THE NSW Swifts fought back after a slow start to run out four-goal victors over a determined West Coast Fever side, 53-49 and secure their spot at the top of the table. With new players across the court, it took the Swifts a while to adjust to the new combinations with Kayla Cullen and Tayla Fraser pulling on the dress for the first time.

Jhaniele Fowler continued her dominance in the goal circle with the towering shooter controlling the airways and reigning in every pass that came her way. She was unfazed by the early physical pressure applied by the Swifts defensive duo showcasing her ability to turn and shoot with 18 goals in the opening term. Goal attack Alice Teague-Neeld also asserted herself on the match with her strong drives across the circle drawing the attention of Sarah Klau and Maddy Turner. Though her accuracy was not on point only converting three of her five attempts her work out the front to feed the ball into Fowler and create space in the attacking third was second to none. Through the midcourt Verity Charles commanded the ball with her speed and quick hands paying dividends for the Fever who relished first use of the ball while her opponent Paige Hadley also impressed for the Swifts. Hadley showcased her skill and experience to take control through the midcourt and constantly re-offer and drive across the court to try and create space. Teammate, Sam Wallace reaped the rewards of Hadley’s work edging herself closer to the post and making the most of her opportunities in the goal circle with 11 from 13.

With Fever claiming the early lead the Swifts fought their way back into the contest credit to their strong structures and clever game play to flick the ball around the court. They treasured possession with 59 per cent compared to the Fever’s 41 showcasing the shift in the game. The shooting load evened up for the Swifts with Helen Housby and Wallace both combining well in the circle and turning it on in the goal circle with Housby nailing nine-straight for the term. Fraser worked tirelessly in wing attack, tussling hard to claim circle edge and feed into Housby and Wallace while her transition was equally as impressive from the youngster. Silver Fern Cullen replaced Sophie Halpin at the end of the second quarter and although she took some time to adjust and find the connections she made an immediate impact with her long arm span and quick feet blocking Ingrid Colyer at every opportunity. The Swifts were not the only side to make wholesale changes with Stacy Marinkovich throwing the bibs around in the midcourt. Jess Anstiss moved from wing defence into centre while Stacey Francis was injected into the game pushing Charles to the bench but it was not enough to stop the Swifts who had well and truly found their groove across the court to hold a two-goal buffer heading into half time.

Quarter scores were all tied up in the third with both sides nailing 12 goals apiece showcasing the increased intensity. Still searching for an answer through the midcourt and in defence, Fever made another change with Charles re-entering the game at centre and Francis pushing back into goal defence. Meanwhile Courtney Bruce continued to dominant down back with five deflections and one gain in the quarter working overtime on Wallace and Housby. The changes seemed to work with Fever going on an early run piling on four goals to two and cutting the deficit to break even. In attack Fowler continued to impose herself on the contest shooting goal after goal and making it look easy while Teague-Neeld struggled to find her radar only posting one goal and racking up two turnovers. But the Swifts stuck strong and kept themselves in the contest.

With the game on the line the NSW Swifts pulled out all the stops to claim the points and put Fever to bed. Marinkovich made another change to her line-up bringing Shannon Eagland back on after a rest in the third with the experienced defender working hard to limit the influence of Housby across the court. Halpin also came on to relieve Cullen in wing defence while Sophie Garbin showcased her shooting prowess for NSW capitalising on her opportunities under the post with seven goals from eight attempts. Fraser really built into the game for the Swifts with the youngster finding good space in the last term, using her dynamic footwork to cut and drive through the opposition defence and hit the circle edge. It was a close contest but in the end the Fever fell short unable to maintain a full four quarter performance.

STARTING LINE-UP:

WEST COAST FEVER:

GS | Jhaniele Fowler
GA | Alice Teague-Neeld
WA | Ingrid Colyer
C | Verity Charles
WD | Jess Anstiss
GD | Shannon Eagland
GK | Courtney Bruce

NSW SWIFTS:

GS | Sam Wallace
GA | Helen Housby
WA | Tayla Fraser
C | Paige Hadley
WD | Sophie Halpin
GD | Maddy Turner
GK | Sarah Klau