OUR stats wrap takes a new form again this week, with the completion of the ANZ Premiership on Sunday seeing Suncorp Super Netball take centre stage. Instead of combining player stats from the two rounds, we will now take a look at the two different rounds of competitions separately and delve into the top performers based on individual outings.

ROUND 6

It was an intriguing round that saw the Firebirds get their first win on the board while the Magpies pushed the Swifts to the very end. The Vixens defeated a tough GIANTS outfit while Thunderbirds struggled against a hungry Lightning side. Jhaniele Fowler was predictably the top scorer of the round with 46 goals at 96 per cent, while compatriot Romelda Aiken impressed with a 41 goal haul of her own. Cara Koenen (32 goals from 36 attempts) and Sam Wallace (30 from 30) also hit the scoreboard well in what was a great week for goal shooters, while in goal attack Kiera Austin (30 from 34) and Tippah Dwan (20 from 24) also impressed. Through the midcourt, Liz Watson predictably topped the leaderboard with 25 assists from 49 feeds, closely followed by Mahalia Cassidy (23 from 36) and Laura Langman (21 from 40). Interestingly, no other wing attack hit over 20 assists, with Watson the only one to do so and both Cassidy and Langman not only winning in their respective matches but also racking up some ball as they did so (Cassidy with three pickups and Langman with an intercept). 

When it came to defensive efforts from midcourters in Round 6, Maddy McAuliffe impressed with three intercepts in her 45 minutes on court, while Mel Bragg, Paige Hadley (both three intercepts) and Nat Haythornthwaite (two intercepts) all showcased their ability to win back ball. Heading down back to the circle defenders there were a few teams that really starred, with Lightning’s defensive unit clearly the most dominant of the round. McAuliffe’s effort was just the beginning, with both Karla Pretorius and Phumza Maweni having a blinder to combine for 11 gains (four and three intercepts). The Vixens backend also gelled well with the trio of Jo Weston, Kate Eddy and Emily Mannix sneaking two intercepts apiece and collecting a combined 15 deflections, though just two resulting in gains. Courtney Bruce managed seven gains (five intercepts) in her side’s loss to the Firebirds, with Tara Hinchliffe’s magnificent seven gain effort against Fowler the real kicker. Jodi-Ann Ward and Sarah Klau also put out a solid performance for their respective teams, seeing the duo register identical statistics with six gains (three intercepts), though Klau also racked up five deflections which did not result in a gain.

ROUND 7

A huge midweek round saw three blowout results and just the one close match in a repeat fixture of Round 4. Both the Vixens and Swifts powered ahead to stay top of the ladder with one goal apiece, while GIANTS managed a one goal victory over a hungry Firebirds outfit and Fever defeated the Magpies. Unsurprisingly, Fowler was again up there with goals scored, adding another 62 to her overall tally while Aiken had another great game with 45 goals and two huge super shots to keep the Firebirds in the contest, finishing on 88 per cent accuracy. In a lower scoring contest, both Caitlin Thwaites and Lenize Potgieter only missed two goals apiece (putting up 30 and 29 respectively)  while Caitlin Bassett showcased why she is the Diamonds captain with 37 goals to her name.

At the other end of the court, it was a great round for defenders as Mannix (12 gains from eight intercepts and 10 deflections), Bruce (11 gains from six intercepts and eight deflections) and Shamera Sterling (five intercepts) all put on a show. Maweni and Hinchliffe did their job well once more with a solid three intercepts apiece, as did Stacey Francis in a huge opening half and the improved combination of Kristiana Manu’a and Amy Parmenter with six between them. Austin and Watson led the assists tally once more, sitting on 26 and 27 respectively, while Kelsey Browne led all comers on the centre pass tally, racking up 31 receives and followed by Ingrid Colyer on 27.

Looking to the overall leaders, Jamaican representatives lead four of the major categories, with Fowler leading both goals (375) and attempts (406) – more than 100 more than her next closest in Aiken – while Sterling and Aiken represent the significant rebounders at either end. The defensive rebounding tally is a close one between Sterling (18) and Hinchliffe (16), while Aiken’s ability to rebound her own attempts continues to pay dividends with 56 offensive rebounds to her name and Fowler next in line with 27. When it comes to deflections, Geva Mentor and Klau are the go-to girls, sitting on 50 apiece, while Pretorius, Sterling, Mannix and Parmenter all overtook Lauren Moore on the intercept tally this week, with the youngster leading the charge for majority of the prior rounds. Watson is miles ahead for goal assists with an average of 24 per game – and sat on the bench in patches – for 167, while it is a closer race for centre pass receives, with Laura Scherian currently leading the pack on 151, but closely watched by Colyer (147), Austin (143) and Kelsey Browne (142).

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Courtside Comments: Round 2 – Tippah Dwan

Courtside Comments: Round 6 – Lauren Moore