The NSW Swifts may be out of the Finals race in 2026, but a hotly anticipated derby against the Giants on Sunday (4pm) means there is still plenty to play for.
While the Giants are yet to win a game in this Suncorp Super Netball campaign, they have shown glimpses of excellence, and their narrow one-goal loss to Finals-bound West Coast Fever will give them plenty of confidence.
The Giants haven’t beaten the Swifts in a competitive derby since Round 1 in 2022, but that only makes them more dangerous, NSW head coach Briony Akle believes.
While the Giants cannot move off the wooden spoon, the Swifts can still finish as high as fifth. After an injury-disrupted season, Akle wants her side to end on a high.
“The Giants probably should have beaten the Vixens, Thunderbirds and Fever this year, and all of them are heading to the playoffs,” Akle said.
“It just goes to show that no matter where you are on the ladder, if you don’t show up, you’re going to have a very hard day at the office. We need to be on it this weekend.
“It’s a derby. It’s going to be a huge crowd with loads of Swifts fans in the stands, so we owe it to them to put in a full 60-minute performance that gets them excited for when we’re back on court next year.”
As it has for much of the season, an injury cloud continues to hang over the Swifts. With Helen Housby already ruled out, the club is sweating on the fitness of Diamonds defender Sarah Klau and standout performer Grace Whyte.
A derby without three of the first names on the Swifts’ team sheet will be challenging, but that’s professional sport.
“Injuries are part and parcel of this game,” Akle added.
“When we’ve won premierships in recent times, we probably had some luck with our injury lists in those seasons. Often, it’s the team that stays the fittest that goes the furthest.
“That’s not an excuse. We’ve definitely let some games slip this year that were there for the taking, and that’s on us.
“But we can still control how we finish this campaign. We pushed the Thunderbirds last week, and as a group I know we can go better again on Sunday.”
