AN anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to NSW Swifts shooter Sam Wallace soured an otherwise electric grand final rematch, with GIANTS Netball picking up a two-goal win over NSW Swifts. In a see-sawing contest, the GIANTS lead for the most part after regaining the lead in the second term, and then overcame a late Swifts surge to hold on and secure the 57-55 win at Ken Rosewall Arena.

The Swifts scored 14 goals to 12 in the opening quarter, before the GIANTS regained control in the second, scoring eight of the first 11 goals to steal the momentum courtesy of shooters Sophie Dwyer and Jo Harten. The pair were doing well against the international pairing of Wallace and Helen Housby, as a 20-15 quarter had them firmly in control by four goals at the main break.

By half-time, Wallace had shot 19 goals from 22 attempts, with Dwyers standing up to pile on 18 from 20, including 12 from 12 in the second term. Maddie Hay was converting feeds into goal assists with 12 in the first half, as her partner-in-crime Jamie-Lee Price was winning her battle with fellow Diamond Maddy Proud. Neither team looked to their bench in the first half, but that was about to change in the second half.

Former Vixen Allie Smith – after having stints in goal defence and wing defence on club debut – came to the bench and was replaced by Tayla Fraser for a three-minute break in the third, before returning to the court to replace Maddy Turner. GIANTS training partner Josie Donoghue also got her opportunity, replacing April Brandley at the start of the second half.

The changes seemed to favour the Swifts, as Wallace scored 12 goals from 13 attempts, and Proud – who had switched into wing attack during the second term in a chance with Paige Hadley – was having an impact with seven goal assists in the quarter. Sarah Klau and Smith were putting pressure on Harten and Dwyer who scored at just 72.2 per cent for the quarter, though Price was still influential.

Both sides remained as they were heading into the final change, but in the third minute of the final quarter, Wallace went down clutching her knee, prompting fears – which ended up being true – that she had suffered an ACL injury. Whilst clearly shaken, the Swifts fought right to the end, with Kelly Singleton coming on to replace her in the short-term, and though the home side did battle up against it, fell short to go down by two goals, 55-57.

Wallace finished with 33 goals from 37 attempts before going down, as Housby (15 from 20) stepped up through the match, and Singleton managed the one from four in the final term. Proud (18 goal assists, two deflections and one intercept) and Hadley (15 goal assists, one intercept) both impressed in midcourt, and Klau had an equal game-high seven deflections.

The winners had plenty of contributors with Dwyer shooting 28 goals from 33 attempts along wit seven gaol assists, as Harten managed 26 from 34. Price recorded a match-high 23 goals assists from 37 feeds to really own the centre bib, whilst Amy Parmenter was consistent across the game with seven deflections and an intercept in wing defence and Matilda McDonell (five deflections, one intercept) was great in goal keeper in the wake of Kristiana Manu’a and Sam Poolman‘s departures of the off-season.

NSW Swifts will look to bounce back next Saturday at 5pm when they host the Melbourne Vixens, whilst the GIANTS close out Round 2 on Sunday afternoon, taking on the Thunderbirds in Adelaide.

NSW SWIFTS 14 | 15 | 15 | 11 (55)
GIANTS NETBALL 12 | 20 | 13 | 12 (57)

STARTING SEVENS:

NSW Swifts:

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

GIANTS Netball:

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