SITTING at opposite ends of the table the contest between NSW Swifts and Collingwood went right down to the wire, with the reigning premiers clutching a two-goal victory (60-58). It was blow for blow for majority of the game with neither side able to generate any real ascendancy and pull away but it was the experience of the Swifts that shone through.

It was an even start to the quarter as Sam Wallace nailed the first goal of the game before Shimona Nelson answered the call for Collingwood. Quick ball movement from both teams seemed to be the flavour of the game as the Pies and Swifts zipped up and down the court with ease. It was goal for goal to start the game, with neither side able to be split and making the most of their opportunities. Wing defence Mel Bragg came out with a point to prove taking an impressive intercept around circle edge to showcase her core strength and read of the play while her drive through the centre court enabled Collingwood to transition within a blink of an eye. It was clear the black and white had come out with a strong defensive mindset to cut off the Swifts signature cut and drive prompting Briony Akle to call a timeout at the 10 minute mark.

Sarah Klau came out of the timeout strong with a timely tip to halt Collingwood in their tracks as the Swifts reverted to their patient style of play to open up a two-goal lead. A scrappy couple of minutes ensued as both teams threw ball away however it was the Magpies attacking unit that impressed, utilising their speed to exploit the Swifts and catch them off-guard. Sophie Garbin made her way onto the court and had an immediate impact with her strong drive into the circle and accuracy to post. After drawing level, Swifts skipped out to a two-goal lead once again but Collingwood were determined to win ball as Jodi-Ann Ward displayed her netball nous to slot into the space in the goal circle and pick up ball to propel it back down court as Collingwood nailed two goals in a row. With the Swifts content to take the safe route to goal opting for the standard one-goal shot, Collingwood took a different approach as Gabby Sinclair showcased her hot hand to sink two super shots in a row and steal a handy lead.

Both teams were shaky coming out of the break throwing away a wealth of ball and struggling to find any momentum especially in the centre third. But as the quarter went on Kelsey Browne found good rhythm linking up nicely with Madi Browne through the midcourt with their speed and vision slicing through the Swifts defensive unit. Collingwood continued to apply pressure, skipping out to a three-goal lead as the Swifts looked to the bench with the injection of Tayla Fraser working wonders for the Swifts thanks to the youngster using her speed to full advantage to hit circle edge with great precision. Swifts got back to within one goal but once again Collingwood rallied in defence as Bragg continued where she left off, reading the play exceptionally well to claim possession cleanly.

Collingwood pushed out to a five-goal lead thanks to the defensive trio of Bragg, Ward and Geva Mentor working in overdrive to shut down every option coming towards the ball and forcing the Swifts into uncharacteristic passes. Ward was running amuck out the front throughout the term to limit the ball from entering into the goal circle. A timeout from the Swifts saw them make a wealth of changes in defence and through the midcourt with Maddy Proud switching into centre and Sophie Craig moving into goal defence. Although it did not make an immediate impact with the Pies extending the lead to eight goals, a Paige Hadley inspired intercept sparked the NSW Swifts as Helen Housby rewarded the effort with a super shot to cut the deficit to four goals. Kelly Altmann entered the game with the centre showcasing her defensive attributes but the Swifts upped the ante forcing a held ball to really get the game back on their terms. Despite consecutive missed shots from Housby, Collingwood were unable to capitalise with the attack breaking down. The final minutes of the term were marred by errors before Hadley managed a long bomb into Wallace in the two point zone to level the scores heading into the final break.

It was an even start to the quarter with both sides treasuring possession but Hadley was determined to put an end to that delivering once again to take an intercept around circle edge and propel the ball down court to steal the lead. her swing into wing defenced seemed to pay dividends as she picked up crucial ball. A three-goal rally from the Swifts saw them clinch the lead with their attacking unit looking more fluid and finding more space in the goal circle with Garbin drawing the attention of Matilda Garrett. In defence Klau consistently contested the hands of Nelson to force her to drop the ball and give the Swifts a chance to extend the lead with their silky transition down court.

With the Swifts seeming to have everything their own way and pushing out to a five-goal lead, Emma Ryde made her way onto the court and had an immediate influence under the post for the Pies. Sinclair came into the game with another super shot to keep Collingwood in touch while Wallace was composed under pressure to lead the charge in the goal circle given the constant rotations of the goal attacks. Strong hands over pressure from Collingwood allowed them to build pressure and work their way back into the match and draw level at three-quarter time.

The Swifts held strong to establish a two-goal lead and looked composed across the court, happy to work the angles. Madi Browne put on a show in the attacking third for the Magpies with her quick footwork and spatial awareness leaving fans in awe. Collingwood looked to isolate the ball carrier in defence but Housby proved her strength and netball nous under the post standing up to the pressure to reel in rebounds and elevated her energy in the final term. Bragg starred again with a huge intercept around circle edge to give Collingwood a chance to draw level but a missed shot from Sinclair allowed the Swifts to score. It turned into a super shot shoot out as Sinclair and Ryde went blow for blow but an offensive contact from Ryde cancelled out Sinclair’s goal as Collingwood went down by two goals in what was a frantic finish to the game.

Nelson was once again the main port of call for Collingwood under the post with the Jamaican topscoring with 26 goals despite only playing 38 minutes. Sinclair also influenced the scoreboard converting 14 goals with five of them super shots. The efforts of Swifts goal shooter, Wallace were front and centre piling on 31 goals for the game at 100 per cent while the playmaking Housby collected 10 goal assists and four super shots to go with her 12 goals. After a stellar performance last round, Mentor was a key contributor once again amassing five deflections while Ward and Bragg impressed with a combined seven intercepts and eight deflections. For the Swifts it was Klau that led the charge earning player of the match honours with five deflections and three intercepts.

>>> SWIFTS TEAM PAGE

>>> MAGPIES TEAM PAGE

>>> FULL MATCH STATS

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NSW Swifts 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 (60)
Collingwood Magpies 16 | 13 | 15 | 14 (58)

STARTING SEVEN

NSW Swifts:

GS: Sam Wallace
GA: Helen Housby
WA: Natalie Haythornthwaite
C: Paige Hadley
WD: Sophie Craig
GD: Lauren Moore
GK: Sarah Klau

Collingwood Magpies:

GS: Shimona Nelson
GA: Gabby Sinclair
WA: Kelsey Browne
C: Madi Browne
WD: Melissa Bragg
GD: Jodi-Ann Ward
GK: Geva Mentor