NSW Swifts - 2015 Season

The Club’s list of achievements this season are long and varied; from moving into its new home at Netball Central, enjoying yet again record Membership (sold out at 2,200 Members) and crowd numbers, increased corporate support, and of course reaching the ANZ Championship Grand Final for the first time since the Swifts won the inaugural 2008 Premiership.

In a Club first, the Swifts sold out Memberships with 2,200 fans signing up to cheer from the RED ZONE in 2015; an increase of 30% on the previous record.  The milestones didn’t stop there, with the Swifts also setting a new ANZ Championship regular season crowd best of 10,370 at its Allphones Arena BLOCKBUSTER – eclipsing the League record the Club set the year earlier.

The Swifts assembled a formidable roster for the 2015 season, which included seven players with International experience; however it took a number of rounds – and three draws – for the playing group to find their optimum rhythm.

Under the direction of Head Coach Rob Wright, the team finished the regular season undefeated in their final seven matches, playing an exciting and stylish brand of netball which attracted many new fans.  Undeterred by playing five of their last six games of the season away from the home, the Swifts booked their place in the 2015 ANZ Championship Grand Final after a stunning Semi Final victory over the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in Hamilton, NZ.

In what some journalists have called “the best sporting grand final they have ever witnessed”, the Swifts came within 30 seconds of the Premiership, with the Queensland Firebirds claiming a come from behind win, 57-56, at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

The roster’s outstanding performances throughout the season and the manner in which the team played were acknowledged with higher honours; defender Sharni Layton was named 2015 ANZ Championship Finals Series MVP, four Swifts were named in the FOXTEL All-Star team, an incredible five athletes will represent Australia at the Netball World Cup SYDNEY 2015 during August, with Taylah Davies also named in the Australian 21/U squad.

The league was split into separate conferences for the first time in season 2015, with the top three in each going on to contest the Conference Finals.

Second and third place in each conference played-off in their respective Conference Elimination Final, with the winner of each advancing to the Australian Conference Final and New Zealand Conference Final, hosted by the first-placed team in each conference. From there, the winner of each Conference Final hosted the loser of the opposite Conference Final in the sudden-death Semi Finals; the winner advancing to the Grand Final, and the loser’s season over.

Final Placings:
Winner: QLD Firebirds (also Australian Conference Champions)
Grand Finalists: NSW Swifts
Semi Finalists: Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic (New Zealand Conference Champion), Northern Mystics
Australian Conference Elimination Finalists: West Coast Fever
New Zealand Conference Elimination Finalists: Southern Steel

Australian Conference placings at the end of the regular season:
1. QLD Firebirds
2. NSW Swifts
3. West Coast Fever
4. Melbourne Vixens
5. Adelaide Thunderbirds

New Zealand Conference placings at the end of the regular season:
1. Northern Mystics
2. Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
3. Southern Steel
4. Central Pulse
5. Mainland Tactix

2015 NSW Swifts:
Kimberlee Green (Captain), Sharni Layton (co-Vice Captain), Abbey McCulloch (co-Vice Captain), Jade Clarke, Julie Corletto, Taylah Davies, Paige Hadley, Erin Hoare, Susan Pettitt, Caitlin Thwaites, Micaela Wilson, Stephanie Wood

Head Coach: Rob Wright
Assistant Coach: Megan Anderson
NSWIS Head Coach/NSW Swifts Assistant Coach: Anita Keelan
Apprentice Coach: Amber Cross

2015 Results