The NSW Swifts may be the most successful side in National League history since it started in 1997, but they are yet to taste victory over the Collingwood Magpies in Melbourne.
While the Pies only joined the competition when Suncorp Super Netball replaced the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship in 2017, they remain the only side the Swifts are yet to defeat on the road.
The seven-time Premiers did beat Collingwood in an away tie in 2020, however, that game took place in the Brisbane-based COVID-hub after all SSN sides had relocated to Queensland.
Incidentally, the Swifts lead the head-to-head between the teams with six wins, five losses and one draw.
The teams open the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball season on Saturday when they meet at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena (5pm AET). The game will also double as the Swifts' 400th competitive outing since their formation in 1997.
“We love the challenge and it’s just another hurdle for us to overcome,” Swifts head coach Briony Akle said this week.
“There was a time when the Swifts went for a decade without winning in Brisbane but over the last few years it has become the scene of our greatest achievements.
“It’s true that we are yet to beat Collingwood in Melbourne, but the dimensions of a court don’t change and that’s where our focus will be.”
The Swifts and Magpies have met twice in pre-season with the sides playing out a thrilling draw at the Team Girls Cup on the Gold Coast and NSW recording a good win in Sydney on March 5.
But Akle isn’t looking into those results too much.
“That was pre-season and there are so many variables that you can’t get an accurate overview of how things will play out,” she said.
“The Pies had a lot of injuries in those games and we’re under no illusions of the defensive and attacking threats they pose.
“Sophie Garbin was at the Swifts for a long time and won two titles with us, so she knows what makes our defenders tick.
“That said, our team love a game of chess and we can’t wait to play against her. I’m sure there will be plenty of banter on the court, even though they’ll hug after.”
With Sam Wallace still rehabbing an ACL injury, Romelda Aiken-George is set to make her competitive Swifts debut in the Victorian capital, with Paige Hadley set to take over the former Firebird’s mantle of being the longest-serving one-Club player currently playing the league.
Akle is overjoyed to have two such stalwarts of the game at her disposal.
“Paige is already a double Champion, Centurion and legend of the Swifts, but she is always looking for the best way to improve us as a group,” she said.
“That kind of mentality has been key to her longevity at this level, and I know she still has so much more she wants to achieve both with the Swifts and Australia.
“When I heard that Paige was going to take over as the longest-serving one-Club player currently in the league I thought how good it is for our group (especially the younger ones) to have two such esteemed players in the setup
“Romelda has been champion of the game for 15 years and been a really brilliant addition to our setup. She knows what it takes to win titles and what a great story it is for her to play for two Foundation Clubs of our National League.”
MATCH DETAILS
- What: Suncorp Super Netball 2023 - Round 1
- Who: Collingwood Magpies v NSW Swifts
- Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne
- When: 5pm AEDT, Saturday 18 March
- Broadcast: Foxtel (via Fox Sports) & LIVE & FREE via Kayo Freebies (Register for Kayo Freebies)
- Get 2023 Swifts Tickets: HERE
MATCH STATS
- When the teams last met in Round 12 last season the Magpies defeated the Swifts 66-58 in Melbourne.
- The Swifts lead head to head with six wins, five losses and a draw.
- The Magpies have won two of the past three meetings between the teams. The past four meetings between the teams the result has alternated which started with the Swifts winning in Round 5, 2021.
- The Magpies and Swifts have met three previous times in Melbourne with the Swifts yet to defeat the Magpies in Melbourne.
- The average winning margin across the 12 previous meetings is 8 goals, 10.5 goals for the Swifts and 7.2 goals for the Magpies.
- The Magpies played Super Netball Finals Netball for just the third time in 2022. The Magpies have lost all three previous Minor Semi Finals in 2017, 2019 and 2022.
- The Swifts didn’t play finals Netball in 2022, the third time they haven’t contested the major round in six seasons of Super Netball. The Swifts' three finals appearance in 2019 (1st), 2020 (4th) & and 2021 (1st) they have won two Super Netball titles and finished fourth.
- Romelda Aiken-George joins the Swifts as a Training Partner in 2023 as Sam Wallace returns from her ACL injury last year. This will be Aiken-George’s 15th National League season after playing for the Firebirds between 2008 and 2021.
- Romelda Aiken-George currently on holds the record for the most seasons played as a one club player (current SSN players) with 14 seasons for the Firebirds (2008 and 2021). Once Aiken-George takes the court for the Swifts in 2023, Paige Hadley in her 12th season for the Swifts in 2023 will be the longest serving current one club player in Super Netball.
- Romelda Aiken-George has played 197 National League matches since 2008 and is just three games away from the 200-game milestone.
