A horror middle section of the Grand Final rematch did for the NSW Swifts who fell 58-33 to the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the teams’ Suncorp Super Netball Round 7 clash tonight.
Despite leading at the first break, the Swifts had no answer for the reigning premiers who dominated NSW in the second and third quarters at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
The game was finely poised in midway through a low-scoring second quarter but from there it was all Adelaide who recorded their fourth consecutive win over the Swifts and evened the win-loss ledger in the Clubs’ 28-year rivalry.
It was a third-quarter nine-goal streak from the hosts which did detrimental damage to the Swifts’ hopes of gaining revenge over the side that pipped them to Premiership glory in last year’s extra-time Grand Final thriller.
For Briony Akle, who has led the Swifts to three Grand Finals and two Premiership wins, it was a hard way to bring up her 100th game in charge of the seven-time Premiers. The Swifts will now have to reflect and regroup ahead of next weekend’s clash with the Mavericks in Melbourne.
Former Swift Romelda Aiken-George, who played for the NSW in the 2023 decider, was on hand to punish her former side but it was her Jamaican compatriots in the Adelaide defence who were key to South Australian victory.
Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and Latanya Wilson were at their imperious best and took advantage of every loose pass as the Swifts chased the game.
For NSW it was a hugely disappointing performance after last week’s dominant Derby win over the Giants and it leaves the them with three wins and four losses from the first half of the regular season.
The Thunderbirds had 26 gains to the Swifts’ 13 and 10 intercepts to the Swifts’ eight but it was the South Australians' ability to convert which ultimately proved the difference.
Swifts co-captain Paige Hadley, leading solo in the absence of fellow co-captain Maddy Proud, described the game as one of two halves but it with only 20 goals to her side’s name after the first quarter NSW were fighting an uphill battle.
The Swifts were competitive in defence but failing to effectively secure rebound possession was what killed them all evening. They conceded 11 turnovers from missed goals while the Thunderbirds only coughed up one.
“I think in the second half the Thunderbirds came out with a next-level intensity and we didn’t match it,” Akle said post-game.
“I thought they were magnificent in the second half and credit to them.”
Out of character for the team, the Swifts only had 36% conversion on their centre passes and Akle said it would be a huge focus in the week ahead.
“I don’t think we’ve ever sat at that mark before and that is not the Swifts way.
“None of us wants to see that. That will be a big area of focus as we look ahead to next week.”
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