2017 marked a new chapter in Australian netball history with the introduction of Suncorp Super Netball – a new, Australian-only elite competition which featured some of the world’s best athletes.
It also coincided with the next generation of NSW Swifts, with the 2017 playing roster boasting some of international netball’s most promising players. Led by Captain Abbey McCulloch and Vice Captain Paige Hadley, the combined average age of the Swifts playing group was just 23 years old; a far cry from some of the more experienced rosters they would be facing in the competition’s first year.
Many netball pundits wrote off the young Swifts before the season began, having lost more than 300 caps to other teams in the off-season. But nobody told the Swifts how the story was supposed to play out, with the talented group pushing some of the best teams in the competition.
In the end the Swifts finished the season in sixth place with three wins and a hard-fought draw against eventual Minor Premiers, the Melbourne Vixens. Amongst their 10 losses, five were decided by five goals or less, proving just how close the Swifts came to adding to their winning total…and how exciting the future looks with this talented young group.
The Club welcomed nine new players to the Swifts Family – internationals Sam Wallace (46) and Helen Housby (27), underage Australian representatives Maddy Proud (48) and Claire O’Brien (50), defenders Sarah Klau (49) and Emma Tickner (54), as well as training partners Sophie Halpin (52) and Mikaela Vaughan (53), and temporary replacement player Emily Keenan (51). Halpin, Keenan, O’Brien, Tickner and Vaughan appearances all coincided with their elite netball debuts.
2017 NSW Swifts:
Abbey McCulloch (Captain), Paige Hadley (Vice-Captain), Helen Housby, Sarah Klau, Claire O’Brien, Maddy Proud, Amy Sommerville, Emma Tickner, Maddy Turner, Sam Wallace.
Training Partners: Rudi Ellis, Sophie Halpin, Lauren Moore, Mikaela Vaughan.
Head Coach: Rob Wright Assistant Coaches: Megan Anderson & Anita Keelan Team Manager: Nikki Welsford
Physiotherapist: Paula Peralta Strength & Conditioning: Jason Howell & Lukas Cannan Performance Analyst: Bjorn Maddern
2017 NSW Swifts Award Winners
QBE Most Valued Player: Maddy Proud
Coaches Award: Maddy Turner
Members’ Player of the Year: Maddy Proud
Players’ Player of the Year: Claire O’Brien
Club Person of the Year: Lukas Cannan
2017 MATCH RESULTS
| RD |
DATE |
HOME/AWAY |
MATCH |
W-L-D |
| 1 |
Sat 18 Feb |
Away |
NSW Swifts 53 d by GIANTS Netball 58 |
0-1-0 |
| 2 |
Sat 25 Feb |
Home |
NSW Swifts 54 d Adel Thunderbirds 44 |
1-1-0 |
| 3 |
Sat 4 Mar |
Away |
NSW Swifts 59 drew Melbourne Vixens 59 |
1-1-1 |
| 4 |
Fri 10 Mar |
Away |
NSW Swifts 53 d by QLD Firebirds 62 |
1-2-1 |
| 5 |
Fri 17 Mar |
Away |
NSW Swifts 45 d by West Coast Fever 50 |
1-3-1 |
| 6 |
Sun 26 Mar |
Home |
NSW Swifts 54 d by Collingwood Magpies Netball 55 |
1-4-1 |
| 7 |
Sat 1 Apr |
Home |
NSW Swifts 56 d by GIANTS Netball 59 |
1-5-1 |
| 8 |
Sun 9 Apr |
Home |
NSW Swifts 50 d by Sunshine Coast Lightning 55 |
1-6-1 |
|
EASTER BYE WEEKEND
|
| 9 |
Sun 23 Apr |
Home |
NSW Swifts 54 d by Melb Vixens 62 |
1-7-1 |
| 10 |
Sat 29 Apr |
Away |
NSW Swifts 51 d Adelaide Thunderbirds 48 |
2-7-1 |
| 11 |
Fri 5 May |
Home |
NSW Swifts 50 d West Coast Fever 48 |
3-7-1 |
| 12 |
Sat 13 May |
Away |
NSW Swifts 50 d by Collingwood Magpies Netball 62 |
3-8-1 |
| 13 |
Sat 20 May |
Away |
NSW Swifts 49 d by Sunshine Coast Lightning 63 |
3-9-1 |
| 14 |
Sat 27 May |
Home |
NSW Swifts 48 d by QLD Firebirds 67 |
3-10-1 |
|
|
2017 Suncorp Super Netball Final Placings:
Champions: Sunshine Coast Lightning
Runners-Up: GIANTS Netball
3. Melbourne Vixens
4. Collingwood Magpies Netball Team
5. QLD Firebirds
6. NSW Swifts
7. West Coast Fever
8. Adelaide Thunderbirds
