Super Netball Round 2 is in the books — with terrifying new combinations, shooting circle headaches and a superstar’s defiant interview front and centre.
Here are some of the big Talking Points.
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Swifts prevail in thriller finish! | 01:29
HOUSBY DECLARES DEFIANT SWIFTS’ AMBITIONS
The NSW Swifts left it to the death to seal a one-point win over a revamped Melbourne Mavericks side, treating a record home crowd to a big-hearted bounce-back after a Round 1 trouncing from the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
Having been criticised for a quiet outing in the 20-goal T-Birds loss, superstar goal attack Helen Housby nailed the winning shot to cap a 12/13, 4/9 Super Shot performance. She also had 15 goal assists, working in the circle with fellow marquee import Grace Nweke.
Housby gave a rousing interview to FOX Netball post-match, making it clear that this Swifts side is not content to make up the numbers after a heartbreaking finals exit last year. She called out one “terrible” element of their Sunday performance, while declaring some major ambitions.
“We weren’t happy with our performance last week, I personally was really disappointed,” Housby said.
“But to come out here in front of this amazing crowd and win a game like that against a really quality Mavericks side; they gave it right to the final whistle and to be honest, they were ahead for the entire game until that last quarter, and for us to pull it out like that…
“There’s still so many things we can clean up. I think our through court was pretty terrible today and that’s something we need to clean up, but it was a gutsy win and that’s what’s going to win us premierships, so that’s what we want.”
Housby said she welcomed the pressure, and was intent on building her second-year partnership with Nweke towards greatness.
“It feels like I’ve been playing with that pressure since I started my career and I think that’s what you sign up for being a professional athlete. I quite like shouldering that, I think that’s when your best stuff comes out. I’m going to shoulder that pressure week in and week out. You signed up for the criticism … I’m happy to do my talking on the court and I just try and do my best every week for my team.
“I absolutely love playing with Grace in the circle, she’s such a target for us. And you can see that she’s shooting the two-pointers. She’s a girl that wants to work on her craft week in and week out, she doesn’t just want to be a one-trick pony and she certainly isn’t. I love playing with her, she’s so passionate, so aggressive on the court, and hopefully this partnership becomes one of the legendary ones.”
It was a sharp course correction from the Swifts, Diamonds legend Cath Cox said on FOX Netball’s Pivot.
“Some brilliant performances, but I think what we really saw there was a NSW Swifts back to its best, that would not go away,” she said.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, showed plenty in Sydney and are now gearing up for a monumental Melbourne derby against the Vixens this Saturday. The exquisite form of Diamonds recruit Jamie-Lee Price and the reborn defensive combination of Tara Hinchliffe and Kim Brown is giving plenty of cause for optimism.
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VIXENS’ PLAN B CHANGE-UP
Having defiantly powered to the premiership last season with their mythical Plan A, in which the first-choice seven almost monopolised court time barring injury absences, the Vixens appeared to have doubled down in their first game under new coach Di Honey by only using eight players.
But having won their opener in that fashion, the Vixens then used all 10 players in a romping 16-point victory over the Giants in Round 2. That included court time for young guns Zara Walters and Lily Graham, while new mum Emily Mannix returned to the defensive mix.
“That was something that we were quite critical of throughout the season last year and then they just shut us all up by going ahead and winning the premiership!” Cox said.
“It doesn’t seem to matter with them but it looks like it might be something new, that they really want to keep players on the bench in touch with what’s happening. And (it’s) what most teams in the competition are doing these days.”
Former Thunderbirds premiership player Sam Poolman said that the Vixens had to embrace evolution to stay on top.
“They have to keep up with the competition, they can’t just keep a seven, which we’ve always spoken about with the Melbourne Vixens,” she said.
“But they do now have quality players who have had the opportunity in their seven for different reasons. They have bench players who are now capable to come on and make an impact.”
The ongoing rise of young midcourt star Hannah Mundy (24) has also been eye-catching to start the season.
“This attack line I honestly love so much. Of course, the Australian Diamond pairing there of Sophie Garbin and also Kiera Austin, but I loved Hannah Mundy tonight,” Cox said on Sunday.
“It doesn’t get spoken about a whole heap because she does her job, she doesn’t necessarily stand out with the speccy intercepts, but she does her job. Very rarely makes mistakes as well, and I think that’s what you could probably say for the whole attack line. They really do keep possession of the ball and that makes them dangerous to play.”
GIANTS’ FLAWED SHOOTING BATTLE
Would the Giants’ first-choice goal shooter please stand up?
That’s the message after falling to 0-2 to start the season, with Matisse Letherbarrow and Lucy Austin both getting a chance to start, but neither taking ownership of the GS bib.
While the noises out of Giants camp have been positive under new coach Nerida Stewart, the goal shooter spot is still up for grabs and the lack of certainty so far isn’t helping either young player.
Austin got the start against Vixens and shot 18/24 plus ½ Super Shots, while Letherbarrow shot 14/15 plus 4/7 two-pointers.
“It reminds me of the Mavs a couple of years ago, where that’s just not transferring into on-court just yet. I think give it time, it will come, and those personnel need to start coming in,” said Poolman, a former Giants player.
“I think Lucy Austin today really needs to be a solid target in there. And when they keep changing positions, it’s hard to get confidence and dominance when you’re coming off and on all the time.”
Poolman said that the Giants were juggling two young goal shooters with clear and different flaws, and Stewart may be forced to run with a flexible line-up.
“You’ve got two challenges at the moment,” she said.
“You’ve got Matisse, who you know when she gets on she can shoot, and she’ll stand up and shoot. She’s challenged to get the ball at the moment.
“You’ve got Lucy Austin, who can probably get the ball a little bit easier but is not backing herself (shooting) like we’ve seen at the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
“So I think whoever stands up and gives dominance, in terms of easy target like we say in (Shimona) Nelson tonight, and can back themselves and go to that post…
“I think they also need a little bit more time, just start grinding through it, because then Sophie (Dwyer) can get that domination as well.
“I think she’s gotta make a decision, see who stands up at training, and then back them in for a little bit longer.”
T-BIRDS’ LETHAL NEW COMBINATION
SSN beware. The early signs for the Elmere van der Berg and Georgie Horjus partnership are terrifying.
Horjus had 37 goal assists as the Thunderbirds comfortably downed West Coast Fever, almost exclusively into the South African star. Van der Berg finished with 57/62 shooting, plus a Super Shot.
“She just weaved her magic … and the way she links into van der Berg just makes Elmere’s job so much easier,” Diamonds great Bianca Chatfield said of Horjus on Pivot.
Fellow ex-Diamonds Kelsey Browne marvelled at Horjus’ stat line, which also featured 49 circle feeds … and ONE turnover.
“One turnover with that amount of handling the ball, she is an impressive player,” Browne said of the former SSN MVP.
“We love what Georgie Horjus does. I’m thinking a huge season from her.”
Adelaide were ruthlessly efficient in attack, converting 83% of turnovers into goals and scoring off 81% of centre passes. Van der Berg’s seamless transition to the world’s best league has been remarkable, with her body work and shot timing notable weapons.
“They’re finding her with ease, she’s clearly nailing them nine times out of 10. What a recruit to pick up,” Cox said.
“Let’s not forget, she’s still very young (24). No doubt they’ve got their eye on her for a long time to come, Adelaide.
“Also, she’s not really that tall (191cm), so I think what we’re seeing is a bit of a masterclass from the Adelaide Thunderbirds about how to connect that front line.”
At the other end of the court, superstar defender Shamera Sterling-Humphrey began to show signs of her old form after returning from the birth of her first child, and severe post-partum depression.
“I think the Shamera factor was back for the Fever. It was looking into the circle, knowing that she’s there, and getting a little bit scared of letting that ball go,” Browne said.
“We heard Alice Teague-Neeld in the press conference say that they hesitated far too much with Shamera in there, but that is genuinely how she makes the outside players feel. She has that presence about her. She had six gains, 11 deflections, she was huge in this game.
“And even her in the post-game interview was saying, ‘I’m still working my way into it’. If that’s working your way into it, Shamera, I’m scared to see what happens in Round 8.”
Even scarier for the rest of SSN: Sterling-Humphrey and van der Berg are training against each another every week, further sharpening their skills.
Fever, meanwhile, remain injury-riddled. Browne said that she was anxious for rising defender Ruth Aryang, in particular, to make her return in coming weeks from an Achilles rupture.
“She is a young player, we really need her to get back into the line-up,” she said.
WALLAM SHOWS FIREBIRDS WHAT THEY’RE MISSING
Donnell Wallam produced an MVP performance as Sunshine Coast beat the Queensland Firebirds in their derby, lighting up the court against a club that chose not to renew her contract at the end of 2024.
Back from her one-year detour in New Zealand, Wallam shot 46/58 for Lightning, plus two Super Shots in a one-point thriller. It was a statement performance complete with trademark flair, and she worked nicely with revamped Diamonds shooter Cara Koenen at goal attack.
“Donnell Wallam was superb,” former Diamond Maddie Browne said on Pivot.
“She was strong on the hold, she did a couple of lay-ups there, she was a really strong focal point for them to turn and look and deliver.
“It was also the work of Cara Koenen out the front, and Liz Watson. When they needed people to stand up, their superstars came to the party.”
The Firebirds were brave in defeat. They were cruelled by an ill-timed late blow to the nose for Silver Ferns defender Kelly Jackson, while unsung midcourter Macy Gardner stood tall in what is now a team laden with marquee imports.
There were plenty of positives for Kiri Wills’ team to draw on, though their headache with goal shooter Mary Cholhok was again apparent; further highlighted by Wallam’s spree at the other end.
“I think still struggling as little to get what they need from the likes of a Mary Cholhok,” Cox said.
“She missed 19 shots (48/67) in the game. Granted, took 14 rebounds, so got the majority of the back; but there still feels like there’s a little bit of a disconnect there. And again, with these sides that we see with new faces, you can’t wait that long for those connections to work in.”
The Firebirds weren’t helped by the hamstring injury absence of Silver Ferns midcourter Maddy Gordon, who could miss several weeks. Former Diamonds midcourter Kim Green named Firebirds veteran Lara Dunkley as a player who needed to step up.
“She (Cholhok) does seem to run around a little bit when she gets nervous and under pressure. She just needs to stay strong and also give them enough room to put them into space. I think she’s also on the baseline too much,” Green said.
“There’s a lot of work to be done but that connection should be stronger, and we’re seeing this time and time again. We spoke about Macy Gardner having a really strong game and she’s certainly coming into it, but I’m looking at Lara Dunkley, who’s been a leader in this team and has a lot of experience behind her.
“It’s time for her to step up and really bring Cholhok into the game.”
Wallam’s classy finish in Lightning win! | 02:24