WITH a new coach at the helm, the Adelaide Thunderbirds kicked the year off in style, breaking the winless drought of the previous season with an emphatic win over the West Coast Fever in Round 1. But their season was plagued with inconsistency, unable to string together four quarter performances, while also being struck with multiple injuries to key players across the court.

Position: 7th
Percentage: 88.17%
Win-loss: 3-2-9

Overview:

After a hot start to the year the Thunderbirds faded in and out, showing glimpses of brilliance on the court. The newly formed side took some time to gel and were forced to bring in injury replacement players with England Roses pair Beth Cobden and Layla Guscoth both struck down with season-ending injuries. The recruitment of Shamera Sterling in the off-season brought plenty of excitement to the team with the Jamaican international renowned for her aerial ability and hands over pressure. She paired well with veteran Kate Shimmin who proved she still has plenty in the tank, running hard and regaining possession for her side. The Thunderbirds fought hard, challenging some of the top teams with Maria Folau and Chelsea Pitman showcasing their experience and composure in the front end with their silky movement and clever ball placement. The midcourt was subject to a lot of change throughout the course of 2019 with Shadine Van der Merwe brought into the squad for Cobden while Kelly Altmann and Hannah Petty rotated through centre providing good bursts of speed. Young up and coming goaler Sasha Glasgow also flexed her muscles in the circle with her silky footwork.

Shining light:

21-year-old goal shooter Glasgow really came into her own this season but unfortunately did not get the finish she would have liked, rupturing her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in Round 13. Glasgow relished the opportunity of having Folau out the front, making full use of her shooting counterpart’s experience, ball placement and general netball know how. The goal shooter grew in confidence as the season went on, developing her movement in the circle and accuracy to post, often displaying impressive rebounding ability for a shorter goal shooter. She backed herself from range and worked the circle well to edge closer to the post, displaying her quick feet and connection with the midcourt. Although she will be sidelined next year with injury, Glasgow showed plenty of promise absorbing the pressure and owning the space with her strong holds.

2020 predictions:

The Adelaide Thunderbirds have secured the services of South African shooter Lenize Potgieter for next season and while her fellow starting goaler is still unknown, she will provide a good target under the post. Potgieter will offer good stability under the post with her accuracy and clever movement a real feature of her game. If the Thunderbirds retain long bomb specialist Folau the two could create a damaging duo given their experience, accuracy and movement.