The NSW Swifts have kept their Suncorp Super Netball title defence hopes alive with a thrilling 52-43 Derby win over the Giants at Ken Rosewall Arena.
A cracking first half effort set-up the victory with the Swifts ahead for every minute of the game, winning three quarters of a pulsating contest and only losing one by a solitary goal.
The defending Premiers may have struggled to find form since the loss of club MVP Sam Wallace to a season-ending ACL injury, but in Round 8 they clicked in both attack and defence as Helen Housby put in a performance for the ages to reward the efforts of her defenders and midcourters.
It wasn’t just Housby who impressed on the night. Maddy Proud and Paige Hadley were dynamic and physical in attack while the Australian Diamonds' defensive pairing of Sarah Klau and Maddy Turner lived up to their billing.
Kelly Singleton played her best game in a Swifts dress, and when Hadley was blood-binned late in the game after a head clash, Tayla Fraser was there to slot in seamlessly.
The opening exchanges were typically fast and furious with the Swifts gaining the early impetus through excellent midcourt pressure and fine finishing from Housby and Singleton.
Heading into the first Super Shot period of the game they led by five and when a route to goal wasn’t obvious they were happy to be patient.
Two Jo Harten Super Shots brought the Giants back within three but a Turner rebound gave Housby the opportunity to take the margin back out to five at quarter time (17-12).
A Klau rebound and an offensive call against Giants midcourter Jamie-Lee Price gave the Swifts the opportunity to stretch their lead out to nine in the second quarter.
The sides then traded goals until the Power Five period started but a Sophie Dwyer intercept gave the Giants a window to get back in the contest.
And while they closed the margin somewhat, thanks to some Dwyer magic from the Super Shot zone, it was the Swifts who edged the quarter 13-12 to take a six-goal advantage to the halftime break.
A loose Housby pass at the start of Q3 provided the Giants with another mini-break which reduced the margin to five, and with the momentum of the game changing the Premiers called a timeout and injected Sophie Fawns into goal shooter with Housby moving to goal attack.
It became an end-to-end contest and the pendulum was slowly swinging towards the Giants. A stepping call against Fraser gave them more bonus possession and Harten was quick to reduce the margin to two goals.
Yet, despite the shift in momentum, the Swifts rallied and rode the wave of a Harten Super Shot double to scrap well for every loose ball and lead by five (42-37) at the final break.
Despite the Swifts’ control of the contest for long periods the Giants remained in shooting range to close the gap, but NSW had given themselves enough breathing space to dictate the pace of game.
As the endgame neared the physicality rose another to another level but the seven-time Premiers were able to answer every question the Giants asked of them.
The final quarter was an awfully scrappy affair, as the 10-6 score line reflected, but it didn’t make the game any less enthralling.
With the scoreboard and time against the Giants, the defending champions simply had to play smart netball to see the contest out - and they played the possession game brilliantly to wind the clock down.
Next up for the Swifts is a Round 9 clash with the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Sydney next Sunday.
FULL MATCH STATS
