A BIG round of ANZ Premiership action led to plenty of huge stats, while a split round of Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) put the microscope on plenty of players across four of the eight teams, as both NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball came away with comprehensive wins. We take a look at some of the standout performances and highest stats from the week.

GOALS:

Once again it was Grace Nweke who led the charge to post during Round 10, with the Mystics tall timber wreaking havoc in her side’s win over the Pulse. Finishing with 54 goals at 86 per cent, Nweke was hard to stop and utilised her adaptability to adjust to the physicality with ease. Ellie Bird returned to full strength after being ruled out with concussion last week, not skipping a beat as she piled on 47 goals from 58 attempts during her 47 minutes on court. Maia Wilson added another 38 goals to her season tally while both Caitlin Bassett‘s and George Fisher‘s outings were cut short, putting 32 and 22 goals on the board respectively. In goal attack, Tiana Metuarau and Te Paea Selby-Rickit led the charge with 19 from 23 apiece, while Te Amo Amaru-Tibble (16 goals from 20 attempts), Jamie Hume (13 from 19) and Khiarna Williams (12 from 13) all found double digits.

In the SSN, Sam Wallace was back to her winning ways after an uncharacteristic off-week last round, showcasing her match-winning ability with a 51-goal haul and commanding ball into the circle. She was countered by fellow tall-timber Romelda Aiken with the Jamaican adding 39 goals to her season tally, while Helen Housby and Gretel Bueta provided valuable assisting roles with 11 and 10 goals, respectively. It was a shared effort across the second game, with Jo Harten (26 goals from 34 attempts) and Sophie Dwyer (24 from 30) sharing the load for the GIANTS, while Lenize Potgieter (24 from 30) and Georgie Horjus (13 from 20) kept the scoreboard ticking along.

MIDCOURT:

It was once again Peta Toeava who starred through the midcourt this round, with the wing attack continuously finding Nweke with ease and precision to rack up 29 goal assists from a whopping 45 feeds. Whitney Souness was next in line with 23 from 32, while Selby-Rickit’s playmaking ability was clear for the Tactix adding 24 goal assists to her goal tally. Sam Winders registered 21 goal assists in her side’s loss, while Gina Crampton and Mila Reuelu-Buchanan shared the load for the Stars, registering 21 and 20 assists respectively. Whilst not huge on the attacking front, Kate Heffernan created four intercepts out in centre as Kimiora Poi added two intercepts to her tally. Souness led all-comers on the centre pass receives with 37, while Magic wing attack Tori Kolose (30) and Shannon Saunders (28) were not far behind.

It was a good week to be Maddy Proud, as the Swifts midcourter switched up the gears for an all-round performance against the Firebirds. The centre racked up 19 goal assists from 33 feeds and also created two intercepts, while partner in crime Paige Hadley registered 22 assists from 36 and 25 centre pass receives. The two also combined for 10 pickups. Kim Ravaillion piled on 18 goal assists to lead all-comers for the Firebirds, while a shared effort from the Thunderbirds saw Maisie Nankivell register the most assists for the side with 11 and two gains. Shadine Van Der Merwe (two intercepts) put in the hard yards throughout her 43 minutes on court, although her direct opposition in Maddie Hay finished with 18 assists from 37 feeds and a gain. Amy Parmenter had a day out, piling on the defensive pressure to finish with five gains (two intercepts and eight deflections).

DEFENCE:

With so much defensive talent across the board in the ANZ Premiership, it was once again a huge showing at the back-end of the court. Anna Harrison racked up 10 gains (four intercepts, three rebounds and two deflections) while Karin Burger was hot on her tail with nine (six intercepts), as her partner in crime Jane Watson added five gains to her form. Despite falling to the Tactix by a significant margin, there was an undoubtably solid defensive effort from Erena Mikaere and Georgia Tong, who combined for 11 gains (three intercepts). Sulu Fitzpatrick and Kate Burley were a force to be reckoned with down back, registering five and three intercepts, respectively, whilst also grabbing six gains apiece.

April Brandley had a match to remember, piling on eight gains (four intercepts) in an impressive first half against the Thunderbirds, while Shamera Sterling was imposing as ever at the opposite end finishing with 10 gains, three intercepts and four rebounds, and Matilda Garrett was a fraction quieter than usual but still finished with four deflections (zero to advantage) and three gains. For the Firebirds, Tara Hinchliffe created three gains (two intercepts) and registered a couple of pickups while Kim Jenner piled on the pressure for nine deflections but failed to capitalise, with just the two gains. Four Swifts players picked up a gain apiece, as Sarah Klau registered two.

Picture credit: NSW Swifts