A dominant first half by the NSW Swifts has secured them their first win of the 2024 Suncorp Super Netball season at a jam-packed Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney.
Ahead of the Round 2 clash the Swifts were looking to bounce back after going down to the Lightning in Queensland and a superb first 30 minutes put them in full control against a physical Mavericks side who held their own in the second half.
It was a first competitive meeting between the foundation club and the national league newcomers and while the Mavericks showed patches of excellence, the margin between the teams at halftime was too much to pull back.
In the end it was the Swifts who solidified their first win of the season by 11 goals, winning 67-56.
Swifts co-captain Paige Hadley was named MVP and she was at her optimum when displaying patience on centre passes despite heavy attention from the opposition.
Both sides came out firing at the start but the Swifts’ defence, namely Sarah Klau, was clean and clinical and picked up bonus ball almost immediately. The intensity was palpable with the match-up between Klau and Eleanor Cardwell particularly feisty.
The Swifts quickly got out to an early lead, but after a tactical timeout from the Mavericks, the visitors started to put their foot down and put pressure on the hosts. However the Swifts stayed calm and focused, and continued powering on.
During the first Power Five it was the Swifts who went for Super Shots and thanks to Helen Housby they were able to take control and win the quarter 20-12.
The Mavericks made a few positional changes to start the second, particularly in the attack end to try and combat the dominance of Klau and Maddy Turner. Meanwhile, the home attack line exuded pure confidence, especially when feeding into Sam Wallace-Joseph in the goal circle.
Kim Jenner started to gain some much-needed ball for the Mavericks, but the Swifts were still able to continue slotting in goals and extended their lead.
The injection of Sophie Fawns just shy of the Power Five in quarter two changed the Swifts’ shooting end into a moving circle which seemed to cause more confusion for the Mavericks’ defenders.
The visitors were able to sink some Super Shots of their own, however the Swifts maintained dominance in terms of the two-pointers and the seven-time Premiers went to the break with a hefty 14-goal lead (37-23).
The Mavericks were much improved in the second half but they couldn’t make any really meaningful inroads into the deficit. The Melbourne side were forced to go for Super Shots during the third Power Five and thanks to Cardwell and Gabby Sinclair they were able to slightly reduce the margin.
As the game went on it continued to be scrappy as the Swifts kept their opponents at arm’s length.
The Mavericks actually won the second half by three goals but the damage was long done. The Swifts just had to stay composed and they did just that.
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