THE 2019 season of Suncorp Super Netball has officially hit the halfway mark, with all eight teams gearing up to take on their Round 1 opposition in the reverse fixture for the 2019 Indigenous Round. Queensland Firebirds are still looking for their first win of the season so will come in hungry against the Melbourne Vixens who had an average day on the track last week, while West Coast Fever will be keen for redemption after going down by only one goal to Adelaide Thunderbirds last time they met.

Sunshine Coast Lightning v. Collingwood Magpies

Despite a hiccup against both Melbourne teams in 2019, the Sunshine Coast have barely skipped a beat this season so will want to come out hard and fast this week given the Magpies ran over them in Round 1. The talking points of this match were young Lightning shooter Cara Koenen getting the start in goals against Magpies captain, Geva Mentor, who got through the entire match without an obstruction penalty to her name. Despite some fantastic teamwork from South African teammates Karla Pretorius and Phumza Maweni in defence, the side seemed unable to gel, and only injected dominant shooter, Peace Proscovia in the final quarter. Meanwhile, the Magpies put on a superb performance, all but setting up their season from the get-go. While the Lightning have headed up the ladder for the most part, the Magpies have only shown glimpses of their preseason form since then – namely against the Vixens last week. Given recent form this match could ultimately go either way, but the dominance and versatility the Lightning have shown so far this season suggests that they have what it takes to take control of this game and call the shots across the court. The Magpies were solid in Round 7, holding up to the Vixens’ pressure while Ash Brazill was phenomenal shutting down space in attack and challenging every ball that came her way. Shimona Nelson was solid putting shots up but had issues when the Vixens attacked her hands at the post, so will want to clean up her act coming into this round. The Magpies overall produced the most turnovers last round with 32, so the Lightning will likely try to mimic the Vixens’ Round 7 efforts to put the same doubt in the Pies’ minds.

West Coast Fever v. Adelaide Thunderbirds

The Fever will be looking for revenge this week after Round 1 not only saw the Thunderbirds break their losing streak but also saw Fever captain, Courtney Bruce go down early in the match with an elbow injury that kept her off the court for close to a month. Fever have endured three draws over the past four rounds and only one win this season, so will surely be looking for a big game against the Thunderbirds who pushed the Lightning last round. Though the Thunderbirds got the last laugh in Round 1 with a last minute one goal win, both Bruce and dominant goaler, Jhaniele Fowler spent time off the court managing injuries, so the side will be raring to go to prove they have what it takes to beat the Thunderbirds – who only sit one spot below Fever on the ladder. While their Round 1 victory may have been a fluke, the Thunderbirds have put in some strong performances this season to beat the winless Firebirds in Round 5, before challenging Lightning last week in a stellar performance across the board. The defensive partnership of Shamera Sterling and Layla Guscoth continues to dominate every match, while Maria Folau and Sasha Glasgow put on one of their best performances of 2019 last round against the exceptional defence of the Sunshine Coast. The showdown between Jamaican teammates, Fowler and Sterling will be the one to watch, with Fowler’s 100 per cent accuracy and Sterling’s breakout Round 1 performance – including five intercepts and 12 deflections – likely still in their minds.

Queensland Firebirds v. Melbourne Vixens

In Round 1 the Vixens all but ran over the Firebirds with a 12 goal win, with the youth and raw talent of Kim Jenner and Tara Hinchliffe unable to hold up to the experience and shooting prowess of Caitlin Thwaites and Tegan Philip who shot at a phenomenal combined 93 per cent. Despite a strong start to the season the Vixens have struggled with consistency but are fortunately still sitting in the top four, while the Firebirds are yet to win a game in 2019. The Firebirds are due for a win, so will hope for another sloppy performance from the Vixens this week after both sides put up ultimately disappointing performances in Round 7. The Vixens gave up 30 turnovers against the Magpies last week, so will need to tidy up this week against a team that, despite not winning games, can quickly capitalise on errors. While the Vixens have a tried and true starting seven solidified, the Firebirds’ injury woes have created consistency issues across the board. The Firebirds have brought in three replacement players this season so far in Abigail Latu-Meafou and South African pair, Lenize Potgieter and Erin Burger. With three new players in their midst the Firebirds need time to gel and develop their connections down the court but expect them to put the Vixens through their paces given the amount of talent and star power in their midst. Firebirds captain, Gabi Simpson will need to be at her absolute best against Liz Watson, who despite a blip in the radar last round has had a dominant season so far, leading the charge in goal assists with 195 – a whopping 36 more than Maddy Proud in second.

NSW Swifts v. GIANTS Netball

It will be a different Swifts lineup that takes the court against the GIANTS in Round 8, with the news of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to captain Maddy Proud hitting the competition during the week. Despite Proud’s injury the Swifts continued their form to beat the Firebirds by 22 goals, though had to make unprecedented changes given Proud’s stellar form this season. When these sides met in Round 1 the Swifts came out on top to the surprise of many, defeating the new-look GIANTS by seven goals and poking holes in the GIANTS’ attack. The Swifts proved they had the firepower to get the job done, dominating most aspects of the court and forcing Caitlin Bassett to the bench in her first game in orange. Though two talls in the goal circle seemed a massive issue in the opening rounds, the GIANTS have almost flipped from their Round 1 form in recent weeks, finding their feet well with the likes of Jo Harten and Bassett slowly but surely ironing out their issues. For the Swifts, shooter Sam Wallace has been a revelation in 2019, staking her claim in the competition with her smooth movement and ability to pair seamlessly with Helen Housby. Meanwhile, Sarah Klau and Maddy Turner have showcased their ability to work in tandem, cleanly dominating in defence. Despite missing Proud this round, the Swifts have proven this season that they do not need to rely on one star player to dominate on court, instead using the skills of every single player to push the side to victory. The Swifts also still sit in top spot from seven rounds with only one loss and lead the bonus points by 12, so are still far too powerful to disregard at this point in the season.