THREE rounds of Suncorp Super Netball are done and dusted and the ladder is starting to really take shape with the Melbourne Vixens and NSW Swifts sitting at the top with three wins on the board and just the Firebirds left winless. With midweek matches throwing a new element into the season, it will be interesting to see how teams back up this round with a heap of rotations taking the court every game. Round 4 will see a huge grand final rematch between the Swifts and Sunshine Coast Lightning, so buckle up for another huge round.

Collingwood Magpies v. West Coast Fever
Saturday, 15 August

Opening Round 4 is an enticing battle between Collingwood and West Coast Fever, with both sides looking for a second win. While the Fever had an impeccable start they have had a flat couple of matches to sit in fourth, whereas the Magpies have had the opposite with two losses before a tight victory on Tuesday night, meaning both teams will be hungry to put a second win on the board especially with a chance to head into the top four on the line.

In a huge bonus for the Fever, Courtney Bruce returns after two rounds off which will massively boost the side’s defensive stocks – although their youngsters have been stepping up well in Bruce’s absence, so expect to see Olivia Lewis and Sunday Aryang chop out on court where required. With some highly talented youngsters taking the court, expect some of those players to really shine for both sides, as Jess Anstiss looks to be finding her form and potentially coming up against Molly Jovic through the midcourt with the replacement midcourter doing a solid job alongside speedsters Kelsey and Madi Browne. Verity Charles has also had a solid few weeks on the track as has Mel Bragg for the Pies, making for a couple of interesting midcourt battles.

Two huge goal circle clashes could be the difference in this game, with Bruce taking on Shimona Nelson at one end and Jhaniele Fowler going head-to-head with Geva Mentor at the other, making for some exciting battles given all four players’ ability to get hands to ball. In this match, it will be up to the goal attack on each side to step up in their goal shooters absence, with Gabby Sinclair and Alice Teague-Neeld tasked with the duty for their respective teams and needing to really assert themselves on the scoreboard. The Magpies’ circle depth could really pay off in this one, with Nyah Allen and Emma Ryde on the bench – though Ryde has not taken the court since Round 1 – while Fever’s Kaylia Stanton has struggled to find her form in patches of court time. It will be Jodi-Ann Ward’s job to shut down Teague-Neeld and block her clever feeds into Fowler, while Stacey Francis’ physicality could be the kicker against Sinclair.

Queensland Firebirds v. GIANTS Netball
Saturday, 15 August

Two sides hungry for victory will go head-to-head in an interesting clash on Sunday afternoon, with both the Firebirds and GIANTS renowned for their physicality in the contest and relentless pursuit of the ball. The GIANTS know the intensity the Firebirds will be looking to provide in the contest given prior to Round 3 the two sides were both sitting winless, meaning they will know not to underestimate the side despite its relative inexperience. 

The biggest battle will likely be between the Firebirds defence and GIANTS attack, with highly experienced tall timbers Jo Harten and Caitlin Bassett heading up the goal circle and their combination improving over the off season. The rotation of Kiera Austin has also paid off over the past few rounds, with the young goaler able to impact both inside and outside the circle, spotting both goalers with ease inside the goal circle. Meanwhile, a younger defensive unit in Kim Jenner, Tara Hinchliffe and Rudi Ellis headline the Firebirds, with Jenner continuing to impress week on week and not letting up her intensity week on week. While Ellis has only taken the court in one match so far this season, her height could be utilised against Bassett while Hinchliffe’s upside is her decision making, picking and choosing when to hunt the ball and stay away from the whistle. Gabi Simpson has not stopped once this season so will be a tough competitor for Austin, although her efforts could be mirrored by Amy Parmenter at the other end, with the 2019 rising star taking on speedster Jemma Mi Mi.

Jamie-Lee Price and Mahalia Cassidy will go head-to-head through the midcourt in what should be an enticing matchup given their respective hunt and tenacity for the ball, while Romelda Aiken will have her work cut out for her when she takes on Sam Poolman, who continues to play the role of terrier to get under the skin of her opposition at the post. Tippah Dwan had a much better Round 3 output after a quiet match last weekend so will hope to continue her way up in form, taking on an improved Kristiana Manu’a who has been getting hands to ball well this season and will want to force Dwan into a pass to a heavily-defended Aiken where possible. Both teams have a wealth of players who can come on where required and have an impact, making this a very interesting matchup.

Sunshine Coast Lightning v. NSW Swifts
Sunday, 16 August

A huge grand final rematch opens Sunday’s proceedings, with the matchup even bigger given the two sides are second and third on the ladder. Neither side had a huge amount of changes over the off-season, and with plenty of class and experience taking the court expect an exciting and close match. Maddy Turner could potentially take the court this round, bolstering the Swifts defensive unit after being named in the squad, however the Swifts have proved in recent weeks that their extended list is more than capable of taking on the load sitting undefeated despite a couple of close shaves.

The Lightning come into this match off the back of a disappointing effort against the Vixens during the week, and will need their big names to step up. While Steph Wood is still carrying a niggling knee injury, her commitment has seen her continue to take the court and use her vision to drive into space. That being said, her accuracy was very low during the week which the Vixens used to their advantage, while Peace Proscovia also seemed to have the yips. The goaling duo will need to step up to ensure Cara Koenen does not get left with the brunt of the load, especially given the versatility in the Swifts camp defensively with both Sarah Klau and Lauren Moore able to have an impact in the air or body-on-body. Jacqui Russell impressed on the hunt last round and will have her work cut out for her once again taking on Nat Haythornthwaite and Maddy Proud, although the versatility the Lightning showed during the week rotating Russell and Laura Langman could provide a huge bonus once more this week with Paige Hadley running rampant through the centre. 

Sophie Craig has played her role well to start the season, offering a good option in wing defence and whittling down the impact of her opposition, but will have a tough time on Laura Scherian who will hope to explode out of the blocks this round after a quiet outing against the Vixens. The Swifts’ versatility in the goal circle has paid dividends across the past few rounds, with the trio of Helen Housby, Sam Wallace and Sophie Garbin continuing to combine seamlessly, all offering something different inside the circle. Karla Pretorius has had a quiet start to the 2020 season by her standards, so will hope to step up this round against Housby and nullify the England goaler, while Phumza Maweni has come alive in patches so just needs to string some consistent quarters together against the likes of Wallace and Garbin.

Melbourne Vixens v. Adelaide Thunderbirds
Sunday, 16 August

Sitting pretty at the top of the ladder, the Vixens will finish off the round for the second week running against the seventh ranked Thunderbirds. Both players sport a heap of talented names among their side, and while the Vixens have typically kept to their starting seven and given youngsters court time when they have extended a lead, the Thunderbirds have proven they are willing to test players from the get-go and could take the Vixens off guard with their inexperienced and highly versatile names stepping up to the plate.

The Vixens will need to ensure they do not underestimate the Thunderbirds, with the return of both Layla Guscoth and Sasha Glasgow from injury during the week opening up further rotations from the bench. Both players settled in nicely and played their roles well on return, and while the Thunderbirds did not get a win on the board they showcased some terrific partnerships that will only continue to grow. The Vixens have a heap of experience and really strong connections across the court so will hope to utilise that once more and outplay the Thunderbirds. The midcourt interplay between Kate Moloney and Liz Watson is almost unstoppable when on song, and the additional rotation of Tayla Honey could help carry some of the load from the co-captains if need be. While the midcourt test will be huge for a relatively young Thunderbirds side, headed by Chelsea Pitman they should not have a huge issue finding ball inside the circle given her ability to thread the needle and find both Glasgow and Lenize Potgieter at the post. 

A couple of young guns in Georgie Horjus and Maisie Nankivell will need to be at their best to evade their opposition going forward, with Horjus likely to take on Jo Weston in what will be one of her tougher matchups, especially if she gets the start as she has for the past few rounds. Emily Mannix and Weston had one of their better defensive performances for the season during the week so will hope to build on that, especially against the Thunderbirds who have proved to be prolific on the super shot thus far. At the other end, expect plenty of defensive rotations between Shamera Sterling, Kate Shimmin and Guscoth as they take on the task of shutting down the Vixens shooting trio, with Caitlin Thwaites, Mwai Kumwenda and Tegan Philip seamlessly rotating through the use of rolling subs and formidable with their versatility. 

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Centre Pass Podcast: Maddy Proud interview (Round 2 wrap)

Centre Pass Podcast: Georgie Horjus interview (Round 1 wrap)

Centre Pass Podcast: Molly Jovic interview (Round 1 preview)