A rampaging final quarter saw the NSW Swifts claim their first win of the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball season at a vocal Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney today.
The Round 3 clash against the Queensland Firebirds had everything you’d expect when these two old rivals meet and it took a sterling effort from the seven-time Premiers to see off the visitors 74-71.
Romelda Aiken-George celebrated her 200th National League game with a win over the team she won three Premierships with, overcoming a shaky first half to demonstrate she remains one of the netball’s best attackers in the second.
For the Swifts it was a brilliant response after the disruption that was Adelaide last week when their Round 2 clash with the Thunderbirds was declared a 25-all draw due to delays caused by court issues and electrical failure.
Head coach Briony Akle said this week she wouldn’t let the noise from Round 2 control the narrative of the past seven days, and she was lucky she did because the Firebirds came to play.
The Queenslanders may remain winless after three Rounds, but they showed plenty of fight to cause Swifts supporters reason to be nervous for the majority of the game.
Donnell Wallam was outstanding in the opening three quarters and it took a champion effort from Sarah Klau, Teigan O’Shannassy and Maddy Turner in the final 15 minutes to turn the tide in the home side’s favour.
Attack trumped defence in the opening 10 minutes with the only turnover possessions coming after the Swifts won a scrap for a loose ball in the middle third and when an Aiken-George layup attempt rattled the rim instead of going in.
Entering the first Power five the Swifts led 16-15 with Wallam moving well for her feeders in the circle and taking the Swifts defence with her.
A Helen Housby Super Shot put the Swifts two goals up just minutes from the first break but when NSW co-captain Maddy Proud was called for an offensive contact the Firebirds converted their chance to lock the scores at 20-all.
The frantic pace of the contest continued in the second quarter with little to separate the sides, however, the visitors started to edge the game in their favour by showing more composure on turnover possession.
Akle injected Tayla Fraser, O’Shannassy and Sophie Fawns to give Aiken-George, Turner and Proud a breather but the greater height of the Queenslanders in the middle and in defence made the route to goal difficult.
Housby was on target with another two Super Shots in the second Power Five but with Wallam missing only one of her 39 shots in the first half it was the Firebirds who led 40-37 at the big break.
The end-to-end action didn’t relent a jot in the third quarter as the Swifts looked to reimpose themselves on the game.
Aiken-George was reintroduced and her connection with Housby, Proud, Fraser and Paige Hadley looked much smoother. The Firebirds were also looking slick when heading down court and Wallam was rewarding the massive efforts Kim Ravallion, Gabi Simpson and Lara Dunkley.
The Queenslanders, mentored by former Swifts champion player and coach Bec Bulley, showed no signs of slowing down themselves and it was another Super Shot double from Housby which got the Swifts within one at three-quarter time: 57-58.
They carried that momentum into the final period which the Swifts won 17-13 with a volley of Super Shots from Firebirds goal attack Mia Stower coming too late to reel the hosts in.
The Swifts’ next game is a Round 4 clash with the reigning champion West Coast Fever on Easter Monday, also at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Quarter Scores:
Q1: Swifts 20 Firebirds 20
Q2: Swifts 37 Firebirds 40 (17-20)
Q3: Swifts 57 Firebirds 58 (20-18)
Q4: Swifts 74 Firebirds 71 (17-13)
Swifts Starting 7: GS Romelda Aiken-George, GA Helen Housby, WA Paige Hadley, C Maddy Proud, WD Allie Smith, GD Maddy Turner, GK Sarah Klau
Reserves: Teigan O'Shannassy, Tayla Fraser, Sophie Fawns (all used)
Match Stats: View HERE
