GIANTS Netball have jumped up into the top four of the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) ladder with a win over Collingwood Magpies 69-60.

It was the GIANTS’ 11th straight win against the Magpies, while it was Collingwood’s first loss in Tasmania ever. A remarkable second half comeback from the GIANTS saw them come from 11 goals down to take the win.

The match began with a very even first seven or so minutes. Collingwood managed to get a few small leads, but they were never more than a few goals. Then in the second half of the term, Collingwood started to assert their control on the match and build a lead for themselves.

However, the GIANTS slowly worked their way back from the deficit, so by the time the quarter time siren went the margin was a mere two goals in favour of the Pies. In many ways the second quarter mirrored the first term.

Unfortunately for the GIANTS however, the Collingwood lead escaped to double figures before the GIANTS started to use their old friend the Super Shot to bring the gap back. The lead got out to as much as 11 goals during the second term, but thanks to the Super Shot the margin sat at six in favour of the Pies at the main break.

After the half-time break it was a whole new GIANTS side that came out. The GIANTS got the much better start to the second half, and actually took the lead for themselves about six minutes in. Their lead got to as much as eight goals in the back end of the term, and suddenly it was their 10 game undefeated run against the Pies that looked like being the one that was not going to get broken.

Collingwood got a Super Shot late to bring things back to six, but then the GIANTS got one back of their own to bring the margin back to eight at the final change. The final term saw the GIANTS able to maintain their lead, and with the Pies reluctant to shoot many super shots, it was looking much harder for the Pies to come back from the deficit.

It got so desperate for the Pies that with just over two minutes to go, they were instructed to go only for the Super Shots. It did not work as the Pies went on to score only one more goal for the game as the GIANTS went on to win by nine.

Not only was Jo Harten (41 goals from 45 attempts) incredibly accurate for the GIANTS, she shot a whopping 10 Super Shots for the match. Jamie-Lee Price also had a great game, finishing with 21 goal assists and a whopping 49 feeds. Amy Parmenter (two intercepts, four deflections) and Maddie Hay (15 goal assists from 27 feeds and two deflections) also impressed.

Meanwhile for the Pies, Shimona Nelson again had another good game shooting 50 goals from 55 attempts, while the Pies centre Molly Jovic (18 feeds, one intercept and four deflections) was superb on the Price.

Next round sees the Magpies up against the Thunderbirds, while the GIANTS play the Fever.

COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES 17 | 20 | 10 | 13 (60)
GIANTS NETBALL 15 | 16 | 24 | 14 (69)

STARTING SEVENS:

Collingwood Magpies:

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

GIANTS Netball:

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