The 2016 ANZ Championship season was one that will live long in the memory of every NSW Swifts fan. From a competition-record 13,314 fans packing out Qudos Bank Arena in Round 9 to making a second consecutive Grand Final, it was a season to remember.

The Swifts again celebrated sold-out Memberships as netball lit up the Australian sporting world and social media was abuzz with all things netty.

Under the wise leadership of Head Coach Rob Wright, the Swifts had an impressive regular season campaign to finish with 10 wins from 13 appearances; including a heart-stopping 59-59 draw in the final round against Southern Steel. Having finished the regular season second on the Australian Conference table, the Swifts welcomed the Melbourne Vixens to Sydney for the Australian Conference Elimination Final. It was a wonderful performance by the home side, which saw them progress to the Aussie Conference Final with a 67-53 win.

It setup another match-up with the Firebirds. Having beaten the 2015 champions in the Round 9 BLOCKBUSTER, the Swifts travelled to Brisbane with confidence but came across a Queensland outfit that was in top form, with the Swifts falling to a 63-52 loss to secure a trip across the Tasman to meet New Zealand Conference Champions Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic for the Semi Final.

However, the Swifts hit the ground running in Hamilton and put in a virtuoso performance to play their hosts off the court to reach another Grand Final with a 64-45 away win. They would meet the Firebirds (for the fourth time in 2016) after Queenslanders survived an epic Semi Final clash with the Steel.

It was a fitting finale to the ANZ Championship after nine wonderful seasons. The decider went to double-extra time, after the Swifts fought back time and again to even the scoreboard. After 76 minutes of intense netball, our Swifts were unlucky to fall on the wrong side of the scoreboard. However they could be proud with their efforts – knowing they had left everything out on the court.

The NSW Swifts’ 2016 season was also one to celebrate incredible people, heroic moments and history-making feats.

The Club welcomed five new players to the Swifts Family, including four athletes who made their ANZ Championship debuts – Kaitlyn Bryce, Lauren Moore, Amy Sommerville and Maddy Turner; with Turner being the first rookie to appear in the starting line-up in every 2016 Swifts match.

Along with debuting Swifts the Club welcomed Silver Ferns international Laura Langman, who won the Swifts’ Player of the Year Award, and also celebrated some other individual achievements; Susan Pettitt passed the 3,000 ANZ Championship goals mark in Round 12 v Adelaide Thunderbirds; Caitlin Thwaites recorded a Club high individual tally of goals (50) against the Central Pulse; Stephanie Wood inspired fans at Qudos Bank Arena with her performance in Round 9; Paige Hadley and Abbey McCulloch made their 50th ANZ Championship appearances together v Northern Mystics; Sharni Layton made her 100th ANZ Championship appearance in the Semi Final v Magic, all of which happened under the passionate leadership of captain Kim Green, on and off the floorboards.

It was a season where, once again, the Swifts went… Beyond Expectation.

Final Placings:

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

Australian Conference placings at the end of the regular season:

1. QLD Firebirds
2. NSW Swifts
3. Melbourne Vixens
4. West Coast Fever
5. Adelaide Thunderbirds

New Zealand Conference placings at the end of the regular season:

1. Southern Steel
2. Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic
3. Northern Mystics
4. Mainland Tactix
5. Central Pulse

2016 NSW Swifts:

Kimberlee Green (Captain), Laura Langman (Vice Captain), Kaitlyn Bryce, Paige Hadley, Sharni Layton, Abbey McCulloch, Lauren Moore, Susan Pettitt, Amy Sommerville, Caitlin Thwaites, Maddy Turner, Stephanie Wood.

Head Coach: Rob Wright
Assistant Coach: Megan Anderson
Assistant Coach: Anita Keelan

2016 MATCH RESULTS

2016 ANZ Championship Finals Series
Sunday 10 July: Australian Conference Elimination Final:  Swifts 67 – Vixens 53 (home)
Monday 18 July: Australian Conference Final: Swifts 52 – Firebirds 63 (away)
Monday 25 July: ANZ Championship Semi Final: Swifts 64 – Magic 45 (away)
Sunday 31 July: ANZ Championship Grand Final: NSW Swifts 67 – Queensland Firebirds 69 (away)