COLLINGWOOD has started its Suncorp Super Netball season of with a bang, dominating early and holding off a fast finishing NSW Swifts to win 71-63. After a tight start to the match, the Magpies blew the game open then survived a comeback from the Swifts side to take the win.

The Swifts were the ones to get off to an early lead, but the Magpies were able to quickly respond and level things up again before establishing a lead of their own. It was a fast paced start to the match, with the intensity from both sides high from the get go.

Collingwood maintained a two to three-goal lead for much of the quarter, but once the Power Five hit, the lead started to grow. Shimona Nelson was particularly strong in the air, which allowed Collingwood to go the quicker aerial route into goal, while up the other end Jodi-Ann Ward was an intercepting force, which was giving the Magpies more chances to get it down to their end.

Swifts shooters Romelda Aiken-George and Helen Housby were certainly attempting the suprt shots to try and get their team back into the match, but could not find their range so their shots kept dropping short. As the quarter time buzzer went, the Magpies held a seven-goal lead.

Collingwood may have held a pretty healthy quarter time lead, but its one Super Shot goal was the only one of the quarter from either side, so it had all come through traditional shooting.

The Swifts changed up their shooting combination at the first break, but it did not make much of a difference initially in the second term as the Pies extended their lead into double figures. No matter how hard the Swifts tried, Collingwood was just a level above them in every facet of the game.

Not even mistimed Harrison Hoists from Collingwood defenders could help the Swifts make much of a dent in Collingwood’s leads. The Swifts kept tweaking their on court line up but nothing seemed to work as Ash Brazill was really starting to cause mayhem for the Swifts attackers. As the buzzer went for the main break, Collingwood’s lead was out to 10 goals.

The Swifts continued to tweak their line up well into the third quarter, but just could not quite find the line up and combinations they were happy with. The visitors got the margin down to as little as eight goals, but once the power five period hit Sophie Garbin really got to work and found her range from the super shot zone.

NSW did ultimately win the quarter by one though, so as the teams turned for home the margin sat at nine goals in favour of the home side. Although the Swifts came right back at the Pies in the last quarter, they were unable to get over the line, falling eight goals short.

Aiken-George and Housby tried their hardest with multiple super shots, but it was not enough as the Pies were too strong. Ward was arguably player of the match, finishing with nine gains, four intercepts and seven deflections in a dominant display.

Fellow defender Geva Mentor also had a stellar game, finishing with seven gains, three intercepts and eight deflections. Both Garbin and Housby finished with six successful super shots.

Meanwhile for the Swifts both Maddy Proud (31 feeds, 19 assists, two deflections and an intercept) and Paige Hadley (26 feeds, 15 assists, one intercept and a gain) were both industrious through midcourt.

COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES 20 | 19 | 18 | 14 (71)
NSW SWIFTS 13 | 16 | 19 | 15 (63)

STARTING SEVENS:

Collingwood:

GS: Shimona Nelson
GA: Sophie Garbin
WA: Kelsey Browne
C: Molly Jovic
WD: Ash Brazill
GD: Jodi-Ann Ward
GK: Geva Mentor

NSW Swifts

GS: Romelda Aiken-George
GA: Helen Housby
WA: Paige Hadley
C: Maddy Proud
WD: Allie Smith
GD: Maddy Turner
GK: Sarah Klau