It may not have been pretty but it was certainly exciting as the NSW Swifts rounded out their 2025 Suncorp Super Netball regular-season campaign with a 79-75 extra-time win over the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane.
Already locked-in to contest next weekend’s Major Semi Final against the West Coast Fever in Perth, the winner of which advances straight to the Grand Final while the loser hosts the Preliminary Final in two weeks’ time, this was an important win for Briony Akle’s troops even if it had no material impact on the final standings.
Despite having their Minor Premiership hopes dashed by the Sunshine Coast Lightning in the final play last week, today it was the Swifts who showed they’d learnt from that experience to close out at thrilling contest.
Missing their midcourt driving force Paige Hadley (lower-leg complaint) as well as Teigan O’Shannassy, who has been ruled out of the Finals Series with a back injury, the Swifts overcame a feisty Firebirds side looking to avoid a 12th consecutive loss.
The teams may be sitting on opposite ends of the ladder but the Queenslanders demonstrated that last week’s clash with the Vixens in Melbourne - where they pushed another Finals-bound team to the brink – was no fluke.
On Sunday they overcame a poor first quarter which the Swifts won 22-17, to win the next three and force the seven-time Premiers into extra time, but then experience won out.
It wasn’t that the Swifts side didn’t have chances to break free. The defensive end of Maddy Turner and Sarah Klau delivered big time but getting the ball through the midcourt proved difficult and that failure to be ruthless with turnover possession kept the Firebirds in the game.
That, and the fact that the Swifts shot better when it counted most.
Grace Nweke was reliable as ever under the post and despite some missed attempts her haul of 59 goals kept the Sydney-siders ticking along all afternoon, especially when her feeders were forced to go long.
Helen Housby also landed six Super Shots at key moments to keep the Swifts in control when it looked like they had lost shape and composure.
For the Firebirds, Mary Cholhok looked better in her connection with the Queensland shooters but her tally of 47 goals meant a lot of the pressure fell on the shoulders of Emily Moore, and while she scored six two-pointers, her and Cholhok were off target too often from range.
Relief and a reset with the playoffs looming was the mood in the Swifts camp post-game.
“I feel like that’s a fitting end to the Round stages of Super Netball,” Akle said afterwards.
“It was a real grind and exhausting from a coaching point of view but I’m glad we held our heads in the end and took those opportunities when they came.”
Asked if it was good preparation for Finals, Akle said you couldn’t replicate that kind of pressure in training.
“You train for these moments but you don’t necessarily get them in real time and at training we’ve certainly been very conscious of these tight games and pushing through them.
“So leading into next week it’s imperative that we’ve experienced it now and actually learnt from the moments even within extra time.”
Netball Australia will announce full details of next Sunday's playoff games once Round 14 is completed.
