . Anderson
WA . Barrett
C .. Green
WD . Gilsenan
GD . Broadbent
GK . Ellis

Changes:
3rd Q – Akle WA (Green), Barrett to C.

Shooting:
Cox 36/41 (88%)
Anderson 16/20 (80%)
TOTAL 52/61 (85%)

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

Changes:
3rd Q – Curran GD (Prendergast).
4th Q – Prendergast GD (Curran).

Shooting:
McMahon 33/42 (79%)
Southby-Halbish 18/21 (88%)
TOTAL 51/63 (81%)

Player of the match: Catherine Cox

Umpires: Stacey Campton, Clare McCabe

Crowd: 5187

[Ian Harkin]

#1318335

SWIFTS WIN TITLE IN A THRILLER
Nabila Ahmed, Sydney
The Sunday Age

Sydney Swifts coach Julie Fitzgerald felt it was her team’s destiny to triumph in the National Netball League grand final yesterday. Her captain, star defender Liz Ellis, though, was well aware that destiny “does not quite pull on a skirt and play”. Still, when Ellis watched the Kookaburras defy the odds to beat the Netherlands to claim an Olympic gold in the early hours of yesterday as part of her news presenting shift for Channel Seven, she took some heart.

The Australian men’s hockey team had defeated a side going for its third consecutive title and the Swifts would be facing the same challenge against dual reigning premiers Melbourne Phoenix in a matter of hours. “I nearly missed my flight because I was watching the Kookaburras and I did take note that the Netherlands were going for their third gold medal in a row and I thought that’s a great omen for us,” said Ellis.

But with little more than 11 minutes remaining in the grand final at Sydney’s SuperDome and the Phoenix leading by six goals, Ellis began to think that perhaps her unorthodox preparation – she trained away from her team at the Victorian Institute of Sport every afternoon after completing the midnight-to-dawn shift for Seven – had not been such a good idea after all.

Then she remembered the e-mails that teammate Megan Anderson had sent around to the Swifts group during the week. “They were photos of 2001 when we won and then photos of last year when we lost. She said, ‘What feeling do you want on Saturday?’ It was the thing that drove us,” she said. So Ellis did what she does, and “stepped up a grade”, as Fitzgerald put it, pulling off a couple of brilliant intercepts to stem the flow of the Phoenix game and slowly turn the tide the Swifts’ way.

The Phoenix, who crashed the home team’s party last year to become the first group to win a grand final away from home, were spent and tired after an intense three-and-a-half quarters, and could only watch as their lead was pared back. It was down to two when Swifts’ Alison Broadbent made a crucial intercept to allow teammate Catherine Cox, the competition’s leading goal scorer, to goal at the other end.

Although Phoenix co-captain Sharelle McMahon managed to take the lead back out to two within 30 seconds, the Swifts soon drew level and with a minute left in the match, Cox put the home team in the lead. Eloise Southby-Halbish responded immediately for the Phoenix but with about 15 seconds left, it was Cox who found herself under the basket with the ball. Ellis knew then that the game was theirs. “I just had absolute confidence . . . I just thought it’ll go in,” she said later.

As for Cox, who had already scored 557 goals this season, she was trying not to worry too much. “I didn’t think about anything, because as soon as I think about it, I will miss it. So I just got it and thought ‘this one’s going in and it did’,” Cox said .

An emotional Fitzgerald said later she always believed her team would fight back. “I said to them before we came out tonight, ‘We led this for 13 rounds, we’re the minor premiers for the first time, if you ever deserve it, it’s now’.”

Southby-Halbish said it was enough that the Phoenix had risen from the ashes of their worst season to come within a goal of glory. “We played pretty terrible earlier in the year. We started off OK but then we got a bit messy in the middle and there were a few injuries and other things happening in the team,” she said. “We’ve had a hard tussle in the last few weeks getting into this final and we just ran out of legs in the end. I’m really proud of my team, we gave it our best shot and we came slightly short, so I’m looking forward to next year already.”

Phoenix coach Lisa Alexander said yesterday was Sydney’s day. “They gave their all out there and I don’t want anyone thinking or feeling that we didn’t give it all,” she said. “Everything was left out on that court this afternoon and a better team beat us on the day.”

[Ian Harkin]

#1318336

A slight change to the draw in 2005 to be fair to the Canberra Darters team which contained most of the Australian team at the World Youth Cup in Florida.

.

2005 COMMONWEALTH BANK TROPHY

Round 1
Darters 46 v Jaegers 49
Orioles 32 v Swifts 63
Firebirds 36 v Jaegers 53
Kestrels 47 v Thunderbirds 62
Phoenix 75 v Darters 47

Round 2
Thunderbirds 66 v Orioles 50
Darters 53 v Kestrels 61
Jaegers 28 v Swifts 68
Firebirds 52 v Phoenix 73

Round 3
Swifts 58 v Kestrels 39
Jaegers 51 v Phoenix 57
Darters 50 v Orioles 63
Thunderbirds 64 v Firebirds 52

Round 4
Jaegers 42 v Thunderbirds 70
Swifts 70 v Darters 47
Orioles 53 v Firebirds 46
Kestrels 52 v Phoenix 58

Round 5
Jaegers 59 v Kestrels 44
Thunderbirds 49 v Swifts 60
Phoenix 59 v Orioles 50
Darters 54 v Firebirds 53

Round 6
Swifts 65 v Phoenix 54
Firebirds 48 v Kestrels 52
Darters 41 v Thunderbirds 80
Orioles 48 v Jaegers 54

Round 7
Orioles 64 v Darters 42
Firebirds 40 v Thunderbirds 63
Phoenix 73 v Jaegers 47
Kestrels 41 v Swifts 60

Round 8
Thunderbirds 54 v Phoenix 50
Jaegers 58 v Darters 43
Swifts 65 v Firebirds 39
Kestrels 57 v Orioles 42

Round 9
Swifts 62 v Jaegers 50
Darters 46 v Phoenix 62
Orioles 47 v Thunderbirds 65
Kestrels 58 v Darters 44
Phoenix 76 v Firebirds 31

Round 10
Phoenix 63 v Kestrels 48
Firebirds 41 v Orioles 60
Darters 45 v Swifts 70
Thunderbirds 57 v Jaegers 40

Round 11
Jaegers 54 v Firebirds 48
Swifts 69 v Orioles 39
Thunderbirds 50 v Kestrels 43

Round 12
Firebirds 46 v Swifts 64
Phoenix 67 v Thunderbirds 41
Orioles 49 v Kestrels 52

Round 13
Phoenix 57 v Swifts 40
Jaegers 56 v Orioles 50
Thunderbirds 77 v Darters 37
Kestrels 65 v Firebirds 33

Round 14
Swifts 56 v Thunderbirds 62
Firebirds 42 v Darters 59
Orioles 50 v Phoenix 58
Kestrels 59 v Jaegers 49

.

LADDER

TEAM . . . . . P . . W . . L . . D . . . F . . . A . . . .+/- . . . . % . . . . Pts
SWIFTS .. .. 14 . .12 . . 2 . . 0 . . 870 . . 628 . .+242 . . 138.54 . . 24
PHOENIX .. 14 . .12 . . 2 . . 0 . . 882 . . 674 . .+208 . . 130.76 . . 24
T’BIRDS .. .. 14 . .12 . . 2 . . 0 . . 863 . . 672 . .+191 . . 128.42 . . 24
KESTRELS . 14 . .. 7 . . 7 . . 0 . . 718 . . 728 . . . -10 . . . 98.63 . . 14
—
JAEGERS … 14 . .. 7 . . 7 . . 0 . . 690 . . 761 . . . -71 . . . 90.67 . . 14
ORIOLES … 14 . .. 4 . 10 . . 0 . . 697 . . 778 . . . -81 . . . 87.34 . . . 8
DARTERS .. 14 . .. 2 . 12 . . 0 . . 654 . . 882 . . -228 . . . 74.15 . . . 4
FIREBIRDS. 14 . .. 0 . 14 . . 0 . . 607 . . 855 . . -248 . . . 70.99 . . . 0

[Ian Harkin]

#1318338

MAJOR SEMI FINAL – SWIFTS v PHOENIX
Wollongong Entertainment Centre

PHOENIX WON 49-47
(12-10, 26-23, 37-37 47-49)

SWIFTS:
GS . Cox
GA . Anderson
WA . Ware
C .. Barrett
WD . Gilsenan
GD . Broadbent
GK . Ellis

Changes:
Unknown

Shooting:
Cox 34/44 (77%)
Anderson 13/19 (68%)
TOTAL 47/63 (75%)

PHOENIX:
GS . Southby-Halbish
GA . McMahon
WA . Jacobsen
C .. Dick
WD . Chokljat
GD . Curran
GK . Chatfield

Changes:
Unknown

Shooting:
Southby-Halbish 25/28 (89%)
McMahon 24/30 (80%)
TOTAL 49/58 (84%)

Penalties: Swifts 71-43
Rebounds: Phoenix 9-7
Turnovers: 26-26
Intercepts: 11-11

Umpires: Sharon Kelly, Nikki Boyd

[Ian Harkin]

#1318339

MINOR SEMI FINAL – THUNDERBIRDS v KESTRELS
ETSA Park, Adelaide

THUNDERBIRDS WON 68-45
(15-10, 35-19, 52-33, 68-45)

THUNDERBIRDS:
GS . Heinrich
GA . Medhurst
WA . L.von Bertouch
C .. N.von Bertouch
WD . Scholz
GD . Fellowes
GK . Reddy

Changes:
Unknown

Shooting:
Medhurst 37/40 (93%)
Heinrich 31/36 (86%)
TOTAL 68/76 (89%0

KESTRELS:
GS . Booth
GA . Neele
WA . O’Donnell
C .. Nash
WD . Cargill
GD . Garbutt
GK . Strachan

Changes:
3rd Q – Thwaites GS (Booth).

Shooting:
Neele 24/33 (73%)
Thwaites 16/17 (94%)
Booth 5/8 (63%)
TOTAL 45/58 (78%)

Penalties: Kestrels 80-49
Rebounds: Tbirds 10-7
Turnovers: Kestrels 33-22
Intercepts: Tbirds 17-8

Umpires: Stacey Campton, Jacqui Jashari

[Ian Harkin]

#1318340

PRELIMINARY FINAL – SWIFTS v THUNDERBIRDS
State Sports Centre, Sydney

SWIFTS WON 63-43
(14-8, 32-18, 47-31, 63-43)

SWIFTS:
GS . Cox
GA . Anderson
WA . Ware
C .. Barrett
WD . Gilsenan
GD . Broadbent
GK . Ellis

Changes:
Unknown

Shooting:
Cox 43/50 (86%)
Anderson 20/24 (83%)
TOTAL 63/74 (85%)

THUNDERBIRDS:
GS . Heinrich
GA . Medhurst
WA . L.von Bertouch
C .. N.von Bertouch
WD . Scholz
GD . Fellowes
GK . Reddy

Changes:
Unknown

Shooting:
Heinrich 32/38 (84%)
Medhurst 8/10 (80%)
Avellino 3/6 (50%)
TOTAL 43/54 (80%)

Penalties: Tbirds 69-60
Rebounds: Swifts 14-6
Turnovers: Tbirds 30-26
Intercepts: Swifts 13-7

Umpires: Sharon Kelly, Nikki Boyd

[Ian Harkin]

#1318341

PHOENIX CHASING A SWIFTS VICTORY
KAREN LYON
The Age

MIDWAY through this year, Eloise Southby-Halbish was left wondering how anybody was going to beat the Sydney Swifts. The Melbourne Phoenix had fallen to the Sydney champions by 11 goals in their round-six clash and as the Phoenix co-captain remembers, the Swifts hadn’t really played all that well. “At the start of the year the Swifts were flying and I thought. ‘How are we ever going to beat them?’,” Southby-Halbish said yesterday.

Knowing they would face the reigning champions again this season, Phoenix coach Julie Hoornweg and her staff produced dossiers on all the Swifts players, including video highlights of all their performances. Those details have turned into positive results for the Phoenix, who finally inflicted the Swifts’ first loss of the year in round 13 with a blowout 17-goal victory, and then followed by winning the major semi-final by two goals in Wollongong a fortnight ago.

The wins have given Melbourne the unexpected role as host of today’s national league final, the third straight year the Phoenix and Swifts play in the final, although Southby-Halbish is not convinced her team should be the punter’s favourite. Yes, she is confident Melbourne can claim its third title in four years. Yes, the two victories have changed all thoughts the Swifts are unbeatable. But favouritism? “I think its hard to tell,” she said. “It’s going to be pretty close, it is going to be a red-hot contest.”

Swifts coach Julie Fitzgerald does not believe her team has given up its recent advantage over the Phoenix after being beaten twice by Melbourne in a three-week period. She believes their 20-goal win over Adelaide in the preliminary final restored any lost confidence. “It’s never occurred to me that they have the upper hand,” Fitzgerald said. “Last week’s game was really good for us, we really needed that match.”

Today’s grand final presents several enticing match-ups, the Phoenix shooting combination of Southby-Halbish and goal attack Sharelle McMahon has been in excellent form recently and they will be pitted against national captain Liz Ellis and Alison Broadbent.

For Melbourne to regain the title, goal keeper Bianca Chatfield will have to cut the influence of star Swifts goal shooter Catherine Cox. After being diagnosed with glandular fever in May, Chatfield was restricted in playing time during the early weeks of the season. Despite the illness she refused to stop playing and admits now it might have caused the effects to linger longer than necessary. “I just wanted to play and I didn’t want to let anyone down,” she said.

The goal keeper started to feel well again after the mid-season break. She played her first full game against cross-town rivals the Kestrels in the second of the year’s derbies and celebrated her 100th game with a best-on-court performance against Cox in round 13. “Everything just seemed to be falling into place and I was enjoying myself out there and I was just feeling really, really good,” Chatfield said.

She knows a similar performance against Cox will go a long way to securing the title but expects Sydney to come out smarting after its past two matches against Melbourne. “The Swifts are a great team, with awesome players, and we really have to be conscious that they are going to come out and hit us hard,” she said. Shutting down Cox – who leads all scoring for the season with 602 goals at a career best 87 per cent – is one of the big challenges.

THE FINALISTS

Played 23
Melbourne Phoenix 10
Sydney Swifts 12
Drawn 1

This year’s meetings:
Round 6: Sydney d Melbourne 65-54.
Round 13: Melbourne d Sydney 57-40.
Major semi-final: Melbourne d Sydney 49-47.

Premierships
Phoenix 4: 2003, 2002, 2000, 1997.
Swifts 2: 2004, 2001.

[Ian Harkin]

#1318342

GRAND FINAL – PHOENIX v SWIFTS
Vodafone Arena, Melbourne

PHOENIX WON 61-44
(15-12, 28-25, 45-33, 61-44)

PHOENIX:
GS . Southby-Halbish
GA . McMahon
WA . Jacobsen
C .. Dick
WD . Chokljat
GD . Curran
GK . Chatfield

Changes:
None

Shooting:
Southby-Halbish 33/40 (83%)
McMahon 28/30 (93%)
TOTAL 61/70 (87%)

SWIFTS:
GS . Cox
GA . Anderson
WA . Ware
C .. Barrett
WD . Gilsenan
GD . Broadbent
GK . Ellis

Changes:
None

Shooting:
Cox 29/38 (76%)
Anderson 15/23 (65%)
TOTAL 44/61 (72%)

Penalties: Swifts 73-51
Rebounds: Phoenix 10-9
Turnovers: Phoenix 25-24
Intercepts: Phoenix 16-9

Player Of The Match: Bianca Chatfield

Umpires: Sharon Kelly, Nikki Boyd

Crowd: 6503

[Ian Harkin]

#1318343

VENGEFUL PHOENIX SOAR TO TITLE
KAREN LYON
The Sunday Age

LAST year’s lost opportunity has become this year’s premiership for the Melbourne Phoenix, who gained their revenge on the Sydney Swifts to claim the Commonwealth Bank Trophy with an emphatic 17-goal victory at Vodafone Arena. The victory last night secured the Phoenix their fifth premiership since the national league began in 1997 and cemented Melbourne’s place as the country’s most successful team.

The final 61-44 scoreline reflected the Phoenix’s second-half domination. Leading by only three goals at half-time, the Phoenix surged in the second half to secure the massive win, the third-biggest margin recorded in a grand final. Last season, the Phoenix led by six goals in the final quarter of the grand final before losing the match by a goal. With the trophy again within their grasp yesterday, there was no final-quarter fade-out.

But last season’s heartache was a moment Phoenix co-captain Eloise Southby-Halbish used at three-quarter-time to inspire her teammates. “It is certainly sweet to win like that,” Southby-Halbish said. “I said that, going into the huddle in the last. I said remember that feeling (from last year), we were up, and I thought it can happen again to us if we didn’t focus on what we had to do and never give up for one second.”

Melbourne had threatened to blow the game open late in the second quarter. After a torrid physical start, the Phoenix gradually wore the Swifts down. They cut supply to Sydney’s goal combination of Catherine Cox and Megan Anderson, and gradually through Ingrid Dick at centre gained control of the midcourt. The margin had increased to six goals shortly before the break and then Sydney called a time-out to steady the ship, and cut the lead to three.

In the third term, Melbourne had all the run. Dick, along with Wendy Jacobsen at wing attack and Natasha Chokljat at wing defence, increased the pressure on the Swifts midcourt, and Southby-Halbish and fellow captain Sharelle McMahon hit all 17 of their attempts for the quarter.

At the other end, Bianca Chatfield was again the general in defence, along with Johannah Curran at goal defence, and they placed massive pressure on Cox and Anderson. The Swifts managed just eight goals from their 13 attempts and Melbourne was on its way to victory.

Swifts captain Liz Ellis said that term had been pivotal to the result. “At half-time we were confident, but the third quarter is so often the championship quarter and we didn’t convert and we didn’t create opportunities. The few we did create we just let go and we had a really poor quarter and you can’t have 15 minutes off with Phoenix.”

For Melbourne it was a premiership that had appeared improbable six weeks ago when the Phoenix were sitting in third place on the ladder behind the then undefeated Swifts and the Adelaide Thunderbirds. But first-year coach Julie Hoornweg was always confident her team would embrace the new game-plan and come through victorious.

“That is sometimes the test of a good team, whether you can come through that. There is just too much athleticism and brilliance in this team to hold them down,” Hoornweg said.

[Ian Harkin]

#1318344

PHOENIX ON THE RISE AS SWIFTS TAKE A TUMBLE
By Melissa Woods
The Sun-Herald

Melbourne Phoenix reclaimed their title as the nation’s best team with a crushing 17-goal win over defending champions the Sydney Swifts yesterday. The 61-44 win was the third biggest in grand final history and gave Melbourne their fifth crown since 1997 and their first under rookie coach Julie Hoornweg.

The victory eased painful memories of last year’s grand final defeat, when the Swifts fought back from six goals down in the final quarter to snatch a one-goal win. This year there was no such fightback from the Sydney side.

Melbourne set up the win with a stunning third-quarter showing, as their lead blew out to 12 goals at the final break. Fired-up Phoenix co-captain Eloise Southby-Halbish was unstoppable in the goal circle, slotting 11 goals from 11 attempts in the third term while fellow co-captain Sharelle McMahon also posted a perfect total – six from six. Southby-Halbish finished the game with 33 goals, while McMahon slotted 28 to guide the Phoenix home.

Southby-Halbish, who has played in all five grand final victories, said she was shocked by the winning margin. “I knew we were capable of doing that but I certainly didn’t think we would,” she said. “Our defensive unit was just on fire and made it easy for us. The winning quarter was the third one when we shot 100 per cent each and we were just determined and it opened up for us.”

The Melbourne defence, led by goalkeeper Bianca Chatfield, starved the Swifts of scoring opportunities and wing defence Natasha Chokljat and centre Ingrid Dick dominated through the mid-court. The Phoenix got off to a good start to take a 15-12 lead at the first break, despite Sydney goal shooter Catherine Cox and goal attack Megan Anderson each landing six goals from six attempts.

Melbourne extended their lead to six goals midway through the second quarter with McMahon and Southby-Halbish holding off some aggressive defence from Sydney’s Liz Ellis and Alison Broadbent. Ellis hurt her ankle during the preliminary final last week but the injury didn’t hamper the Australian captain’s play.

The Swifts fought back to trail by only three, 28-25, by half-time and appeared to have the momentum. But Melbourne quickly put a stop to that, aided by a growing penalty count and turnover rate from the Sydneysiders and the home side took full control.

Sydney skipper Ellis said her team was simply off its game and unable to match the Phoenix. “The Phoenix played a great game and we didn’t play well,” she said. “We felt great before the match and there was no reason not to come out and execute our game plan but I don’t want to take away anything from the Phoenix.”

[Ian Harkin]

#1318345

2006 COMMONWEALTH BANK TROPHY

DARTERS
Sarah Ashmore
Natalie Avellino
Karyn Bailey
Emily Beaton
Lauren Berger
Natalie Eden
Susan Fuhrmann
Laura Geitz
Melissa Gorham
Josephine Janz
Megan Kelly
Rachael Knight
Janelle Lawson
Clare McMeniman (captain)
Brierly Parker
Shannon Priestly
Nikala Smith
Kasey Stanaway
Lauren Tscharke

FIREBIRDS
Alissa Castrisos
Karen Clarke
Belinda Dever
Carla Dziwoki
Michelle Hess
Amanda Lucas
Melanie McKenzie
Joanne Morgan
Simone Nalatu
Lauren Nourse
Jenny O’Connor
Maleta Roberts
Meegan Rooney
Peta Stephens (captain)
Keirra Trompf

JAEGERS
Jane Altschwager (captain)
Katie Bradstock
Narelle Eather
Annabel Gazzoli
Kimberlee Gilmour
Alexandra Harding
Danielle Harvey
Raegan Jackson
Emma Koster
Sally Lampshire
Sepi Langi
Tiffany Lincoln
Jane Menzies
Cirsty Monaghan
Kimberley Purcell
Lara Welham
Elly Willan

KESTRELS
Shae Bolton
Andrea Booth
Madison Browne
Briony Cargill
Bianca Franklin
Narelle Garbutt
Janine Ilitch
Melanie Kitchin
Kathleen Knott
Sharni Layton
Chelsey Nash (co-captain)
Amy Steel
Rebecca Strachan (co-captain)
Brooke Thompson
Caitlin Thwaites
Leah van Rensburg

ORIOLES
Helen Aravidis(co-captain)
Caitlin Bassett
Emma Beckett
Kirby Bentley
Kate Beveridge
Kodie Blay (co-captain)
Catherine Devitt
Melissa Johnston
Jasmine Keene
Kym Mitchell
Stacey Rosman(co-captain)
Jessica Shynn
Karin Venter
Larrissa Willcox

PHOENIX
Talei Bari
Bianca Chatfield (co-captain)
Natasha Chokljat
Johannah Curran
Ingrid Dick
Renae Hallinan
Wendy Jacobsen
Cynna Kydd
Sharelle McMahon (co-captain)
Sophie O’Shea
Lillian O’Sullivan
Julie Prendergast
Jessica Thomas
Carmen Timms
Sarah Wall
Hayley Warne

SWIFTS
Erin Bell
Alison Broadbent
Catherine Cox
Megan Dehn
Liz Ellis (captain)
Mo’onia Gerrard
Selina Gilsenan
Kimberlee Green
Adelaide Johnson
Samantha May
Jackie Murphy
Chelsea Pitman
Susan Pratley
Leah Shoard
Joanne Sutton
Vanessa Ware

THUNDERBIRDS
Mandy Edwards
Demelza Fellowes
Jessica Hazel
Kristen Heinrich
Felicity Lukeman
Nadia Mapunda
Amanda Martin
Natalie Medhurst
Kirby Mutton
Fiona Pointon
Bianca Reddy
Peta Scholz
Laura von Bertouch (captain)
Natalie von Bertouch
Carrie Worthley

[Ian Harkin]

#1318347

Round 1
Kestrels 35 v Swifts 46
Firebirds 46 v Phoenix 58
Darters 37 v Thunderbirds 68
Orioles 67 v Jaegers 38

Round 2
Swifts 71 v Firebirds 38
Orioles 59 v Kestrels 53
Thunderbirds 63 v Jaegers 28
Phoenix 62 v Darters 30

Round 3
Firebirds 56 v Kestrels 50
Thunderbirds 61 v Phoenix 56
Swifts 52 v Orioles 36
Jaegers 71 v Darters 35

Round 4
Firebirds 44 v Thunderbirds 56
Darters 39 v Orioles 53
Kestrels 61 v Jaegers 41
Phoenix 40 v Swifts 53

Round 5
Jaegers 47 v Firebirds 68
Kestrels 38 v Thunderbirds 68
Darters 37 v Swifts 59
Orioles 47 v Phoenix 72

Round 6
Jaegers 44 v Swifts 53
Phoenix 67 v Kestrels 43
Firebirds 53 v Darters 32
Thunderbirds 74 v Orioles 44

Round 7
Swifts 46 v Thunderbirds 40
Phoenix 60 v Jaegers 45
Orioles 56 v Firebirds 59
Darters 33 v Kestrels 60

Round 8
Thunderbirds 53 v Kestrels 47
Swifts 60 v Darters 30
Phoenix 66 v Firebirds 42
Jaegers 55 v Orioles 62

Round 9
Firebirds 36 v Swifts 50
Kestrels 65 v Orioles 52
Thunderbirds 73 v Darters 27
Jaegers 48 v Phoenix 49

Round 10
Jaegers 51 v Thunderbirds 49
Kestrels 57 v Firebirds 49
Darters 41 v Phoenix 70
Orioles 56 v Swifts 64

Round 11
Firebirds 59 v Jaegers 53
Thunderbirds 49 v Swifts 54
Orioles 62 v Darters 40
Kestrels 42 v Phoenix 53

Round 12
Firebirds 72 v Orioles 60
Kestrels 59 v Darters 38
Phoenix 51 v Thunderbirds 62
Swifts 42 v Jaegers 38

Round 13
Darters 37 v Jaegers 59
Swifts 57 v Kestrels 46
Phoenix 71 v Orioles 45
Thunderbirds 57 v Firebirds 45

Round 14
Orioles 48 v Thunderbirds 68
Jaegers 43 v Kestrels 57
Swifts 64 v Phoenix 43
Darters 43 v Firebirds 65

.

LADDER

TEAM . . . . . P . . W . . L . . D . . . F . . . A . . . .+/- . . . . % . . . . Pts
SWIFTS .. .. 14 . .14 . . 0 . . 0 . . 771 . . 568 . .+203 . . 135.74 . . 28
T’BIRDS .. .. 14 . .11 . . 3 . . 0 . . 841 . . 616 . .+225 . . 136.53 . . 22
PHOENIX .. 14 . .10 . . 4 . . 0 . . 818 . . 669 . .+149 . . 122.27 . . 20
FIREBIRDS. 14 . .. 7 . . 7 . . 0 . . 732 . . 756 . . . -24 . . . 96.83 . . 14
—
KESTRELS . 14 . .. 6 . . 8 . . 0 . . 713 . . 715 . . . . -2 . . . 99.72 . . 12
ORIOLES … 14 . .. 5 . . 9 . . 0 . . 747 . . 822 . . . -75 . . . 90.88 . . 10
JAEGERS … 14 . .. 3 . 11 . . 0 . . 661 . . 762 . . -101 . . . 86.75 . . . 6
DARTERS .. 14 . .. 0 . 14 . . 0 . . 499 . . 874 . . -375 . . . 57.09 . . . 0

[Ian Harkin]

#1318348

MAJOR SEMI FINAL – SWIFTS v THUNDERBIRDS

SWIFTS WON 52-42
(13-11, 29-19, 46-26, 52-42)

SWIFTS:
GS . Cox
GA . Pratley
WA . Green
C .. Gilsenan
WD . Gerrard
GD . Broadbent
GK . Ellis

Changes:
4th Q – Bell GS (Cox), Murphy WD (Broadbent), Gerrard to GD, Ware WA (Gilsenan), Green to C.

Shooting:
Cox 29/32 (91%)
Pratley 21/26 (81%)
Bell 2/3 (67%)
TOTAL 52/61 (85%)

THUNDERBIRDS:
GS . Heinrich
GA . Medhurst
WA . L.von Bertouch
C .. N.von Bertouch
WD . Mutton
GD . Pointon
GK . Reddy

Changes:
3rd Q – Mutton to WA, L.von Bertouch to C, N.von Bertouch to WD.
4th Q – Edwards GD (Pointon), Fellowes GK (Reddy), Mutton to WD, L.von Bertouch to WA, N.von Bertouch to C, Medhurst to GS, Heinrich to GA.

Shooting:
Heinrich 23/31 (74%)
Medhurst 19/21 (90%)
TOTAL 42/52 (81%)

Umpires: Jacqui Jashari, Kate Wright

[Ian Harkin]

#1318349

MINOR SEMI FINAL – PHOENIX v FIREBIRDS

PHOENIX WON 58-56
(18-7, 26-23, 41-39, 58-56)

PHOENIX:
GS . McMahon
GA . Kydd
WA . Jacobsen
C .. Chokljat
WD . Curran
GD . Prendergast
GK . Chatfield

Changes:
During 2nd Q – Kydd to GA, McMahon to GS.
3rd Q – Dick C (Prendergast), Curran to GD, Chokljat to WD.
During 3rd Q – Prendergast GD (Curran).

Shooting:
Kydd 32/42 (76%)
McMahon 26/31 (84%)
TOTAL 58/73 (79%)

FIREBIRDS:
GS . Morgan
GA . Dever
WA . Nourse
C .. Clarke
WD . Lucas
GD . Stephens
GK . McKenzie

Changes:
4th Q – Trompf WD (Lucas).

Shooting:
Morgan 45/54 (83%)
Dever 11/21 (52%)
TOTAL 56/75 (75%)

Umpires: Sharon Kelly, Nikki Boyd

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