WITH clashing colours and a last minute fixture change, it was always going to be a tough clash between cross-town Suncorp Super Netball rivals NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball during Round 11 of action. While the GIANTS were yet to beat a top side, and the Swifts were looking to continue an incredible run of form, it was the “away” side – the GIANTS – that got the job done to steal top spot on the ladder with a 59-55 win.

With key matchups across the court and partnerships on song, there was little doubt from the starting whistle that neither side would be giving away a win easily. It was Sophie Dwyer that opened her account first as the GIANTS got busy, with both sides going goal-for-goal early before Sam Wallace made her mark felt with three straight to claim an early two-goal lead. But an uncharacteristic miss from the Trinidad and Tobago product saw the GIANTS pile back those goals on as their speed down court and ability to transition from defence to attack came to fruition. Defensively, Sam Poolman and Sarah Klau were making their presence felt for each side, with the GIANTS keeper applying plenty of physicality as April Brandley provided the dash and dare blocking Helen Housby from having an early impact, as Klau and Maddy Turner wreaked havoc on Dwyer and Jo Harten. Tayla Fraser earned the start in wing defence on speedster Maddie Hay and worked in overdrive to create the turnover ball the Swifts needed, while the matchup between Paige Hadley and Amy Parmenter was one to watch with neither giving an inch.Elsewhere, Jamie-Lee Price shook off the cobwebs with an excellent start, filing the pressure onto Maddy Proud as the GIANTS weathered the early storm to lead by a goal at the first change.

It was a seesawing contest throughout the second quarter with neither side relenting, bodies flying and perfectly weighted passes paying dividends. Another goal for goal start saw the GIANTS hold onto a narrow lead as Hay continued to find access into the goal circle with speed and precision, while Harten and Dwyer continued to be reliable inside the goal circle. Three straight goals to the Swifts saw the “home” side steal back a lead, before the lead changed another two times over the next five minutes, credit to the defensive workrate across the court. Tight one-on-one defence was the name of the game as both teams pulled out all the stops, with both Hadley and Parmenter shadowing the other out of the contest credit to their respective prowess. A super shot from Harten was exactly what the doctor ordered, as the side skipped ahead once more but another three straight goals from the Swifts saw scores levelled again at 29 apiece at the main change.

The third quarter saw the momentum well and truly swing the way of the GIANTS, despite not quite showing on the scoreboard, as unforced errors and miscommunication hurt the Swifts. While it saw another even start, the GIANTS were quicker to take control as Wallace’s typically excellent positioning was negated by Poolman, and Housby was replaced out the front by Sophie Garbin. Two late super shots from Harten saw the momentum swing heavily in the favour of the GIANTS as a five-goal lead erupted despite continuous efforts from Proud, Klau and Turner, who worked in overdrive to not only win ball back, but also transition up the court. Dwyer and Hay continued to work seamlessly as they drove strong around the court, with Dwyer’s evasiveness allowing her to fire both inside and outside the circle, while Hay battled a fired up Lauren Moore for positioning on circle edge. The injection of Nat Haythornthwaite into wing attack paid off in some areas but not others as Proud was rotated off the court, yet everything seemed to be coming up GIANTS as they claimed a five-goal lead heading into the final change.

But while the Swifts had another good start, it was the GIANTS that weathered the storm with their physicality and pinpoint passes making it hard for the Swifts to scrap for the loose ball. The misses kept coming from the Swifts front-end as they tried in earnest to take control, making a wealth of changes as the bibs were thrown around through the midcourt once more, but ultimately they were unable to find purchase and forced to work hard to find circle entries credit to the pressure from Parmenter and Price on circle edge. The GIANTS extended a seven-goal lead toward the end of the term as they looked to pull away, however a couple of last ditch super shot attempts paid off for the Swifts as they went down by four goals in a frantic last passage of play.

Hay earned player of the match credit to her dynamic movement and defensive second efforts, coming away with 19 goal assists and two gains, as Poolman was immense with eight gains (two intercepts). Parmenter also added two intercepts to her tally as Price (18 assists) worked hard to create opportunities for Harten (33 goals from 40 attempts) and Dwyer (21 from 23 and 13 assists). For the Swifts, Wallace was rendered much less accurate than usual with 39 goals from 48 attempts at 81 per cent, as Housby (nine from 10) and Garbin (three from four) were accurate but did not have a huge scoreboard impact. Hadley (17 assists) worked in overdrive all day as six players around her picked up intercepts, including Wallace, Proud and Fraser. Moore was the only player to register more than one intercept with two to her name, as Turner (two gains) and Klau (four gains) struggled to have an impact against the zippy moving circle.

NSW SWIFTS | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 (55)
GIANTS NETBALL | 16 | 13 | 18 | 12 (59)

STARTING SEVENS

Swifts

GS: Sam Wallace
GA: Helen Housby
WA: Paige Hadley
C: Maddy Proud
WD: Tayla Fraser
GD: Maddy Turner
GK: Sarah Klau

GIANTS

GS: Jo Harten
GA: Sophie Dwyer
WA: Maddie Hay
C: Jamie-Lee Price
WD: Amy Parmenter
GD: April Brandley
GK: Sam Poolman

Picture credit: AAP / Matt Turner