THE GIANTS are set to host the the Queensland Firebirds in Round 3 of the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) this weekend at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney. While there are fierce competitors all the way along the court, the key matchup to go under the microscope is Jo Harten and Tara Hinchliffe.

GIANTS vs. Queensland Firebirds

Jo Harten (GS) vs. Tara Hinchliffe (GK)

With a close-to 10-year age gap between them, GIANTS captain and internationally renowned shooter, Harten, will be competing head to head with young Firebirds defender, Hinchliffe, in Round 3 of the SSN this weekend.

Harten is a high profile player, not just in Australia but around the world, having just been named in England’s 2021/22 Commonwealth games squad. Her versatility in the ring is a great asset to any team, being able to switch from shooter to attack almost flawlessly and whenever needed. Despite voicing her concerns about the introduction of the Super Shot to SSN last year, she was coincidentally one of the most successful player to use it during 2020, and already has eight under her belt this season alone. This is demonstrative of her ability to go with the flow, as well as her short and long-range shooting abilities and her confidence to just look to the post and shoot. Currently settling into goal shooter for the GIANTS, Harten has not let the loss of teammate Kiera Austin to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) this season upset her game, meshing well with young shooter Sophie Dwyer to keep the GIANTS on their winning streak.

Having developed her skills under former teammate Laura Geitz, Hinchliffe has come to be one of the best young defenders in the SSN. She has an amazing ability to be able to read the play and use her decision making, making her a really good intercepter. In fact, she managed five intercepts in last week’s game against seasoned Thunderbirds shooter Lenize Potgieter alone. Because of this ability to read the play, Hinchliffe also has an amazing ability to shut down her defenders, and isn’t afraid to go out hunting for the loose ball. Working alongside Kim Jenner, the defensive duo have a terrific connection and work like a well-oiled machine in the ring to make life hard for their opponents. The pair have the versatility to switch things up as well, with the ability to have a run in both goal defence and goal keeper. This gives them to option to change things up if they feel they need to, and keep their attackers guessing.

Physically, this matchup between Harten and Hinchliffe is fairly even. While Harten stands at 188cm, Hinchliffe is slightly shorter at 185cm tall. They are both versatile players, and don’t let themselves get flustered when the game gets tough. Hinchliffe brings a young energy and a real keenness and hunger for the ball, particularly when working with Jenner. However, Harten is a lot more experienced overall, and may just win this battle in the end.