By Charlie Brennan
The NSW Swifts reinforced their commitment to playing for the full 60 minutes against the Mavericks and will look to do the same on the Sunshine Coast this Saturday.
Briony Akle’s team delivered a composed and resilient showing in Round 2 at Qudos Bank Arena. Despite losing the first quarter by six goals, the Swifts came back with a much better second half to beat the Melbourne side 70-69.
Akle praised the team’s ability to stay locked in as momentum changed throughout the match.
“We are good in those moments when we come back," she said. "I am very proud of them, especially in the last minute.
"I feel that was our downfall in the Preliminary final last year, so to be able to stay composed and play those last 40 seconds out was really good.”
Facing an opposition applying consistent pressure, the Swifts shifted, reset and found composure where it mattered most.
“We trained so hard,” said Teigan O’Shannassy. “We all really reflected on our performance against Adeliade and wanted to come out with intention and hunger. I think that really helped, there are still learnings in this game as well, but we were connected, and that is exactly what we wanted to do.”
A defining feature of the performance was the Swifts’ ability to finish strongly. In a match where every possession carried weight, their execution in the closing stages proved critical, which shone the spotlight on Helen Housby.
“Helen steps up in those moments of that kind of pressure," O'Shannassy added.
"She is a player you tend to look to as well. This week we were all backing each other up and supporting each other, which means individually, we could step up and show our strengths as well.”
Akle also pointed to the team’s growing cohesion, with combinations continuing to build and players stepping into their roles with confidence.
“There is a beauty, for example, in having a 10 that you can pull on and off at different times and still win with those changes.
“There is also more than just turning up on game day, and there is a whole week leading into what those combinations look like, and what players will offer in those moments.
“The longer games are going on now in this Suncorp Super Season, fresh legs are what is needed sometimes.”
As the season builds, the Swifts’ focus remains on honing their strengths and nailing the ordinary over and over again.
The Swifts face the Sunshine Coast Lightning in Round 3 this Saturday 28 March at UniSC Arena.
MATCH NOTES
- When the teams last met in Round 13 last season the Lightning defeated the Swifts 71-70 in Sydney.
- The Lightning lead head to head with 12 wins to the Swifts' eight.
- The Lightning and Swifts have met on the Sunshine Coast on 10 previous occasions with the Lightning winning seven and the Swifts three. The Lightning won the first six (2017-2021) and the Swifts have won three of the past four since 2022.
- Fourteen of the 19 previous meetings have been decided by seven goals or less with three of those by one goal.
- The Lightning are coming off a 63-62 victory over the Firebirds in round two for a record of one win and one loss and fourth place on the ladder.
- The Swifts are coming off a 70-69 win over the Mavericks in Sydney in round two for a record of one win and a loss to sit in sixth place on the ladder.
- The Lightning and Swifts won their respective round two matches by one goal.
- The Lightning has played 21 Super Netball matches decided by one goal and they have won 12 and lost nine while the Swifts have played 20 matches decided by one goal for a record of 14 wins and six losses.
