IN Round 4 of the Australian Netball League there were plenty of close encounters, with the Queensland Fusion and Southern Force creating a thriller while the Victorian Fury and NSW Waratahs also produced a nail biter.

Southern Force (53) defeated Queensland Fusion (52)

It was a tight tussle from the first centre pass with neither side able to be separated at quarter time, credit to the intense defensive and offensive pressure. The Southern Force slowly edged ahead in the second term to hold the narrowest of margins before taking control of the game in the third term to extend the lead to three goals before the Fusion fired back. Queensland piled on 15 goals in the last term to come home strong but the Force held well under pressure and stuck to basics, moving the ball well and treasuring possession to claim a one goal win. Asha Thurlow was inspirational in the goal circle for the Southern Force, positioning well and commanding the ball. She was the leading goal scorer for the game with 36 from 43 at 84 per cent while Cody Lange was also good driving hard and creating space. Vivian Jordan and Chelsea Blackman were important defensively, working hard to stop the influence of the Fusion attacking end. Fusion goal shooter Rylie Holland showcased her hot hands under the post with 24 goals from 26 attempts at an impressive 93 per cent. Mia Stower was essential in helping build the comeback in the final quarter with six goals while Holland nailed seven from seven. Maddison Hinchliffe was solid in wing defence applying good pressure and working hard to cover the drives of her opposition.

Victorian Fury (56) defeated by NSW Waratahs (63)

The NSW Waratahs led for the entire match against Victorian Fury credit to their clever tactics and strong game play to position themselves in a dominant way throughout the match. The lead got out to 10 goals at one stage before the Fury pegged their way back but it was to no avail falling to NSW by seven goals. It was a shoot out between the prolific goal shooters with Emma Ryde utilising her height and experience to control the airways and shoot truly with 44 from 52 at 85 per cent, while youngster Matisse Letherbarrow shone with 48 from 58 at 83 per cent. The difference in style was well and truly on display, while it was the work from the Waratahs’ goal attacks that seemed to be the difference with Kelly Singleton getting into the goal circle and helping out with her 14 goals. The defensive pressure of Clare Iongi in the opening term helped to nullify the influence of Ryde at the post while the hands over pressure from Abbey McCulloch and Nicole Styles was also important in disrupting the Fury’s attacking flow. Rudi Ellis and Allie Smith worked tirelessly in defence to win the ball back for their side but they could not contain the offensive prowess of the Waratahs.

Territory Storm (38) defeated by Canberra GIANTS (61)

After claiming the lead early on, the Canberra GIANTS rallied in the second quarter to establish a six goal lead which they built on throughout the game to run out 23 goal victors. Their intensity and hunt for the ball increased in the second term, keeping the Storm to nine goals while adding 17 goals to their total. Shooting accuracy seemed to be the main difference between the two sides with the GIANTS sitting comfortably ahead with a 92 per cent accuracy compared to 67. Angelina Frketic dominated under the post only missing one goal for the match with 29 from 30, while her partner in crime Georgia Marshall was equally as impressive recording 30 from 34 at 89 per cent. Their connection in the goal circle for the GIANTS is invaluable and causes headaches for defenders. Latika Tombs and Madeline Hay were also important through the midcourt, working the ball down the court and getting into clever feeding positions on the circle edge. For the Storm, goaler Lucinda Benjamin proved to be the go-to girl nailing 25 goals from 36 attempts while Binnian Hunt also chipped in on the scoreboard with 12 goals. Defensively Sienna Allen and Sarahpheinna Woulf worked hard in that opening term to restrict the GIANTS shooters.

Tasmanian Magpies (61) defeated Western Sting (43)

The Magpies put on a dominant performance to claim a convincing victory over the Western Sting up in Bendigo. They led at every break and slowly extended the margin to run away 18 goal victors, credit to some slick ball movement across the court. The shooting combination between Jane Cook and Gabby Sinclair proved hard to stop as the two goalers found the net with ease. Cook finished with 36 goals from 40 attempts at 90 per cent while Sinclair was also accurate under the post converting 22 of her 25 attempts. Melissa Bragg was solid in wing defence applying good hands over pressure while Sharni Lambden showcased her versatility swapping between wing defence and goal defence. Youngster Matilda Garrett was also impressive in the defence end for the Magpies using her quick feet and body work to out position her opponent. Sting shooter Sloan Burton top scored for her side with 25 goals while Georgia Pitt made her presence felt on the scoreboard with 12 from 13 at 93 per cent. Olivia Lewis and Sunday Aryang formed a nice combination in defence, working well together to roll off their opposition and apply pressure over the shot, but it did not stop the Magpies’ attack.

Territory Storm (62) defeated Canberra GIANTS (57)

After a disappointing outing in the previous match-up the Storm had a point to prove and they did so convincingly with a five goal win over the GIANTS. The Storm led from the get-go and held onto it as opposed to the last meeting, sticking strong even when the GIANTS threw everything at them. Only up by goal at three quarter time the Storm piled on 17 goals, led by goal shooter Cara Koenen who slotted 12 straight in the final term. She was impressive under the post with her clever movement, strong holds and accuracy to post, top scoring with 39 from 41 at 91 per cent. She was assisted by goal attack, Hunt who nailed 15 goals. The defensive pressure of Annika Lee Jones was impressive, using her strong lean to get over the shot while Jacqui Russell was solid through the midcourt. GIANTS shooters Frketic and Marshall were prolific once again but it was the defence end that struggled to maintain the Storm shooters with Keely Rodrigo and Toni Anderson unable to stop Koenen.

Tasmanian Magpies (63) defeated Western Sting (50)

The Tasmanian Magpies made it two from two with a dominant start to the game, slotting 14 goals to eight. But the Western Sting fought back in the second term to draw it back to within two goals at half time before the Magpies put the foot down in the final term. A 21 goal quarter sealed the deal with Cook shouldering the load with 15 from 18 in the fourth, finishing with 37 goals for the game. She was ably assisted in the goal circle by Samantha Gooden who showcased her ability to turn and shoot with 20 goals. Brooke Allen worked tirelessly in defence for the Magpies while Lambden went to work out the front in goal defence. The shooting load was evenly shared between Burton and Pitt while Emma Cosh was important in attack, feeding the ball into her goalers. Natalie Bright highlighted her versatility swinging between wing defence and goal defence throughout the match for the Western Sting.

Southern Force (58) defeated Queensland Fusion (55)

It was another nail biter between the Force and Fusion with Queensland unable to muster enough pressure to claim the win, going down by a mere three goals. It was a hot start with the Force holding a one goal lead until the Fusion forged ahead in the second quarter to push out to a five goal lead. They looked composed with ball in hand and had more than one option coming up to the ball, but as the game went on the Force upped the ante. A final quarter blitz from the Force saw them score 15 goals while keeping the Fusion to 11 to run over the top of them. Thurlow was prolific once again while goal attack Lucy Austin showcased her hot hand with a perfect record of 16 from 16. Nyah Allen was also damaging in attack for the Force with 11 from 14. The Fusion will be ruing the missed opportunity but Holland and Stower both impressed again under the post with a combined shooting accuracy of 88 percent. Macy Gardner did a wealth of work through the midcourt for the Fusion while Leah Middleton also impressed in defence with her hands over pressure and intensity.

Victorian Fury (53) defeated NSW Waratahs (50)

The Victorian Fury came out with a fire in the belly after going down to the Waratahs in the previous game. The NSW Waratahs led at every change before the Fury put on a spirited performance in the final term to take the lead and claim a three goal victory. A 14 goal haul from Ryde in the last quarter pushed the Fury over the edge with Elle McDonald finding good space on the circle edge to feed into the goal shooter. The introduction of Ine-Mari Venter throughout the game worked wonders with her ability to turn and shoot finishing with 11 from 14, though an unfortunate ankle injury saw her not take any further part in the match. Defensively Kadie-Ann Dehaney impressed with her aerial ability helping to limit the influence of Letherbarrow under the post. For the Waratahs, Sophie Dwyer was imperative in attack slotting 10 from 10 while goal attack Amorangi Malesala also contributed nine goals. In the defence end, Lauren Moore made her presence felt while through the midcourt Tayla Fraser and Elle Bennetts used their speed to hit the circle edge hard and create scoring opportunities for the Waratahs.