The NSW Swifts are up to second place on the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball ladder after a pulsating 65-64 win over the West Coast Fever in Perth tonight.
Registering their fifth win on the trot, the seven-time Australian netball Premiers went toe-to-toe with the reigning champions and just came out the better after an epic 60 minutes.
Double Swifts Premiership winner Helen Housby put in an exceptional performance as NSW cemented their place in the top four ahead of a Round 10 clash with the Collingwood Magpies at Ken Rosewall Arena next Sunday.
The England international landed 10 Super Shots and 17 under the post, complimenting the 28 goals of Romelda Aiken-George, to help the Swifts win in Western Australia for the first time since 2019.
A tip from Maddy Turner in the final minute proved to be the vital turnover, and with less than 10 seconds to play Maddy Proud found Aiken-George under the post to seal the game.
Due to COVID-19, the Fever were without dynamic midcourter Jess Anstiss and Super Shot guru Sasha Glasgow, however, in Jhaniele Fowler they still had the League MVP in their ranks.
The Swifts had Allie Smith ruled out earlier in the week and it opened a door for NSW junior, and Tonga International, Kelea Iongi to make her elite debut and the youngster didn’t miss a beat in defence.
The Swifts, who led by two at the break, recovered from five goals down midway through the last quarter to storm home in the last five minutes for a sixth win in nine outings.
As you would expect between two of the top teams in the competition, the quarters were shared. NSW took out the first before the Fever edged the middle two, with the visitors landing the killer blows in the last.
“God it’s hard to win here… I had to make a million changes to win,” Swifts head coach Briony Akle said after.
“We’ll celebrate this win but we know how hard this competition is and next week against the Magpies will require full focus… we have struggled against them and they’ll be desperate for a win”.
With many world-class defenders in both teams, it was surprising that there were only three intercepts combined by the likes of Sarah Klau, Courtney Bruce and Kim Jenner, however, all of them added plenty to a game that was dominated by the attackers.
Deflections by the likes of Klau and Teigan O’Shannassy provided vital turnovers for the Swifts who remain four points behind ladder leaders the Adelaide Thunderbirds, who overcame the Queensland Firebirds in the day’s earlier game.
Quarter by Quarter Scores
Q1: Swifts 19 Fever 16
Q2: Swifts 32 Fever 30 (13-14)
Q3: Swifts 48 Fever 49 (16-19)
Q4: Swifts 65 Fever 64 (17-15)
Swifts Stating 7: GS Romelda Aiken-George, GA Helen Housby, WA Paige Hadley, C Maddy Proud, WD Maddy Turner, GD Sarah Klau, GK Teigan O’Shannassy. Reserves: Tayla Fraser, Sophie Fawns, Kelea Iongi.
Full Match Stats: View HERE
