The defending champion NSW Swifts have found their groove, and with it their first win of the season, with a thumping 75-64 Round 3 win over the Collingwood Magpies at Ken Rosewall Arena.
After narrow losses in the opening two games of their title defence, and the loss of Club MVP Sam Wallace to a season-ending ACL injury, the Premiers produced a dominant middle section of the game which was enough to keep their opponents at bay for the remainder of it.
The Swifts won the second and third quarters by margins of nine and six goals respectively and the buffer gave them license to play smart, controlled netball with the result never in doubt in the final quarter.
Led heroically by co-captains Paige Hadley and Maddy Proud, who was also named the game MVP, it was a much-needed win for the Champions who now have two tough games on the road next week against the Thunderbirds in Adelaide and the West Coast Fever in Perth.
NSW youngster Sophie Fawns shone again and her partnership with Helen Housby was one of the highlights of a very impressive performance by the seven-time Premiers.
It was a fast-flowing start to the game with both sides moving fluidly to the post. For the home side Proud and Hadley worked brilliantly in tandem to feed their front line in which Housby was looking comfortable at goal shooter.
As the quarter ebbed and flowed a Sarah Klau intercept gave the Swifts some early impetus to go three goals clear, however, with the Premiers missing tall timber up front, Magpies stalwarts Geva Mentor, Jodi-Ann Ward and Ash Brazill - who was a defensive menace on the circle edge – gave their team the edge to finish the period stronger and take a two-goal lead to the first break.
Teigan O'Shannassy became the latest Swift to debut this season, coming on at goal keeper at the start of Q2 with Klau and Maddy Turner moving up the court.
Fawns was also injected into the game at goal shooter with Housby reverting to her usual goal attack role. It gave the Swifts more movement in the circle and a Shimona Nelson misfire gave the Premiers the turnover they needed to get back on level terms.
With the momentum swinging in their favour the Swifts pressed the advantage home. In defence Klau and O'Shannassy were making a mess of the Pies' attempts to feed and when the turnover gains came the attack converted.
Fawns and Housby gave the home side legitimate options from range, taking Mentor out of the equation as the Swifts won the quarter 20-11 to take a seven-goal lead to halftime.
Playing in their Yellow Heritage Dress, the colour the Club wore when it founded in 1997, the Swifts were quick to keep their foot on the pedal in the early stages of Q3. Before long the lead was out to 10 and the Magpies were facing a huge task to get back in the contest.
A Jacqui Newton intercept and Super Shots from former Swifts Premiership Champion Sophie Garbin and Gabi Sinclair looked like getting the visitors on track, however, further loose passing cancelled out those gains as NSW took a commanding 60-47 lead to the final break.
Collingwood tried hard in the final quarter to make inroads but it meant they had to take risks and when the errors came the Swifts pounced.
At the start of the final Super Shot period the Swifts led by 15, and while Sinclair was impressive from the two-point area, it was too little too late.
FULL MATCH STATS
