Netball Scoop Newsletter – Suncorp Super Netball – Round 7, 2020

Netball Scoop Newsletter – Suncorp Super Netball – Round 7, 2020

By |2020-08-27T19:37:28+10:00August 27th, 2020|Categories: AUS, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Netball Scoop – Suncorp Super Netball – Round 7, 2020

RESULTS

West Coast Fever 71 defeated Collingwood Magpies 57 (17-14, 22-16, 15-14, 17-13)

Giants Netball 66 defeated Queensland Firebirds 65 (13-17, 19-15, 15-17, 19-16)

NSW Swifts 61 defeated Sunshine Coast Lightning 54 (16-16, 13-16, 15-11, 17-11)

Melbourne Vixens 50 defeated Adelaide Thunderbirds 43 (9-14, 11-10, 16-12, 14-7)

 

LADDER AFTER ROUND SEVEN

Position Points Percentage

  1. Melbourne Vixens . 24 .  117.71%
  2. NSW Swifts  .  24  .  106.46%
  3. Sunshine Coast Lightning .  20 .  105.01%
  4. West Coast Fever  .  12  .  99.78%
  5. Adelaide Thunderbirds  .  12  .  95.17
  6. Giants Netball .  10 .  98.17%
  7. Queensland Firebirds .  6.  89.56%
  8. Collingwood Magpies .  4 .  91.47%

 

INJURIES

Molly Jovic (Collingwood) – didn’t start, concussion

Nyah Allen (Collingwood) – didn’t start, illness.

Binnian Hunt (Lightning) – rolled ankle during the pre-game warmup.

 

ROOKIE OF THE ROUND

Maisie Nankivell has become a crucial cog in the Thunderbirds’ rise, and overshadowed opponent Kate Moloney for a chunk of their round 7 match. Nankivell finished with 25 feeds, two deflections and four pick-ups, and in the second quarter held Moloney to just one circle feed. It might be her AFLW background, but Nankivell looks totally prepared to match it with the big guns, and doesn’t falter when put under physical pressure. 

 

There were highlights all over court, but the match between Nankivell and Moloney was one of the best. Image Marcela Massey

 

PLAY OF THE ROUND

After spending all of the last round sitting on the bench for the Giants, and copping some heat on social media for it, Caitlin Bassett knew exactly what she needed to do to seal the victory for her team. With seconds remaining on the clock, the lob went into Bassett and despite the best efforts of the Firebirds defenders, she was awarded a free shot under the post and made no mistake. 

It seems fitting that Laura Langman, who announced her retirement from international netball during the week pulled in another scintillating, seemingly humanly impossible intercept on the circle edge in the Lightning’s loss to the Swifts. Langman was running in one direction and seemingly out of nowhere suddenly switched direction to grab the ball out of the air. 

 

Caitlin Bassett made a good return to the court after limited match time in the last two rounds. Image Simon Leonard.

 

TEAM OF THE ROUND

In one of the matches of the round, the NSW Swifts got the job done against the Lightning in a come from behind win. In the first half they tried to match Lightning’s rapid-fire play, only for it to come undone. Once they slowed it down and reverted to their trusted game of maintaining possession, they took the lead and didn’t give it up. Maddy Proud had her best game since returning from an ACL injury, although there were contributors right across the court.  

 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

It’s rare that anyone out-monsters the defensive monster, but it happened in the last game of the round. In any other game, Shamera Sterling’s 9 gains/5 intercepts/5 deflections/3 rebounds would be an MVP performance. But Vixens’ Em Mannix was exceptional, with 12 gains/8 intercepts/10 deflections/2 rebounds, to take home the chocolates. 

 

Em Mannix put in an MVP performance, with 12 gains for the match. Image Marcela Massey

 

In their win over the Firebirds, the Giants recorded just 16 turnovers for the match. The Firebirds had 21 and with just a one-goal win the result, will look to tidy up these moments in future games. 

Kiera Austin, the MVP in the Giants’ slim victory had an impressive game recording 26 goal assists, along with three gains (one intercept, two deflections with gain), 24 centre pass receives and just two turnovers. Austin rotated between goal attack and wing attack and excelled in both positions. 

The Fever will be pleased with a dominant performance over a struggling Magpies side. They won all four quarters and bested the Pies statistically in every area. The Pies were penalised more heavily, turned over the ball more, particularly in the midcourt, and were simply less able to get the ball to their shooters. 

 

Courtney Bruce – a picture of concentration. Image Simon Leonard.

 

TALKING POINTS OF THE ROUND 

West Coast Fever took no fewer than seven netball dresses per player on the road with them. This round featured a fan-designed dress by Chloe Turnbull, featuring the black swan and kangaroo paws, while another has included all the names of 2020 members. While Fever have struggled on court against the big guns this season, their fan engagement is the equal of any.

Australia’s favourite netballer, Sharon Strezlecki – complete with blinged up skirt and wrist brace – took to the court this week to share Victoria’s Covid-safe message. Cue the Twitter trolls, who attacked her for politicising the message. Sharon’s alter ego – Magda Subzanski – hit back with some wittily brutal one-liners that put them back in their box. The Vixens shared their support, offering to sub Sharon on in a video on Tuesday night. 

She’d had just 15 minutes of court time in the preceding two games, but Caitlin Bassett made it count when she was needed. Unaccustomed to riding the pine, Bassett was injected into the Giants’ Round 7 match during the second quarter. She was a strong presence under the post, finishing with 37/43 at 86%, while coming up with two rebounds and one gain. But it was her goal on the buzzer that sealed the game for the Giants, and from the glint in Bassett’s eye, it felt good to prove her doubters wrong. 

Well is it or isn’t it? The recruiting period for 2021 is supposed to be open, but there’s been no confirmation from the league as to whether this is happening. With the season zipping past, it’s likely that coaches have one eye on the future and some of the promising young rookies making a mark this season.  

 

Fever’s playing dress was designed by fan Chloe Turnbull. It featured WA’s flora and fauna.  Image Simon Leonard.

 

TWEET OF THE WEEK

There were some very clever tweets this week, so we had to share a few of the best.

 

The Firebirds definitely used their isolation time well.

 

Classic from Scoop’s Lexi ??

 

When Maddy Proud talks, we listen….

 

 

STAND OUT STATISTICS

 

INDIVIDUAL

Super Shots 

Gabi Sinclair (Magpies) 7/12 58% 

Tippah Dwan (Firebirds) 4/6 67% 

Romelda Aiken (Firebirds) 2/2 100%

 

Turnovers 

Kelsey Browne (Magpies) – 7 (inc. 2 bad passes, 1 bad hands, 2 intercepted passes & 1 centre break)

Madi Browne (Magpies) – 6 (inc. 1 bad hands, 5 intercepted passes)

Alice Teague-Neeld (Fever) – 6 (inc. 1 bad pass, 1 bad hands, 1 intercepted pass)

 

Gains

Emily Mannix (Vixens) – 12 (8 intercepts, 2 deflections with a gain, 2 rebounds)

Courtney Bruce (Fever) – 11 (6 intercepts, 2 deflections with a gain,  3 rebounds)

Shamera Sterling (Thunderbirds) – 9 (5 intercepts, 1 deflection with a gain, 3 rebounds)

 

Feeds 

Liz Watson (Vixens) – 44

Kiera Austin (Giants) – 36

Maddy Proud (Swifts) – 35 

 

MATCH REPORTS

 

West Coast Fever  71 defeated Collingwood Mapgies 57 

By: Janine Monneron

 

The outcome of this match was significant for both sides, with Fever looking to leapfrog into the top four, and the Magpies desperate to get off the bottom of the ladder.

After a one goal victory in their last meeting, Fever did their homework and addressed issues from recent performances. They returned with a familiar flare, yet the battle was not easy as the Pies found surges to close the margins. However Fever withstood the pressure and claimed victory. They now sit in a comfortable fourth place with a good percentage boost.

WHO dominated?  

The most obvious standout was the MVP of the match – Fever’s Courtney Bruce. The captain returned for the full four-quarters after a cautious recovery from injury. Her 6 intercepts, 8 deflections and 3 rebounds were pivotal in turning the game. The Pies noted this problem and changed the goal shooter on Bruce 3 times – a testament to her impact.  Both Stacey Francis and Sunday Aryang, contributed to the ball-gain-show with strong intercepts and deflections alike. The holistic improvement in the defensive circle was prevalent.

WHAT worked?  

Fever’s attacking mid-court, Ingrid Coyler and Verity Charles, turned up the heat to leave their counterparts flustered. The strong back-bone of the team, including wing defence Jess Anstiss, powerfully connected across the court with a strong understanding of each other. The direct transitions are Fever’s bread and butter, and this game allowed them to consolidate their strength in that space. 

The Magpies were at their best when they were able to clog the midcourt defensively, slowing down the ball before it reached Fever’s formidable shooting circle.   

WHAT needs improvement?

Managing possession better would allow the Pies to capitalise on their gains.  Their long court conversion out of defence is one of the worst in the league, with too many balls given away either in the midcourt or shooting circle. The midcourters are spectacular on the fly, but need to turn and steady before passing at times. However it’s the shooting circle which is proving somewhat of a dilemma with defects of ball handling, athleticism and space awareness all issues at times.  

WHERE was it won?

Fever found some rhythm and addressed the lessons learnt from last game. The mid-court was dominating with their speedy drives and feeds, but equally, everyone was upholding their responsibility within their position. A more inclusive effort in defence really contributed to Fever’s success.

“Once we have momentum and rhythm, then the shots follow that”

 Stacey Marinkovich

 WHERE was it lost? 

It was a relatively high scoring game for Fever, which indicates that the transitions were too easy.  The speed and composure of Fever’s attack was difficult to combat, and the Magpies were unable to apply enough pressure in midcourt defence. Mel Bragg, Jodi-Ann Ward and Geva Mentor picked up nine gains between them, but with their gain to goal percentage sitting at just 54%, there’s more work to be done in the attack line.  

WHEN was the game won and lost?  

Fever won all 4 quarters, but it was their second quarter which saw them take a strangle hold on the game. The Magpies coughed up eight turnovers, and the Fever outscored them 22-16.   

The Magpies clawed their way back in the fourth quarter, but some costly errors saw the margin shoot out again.  

HOW did she do that?!  

Stacey Francis wowed the crowd with a fall-out at baseline, which not only kept the ball alive, it landed with her team to eventually convert to score.

MVP: Courtney Bruce – West Coast Fever

 

Geva Mentor putting pressure over Jhaniele Fowler’s shot. Image Simon Leonard.

 

Ingrid Colyer was a point of difference when she entered the game. Image Simon Leonard.

 

Some incredible athleticism by Jhaniele Fowler. Image Simon Leonard.

 

Giants Netball 66 defeated Queensland Firebirds 65

By Andrew Kennedy

 

WHO dominated?

Kiera Austin started in goal attack and was moved to the wing in the second quarter. She has tightened up her ball retention, while retaining slick vision and timing. After regrettable performances in rounds 3 and 4 with 13 and 10 losses of possession respectively, she has taken on board coaching and cleaned up, to give away the ball just four times this match. Meanwhile she also earned three gains and one intercept.

Both marquee goal shooters, Caitlin Bassett and Romelda Aiken, provided the undeniable target for their teams. Both of them had six misses, but Aiken had the edge with a better overall percentage, six rebounds, and only one turnover. She also hit 2/2 at the supershot distance. The Jamaican star has now played two excellent matches in a row and is recapturing the form of her heyday. The other difference was that Bassett had to come off the bench in the second quarter, and she did have the typical involvement in two turnovers immediately. It’s a role she has rarely had to play in the past 10 seasons of national league netball.

WHAT worked? 

A disproportionate amount  of the intercepted ball was from the midcourt of both sides, showing that the work done prior to the goal circle was critical. In particular, Parmenter and Price picked their moments to come through and disrupt Queensland. Price’s style is to undermine the balance of her opponent, whereas Parmenter uses her long arms, speed off the mark and timing to snare classy clean intercepts

For the Firebirds, the rookie Gardner played the second half, mostly at wing attack, and gave away no turnovers and no intercepted passes. Retention of possession is not as exciting a strategy as flashy but risky feeds, but it definitely wins championships.

WHAT needs improvement?

An interesting coaching move in the second quarter for Firebirds saw the centre Cassidy moved to the bench, replaced by Dunkley. Despite her solid opening, in this quarter it was actually Mi Mi at wing attack that had four turnovers and threw four intercepted passes, while Cassidy lost the ball zero times. It was a case of the wrong player being replaced. 

The Giants had very limited rebounds. While Aiken missed six shots and got six rebounds, Sam Poolman got only one and Manu’a none. The Sydney team will have to examine strategies to block out the very tall dominant shooters. At the same time, Hinchliffe at goal keeper for Queensland grabbed four rebounds, compared to two from the Giants shooters – the same problem at both ends of the court.

WHERE was it won?

Giants attack was classy and creative, with a polished finish. The experience and cunning of Bassett over Hinchliffe was decisive. The Diamonds captain was found open dozens of times, and fed beautifully by the tall smart Giants midcourt in Austin and Price. Harten was also available at the right times, driving front and sinking the longer shots reliably all night. 

WHERE was it lost? 

Firebirds had trouble with their midcourt consistency, with each of their feeders taking turns to squander possession in different quarters. Key culprit was Mi Mi, with one possession loss in the first quarter but eight in the second. It must be tricky for coach Jencke to play a line when performance changes so much in each quarter.

Captain Gabi Simpson also didn’t disrupt the Giants attack to her usual standard. Playing against Kiera Austin for 45 minutes, Simpson was outgunned for height. Austin also has brilliant fast feet and a much longer reach, shutting the Firebirds’ leader out of the game. Jenner, who had been outstanding at goal defence for several weeks, wasn’t able to get around the body or pick off the powerful flat passes of the Giants this round.

WHEN was the game won and lost?

Little moments are critical in such a tight showdown. Giants were on the happy side of the clock twice – ending the second quarter with 17 seconds left they took a centre pass, and Price delivered an inspirational lob to Bassett right under the post – but she reset to Harten in the supershot zone, hitting two points and drawing the scores 32-all at half time.

Again, with Firebirds down 63-65 and 25 seconds to go, Aiken landed her second 2-pointer. With their tiny window to score, Giants got a penalty on the siren when Hinchliffe contacted Bassett, and there was no mistake, with the Diamonds captain calmly potting the winning goal. 

HOW did she do that?!

Kiera Austin passed from centre third to a lateral lead from Jo Harten, but in a moment of sublime athletic confusion, Jamie-Lee Price ran to the same ball and “intercepted” it off her captain!

And in the end of the second quarter, Mi Mi rebounded a supershot from Dwan on the run and flicked the ball back to Aiken before landing out of court.

MVP Kiera Austin, Giants

 

Kiera Austin had another strong performance, and always looks cool under pressure. Image Simon Leonard.

 

Romelda Aiken is finding the form of yesteryear. Image Simon Leonard.

 

A strong take by Mahalia Cassidy under pressure from Amy Parmenter. Image Simon Leonard.

 

NSW Swifts 61 defeated Sunshine Coast Lightning 54

By Ian Harkin

 

Swifts turned around the seven goal defeat to Lightning in round four with a seven goal win of their own, showing they will well and truly be a force come finals time and are a great chance of going back to back. After an even start, the Swifts machine clicked into gear as the game wore on, so much so that by the end, they were doing it comfortably.

WHO dominated?

Maddy Proud is back! Yes, this was actually her seventh game back from injury, but the Maddy Proud of old is back. Her form earlier in the season had been patchy. Something was missing. You suspect part of that was because coach Briony Akle was just being sensible in easing her back into the game. Well, in this particular game, there was no easing into it. Swifts’ inspirational captain started at centre and was at the heart of everything. She was simply everywhere in attack and more than matched Laura Langman who was her direct opponent for much of the match. And as a true indicator that Proud was back to her usual self, she hit the deck on several occasions. 

WHAT worked?

The Swifts’ rotations. And boy, there were a lot of them! At times it seemed a bit confusing, but Akle’s changes worked. There is great versatility in this Swifts lineup and it must be pleasing for Akle to know that she can mix things up without a fear of things going downhill. In all, 11 Swifts got on court, and only two of them for the full 60 minutes. Maddy Turner, on the comeback from injury, shared the goal defence bib with Lauren Moore and even Sophie Craig for a time. Between them, they gave Sarah Klau the support she needed to have a blinder of a game at the back. 

Likewise there were numerous changes in the midcourt. Paige Hadley, who we’re more used to seeing at centre or wing attack, started the game at wing defence. In attack, Helen Housby started the game in the less familiar role of goal shooter. She was paired with Sophie Garbin and later Sam Wallace. Garbin wasn’t at her best in this game, but it didn’t matter. Wallace came on and played beautifully in the latter stages to see the Swifts home.

WHAT needs improvement? 

Lightning goal attack, Steph Wood is very much a confidence shooter. When she is on, she dominates, but in this match she struggled with 11/19 at 59%. At this stage, Lightning doesn’t seem to have an effective plan B, for instances like this. Cara Koenen is a fine goal shooter, and the team loses something if she has to move out to goal attack, which is certainly her secondary position. Lightning’s cause wasn’t helped in this game as young shooter Binnian Hunt was injured in the pre-game warm up. Coach Kylee Byrne will be hoping that Wood can regain her shooting confidence for the matches ahead, as she is a very important part of their lineup.       

WHERE was it won?

The Swifts all court defence slowly but surely got on top the further that this game went on. The match started with both sides scoring freely in a high quality contest. Some of the passages of play were breathtaking. Lightning scored 32 goals up to half time, 16 in both the first and second quarters. So it’s a sign of just how much the Swifts slowed things down and tightened up their defence in the second half, that Lightning were only able to score 11 goals in both the third and fourth quarters. In one particularly frantic passage of play, every single Lightning pass was made under enormous pressure of an intercept or held ball call, until the inevitable error came, snapped up by Sarah Klau. Klau had a commanding game at goal keeper, and was surely edged out only by her captain Proud as best on court.   

WHERE was it lost?

For Lightning, this game was a case of missed opportunities in attack. Not just in the second half, but in fact throughout the sixty minutes. Statistically speaking, this was definitely a game of two distinct halves. Lightning dominated the first half, Swifts the second. But that’s not reflected on the scoreboard. Lightning simply didn’t get the reward for all their defensive efforts in the first half.

During the second quarter in particular, the Sunshine Coast frittered away numerous chances, converting just one of six turnovers. Phumza Maweni, Karla Pretorius, Maddy McAuliffe and Laura Langman combined for an incredible twelve possession gains in the first half, compared to just three from the Swifts. Yet somehow, they led by just three at the main break. With that amount of ball, they didn’t capitalise nearly enough and allowed Swifts to stay in the contest. By contrast, when the tide of possession turned in the second half, Swifts made it count.     

WHEN was the game won and lost? 

Swifts took control of the match in the last quarter. In reality however, they were simply carrying on from where they left off in the third quarter. Early in the third period, Lightning held a relatively comfortable 36-31 lead. They also had the next possession, and were looking to stretch the lead further. Enter Sarah Klau who came flying out of the circle for a spectacular intercept. This piece of play seemed to lift the Swifts team, who then blitzed the next five minutes with seven of the next eight goals scored. From being five down, Swifts gained the lead and gained great confidence, which they then took into the last quarter. They never looked back from there. 

HOW did she do that?!

In this game, Laura Langman displayed some of the skills that we’re unfortunately no longer going to see at international level. In the first quarter, from well outside the circle, she fired a brilliant pinpoint pass which managed to fly perfectly between and over the two Swifts defenders and leave them grasping at thin air as it ended up safely in the hands of Cara Koenen under the ring. It was a joy to watch. 

MVP: Maddy Proud

 

Lenize Potgeiter had a torrid evening against Em Mannix. Image Marcela Massey

 

Melbourne Vixens 50 defeat Adelaide Thunderbirds 43

Cara Gledhill

 

WHO dominated?

Both defensive ends had exceptional games. In the first half, the back three for the Thunderbirds blocked out the Vixens usual attacking structure well. This forced the usually disciplined Vixens attack into disarray. Shamera Sterling recorded an impressive nine gains for the game and she and Layla Guscoth made life extremely difficult for Tegan Philip, Caitlin Thwaites and then Mwai Kumwenda. 

Shadine Van Der Merwe and Maisie Nankivell were both strong for the Thunderbirds in the first half and restricted one of the best midcourts in the competition in Liz Watson and Kate Moloney respectively. Their strength was not just in defensive gains, but also in the reading and following of leads, which denied the Vixens the easy and accurate feed in. 

Emily Mannix and Jo Weston sprinted out of the blocks in the final term, denying the Thunderbirds easy access to the circle or to the much needed supershots in the final five minutes. The defensive pressure lifted across the court for the Vixens with six gains in the final quarter, including a crucial one from Kate Moloney. Mannix finished the game on 12 gains including three in the final quarter when the Vixens were absolutely dominant. 

WHAT worked?

At the end of the third quarter, a positively shaky looking Vixens side returned to the court with a renewed resolve. The Thunderbirds lost the ball twice in the first few minutes as the Vixens clouded the box at the top of the circle, no longer allowing the Thunderbirds an easy feed in. 

This was an exceptionally defensive game throughout and both defence ends had done work on the other side’s attacking combination. The Thunderbirds defence end stifled the Vixens in the goal circle. Tegan Philip shot at below 50% in the first quarter and the Vixens were forced into plenty of uncharacteristic turnover ball. 

WHAT needs improvement? 

The Thunderbirds will rue their inability to close out this game, simply making it too difficult a margin for themselves in the final quarter. Their ability to run out games will be crucial if they want to get to finals. 

The Vixens had an unconvincing first half, struggling to adapt to the stifling defence of the Thunderbirds. While they came out of the halftime break a different team, they will be looking to put in the hours on four quarter performances leading into finals. 

WHERE was it won

The game was drawn at three quarter time, but the Vixens came out and scored the first seven goals of the final quarter. Mannix and defensive partner Jo Weston were crucial for the Vixens, gaining confidence and putting the fright into the usually composed shooting duo of Lenize Potgieter and Georgie Horjus.

It was also a masterstroke to send Caitlin Thwaites to goal attack in the second quarter. Tegan Phillip is a barometer for the Vixens’ success, and when she struggles, so do they. Thwaites played a super-smart game, driving up the centre in attack, and was her team’s leading and most accurate goal scorer despite being at goal attack. Thwaites has been able to completely reinvent her game from that of traditional goal shooter, and this was perhaps her best game of the season. 

WHERE was it lost?

The Thunderbirds turned over the ball eight times in the final quarter and this will be a main focus for them going into the next few weeks. The Vixens were simply too composed when it counted and showed experience to push out the lead in the early moments of the final quarter.

WHEN was the game won and lost?

From the start of the last quarter, it was clear that the Thunderbirds were losing pace. While they almost drew back even a couple of times, they couldn’t push on to the end. The Vixens are a vastly more experienced lineup, boasting a lineup of mostly Diamonds squad members and the final score flattered them in what was a mostly close game.. The Thunderbirds will be a force to be reckoned with when they learn to close these matches out. 

HOW did she do that?!

Shamera Sterling was knocking off shot blocks like they were nothing throughout the game. Tegan Philip was noticeably inaccurate in the early part of the game and struggled throughout with the amount of attention from the Thunderbirds defence. 

Emily Mannix was an unstoppable force for the Vixens, particularly in the final half. Many defenders will be watching this game to see how she got the edge over Potgieter, who is usually so accurate. 

MVP: Emily Mannix

 

You put your left foot in, you put your left foot out….Image Marcela Massey

 

WHAT’S NEXT 

Round 8

Vixens vs Swifts  Saturday 29 August  1pm  Nissan Arena  Channel 9 / Netball Live

Magpies vs Giants  Saturday 29 August 3pm  Nissan Arena Channel 9 / Netball Live 

Firebirds vs Thunderbirds Sunday 30 August 1pm Nissan Arena Channel 9 / Netball Live

Fever vs Lightning  Sunday 30 August 3.30pm  Nissan Arena Telstra TV / Netball Live 

 

NETBALL SCOOP PODCAST

Please tune into the Netball Scoop Podcast on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball Season. Co-hosts Alexia Mitchell and Phoebe Doyle cover the latest Suncorp Super Netball news, including post-match discussions and analysis, coach and player interviews, and have a special focus on the rookies of the competition. Just like the netball, the episodes are short and sharp – perfect for listeners on the go!

 

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