Round Two of the Super Netball has drawn to a close with plenty of close matches, rivalry clashes and a dose of controversy that has the potential to affect teams in the long run, especially when it comes to finals.
Round two opened with the Battle of the Bruce, with a dominant display from the Sunshine Coast Lighting proving that they're the real deal in 2023. The Lightning also had two Super Netball debutants with Charlie Bell and Ashleigh Ervin getting their first minutes in the Suncorp Super Netball.
Whilst in New South Wales, the West Coast Fever have once again come away with the points in yet another nail biting one-goal win over the Giants who had two key players returning to the line up.
1. Wild night in South Australia
It was an eventful Saturday night in Adelaide, where fans were expecting a red hot contest between the Thunderbirds and Swifts in front of a sell out crowd at Netball SA stadium. Instead they were met with an hour delay due to the court not being in playing condition, with stadium workers having to rip up the decals that were placed on the court, with the decals not having lacquer placed over them.
The game got underway with a cracking first half of netball taking place, with both teams putting out strong performances across the first half but a blackout at half time halted the match. Netball Australia decided to call the game a draw, with a statement released Saturday night indicating it was an issue with a transformer.
"Due to a high voltage transformer issue causing a power outage at Netball SA Stadium, the match between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and NSW Swifts was not able to be completed in the allocated time frame in which it must be played," the statement read.
"The game will be declared a draw with scores locked at 25-25 when the match was called off. The points will be shared, in accordance with SSN rules of the game."
2. Ultimate Melbourne Derby ending
As usual, the Melbourne Derby once again didn't disappoint. With the Magpies jumping out of the blocks, picking right up where they left off from last week against the Swifts. The Magpies attack end was on song, with Kelsey Browne (24 goal assist and 31 feeds) having a day out and working nicely with Shimona Nelson, Sophie Garbin and Molly Jovic.
Despite going into the last quarter with a eight-goal lead, a strong comeback from the Vixens , led by goaler Kiera Austin (21 goals and 3 supershots), meant the Magpies were on the ropes in the final minutes. A contact call against Magpies defender Jodi-Ann Ward in the super shot zone gave Vixens sharpshooter Mwai Kumwenda a chance to win the game and that she did.
The game didn't come without its own controversy with Magpies coach Nicole Richardson appealing to the score bench after the match, with the Vixens having received two centre passes in a row in the final minutes of the match.
"What happened in the last minute and a half is an absolute fiasco," Richardson said post match.
"You can't have a result like that, this is an elite level competition. You've got an automated scoreboard that tells you whose centre pass it is, you've got a bench that knows exactly whose centre pass it is, but the bench don't have the power to do anything about it and it just cost us a game, that's why I'm angry."
The matter was raised by both Garbin and Richardson to the officiating umpires, but despite the appeal, the umpires proceeded with the match which led to a Collingwood defeat.
"We've been completely robbed because we would have had an opportunity to go two goals up, we would have had an opportunity to starve the ball and take some time off the clock and they shot after the siren anyway. At the end of the day, they've stuffed up, they've cost us a game."
3. Guess who is back?
The Giants welcomed back captain and England International Jo Harten in the nail biting loss against the West Coast Fever. Harten, who missed the first match due to a knee injury sustained in international duties was instrumental in the Giants 11 goal turn around to get within a point.
Between the 34-year-old and her shooting partner in Sophie Dwyer they combined for 15 super shots for the game, mainly coming in those two comebacks in the second and last quarter. Overall it was a strong first appearance back for the Giants captain, scoring 29 goals out of Supershot time, as well as adding that level of experience in the Giants attack end and proved to be vital in a leadership sense as well.
Also returning to the court was Maddie Hay, who missed the opening match due to a knee injury. In her 50th Suncorp Super Netball appearance, Hay was a key part of the Giants attack especially with getting into that second phase being an area the Giants struggled with in round one without Hay. Hay finished the match with 18 goal assists and 40 feeds and applied that forward half pressure, having two intercepts and one deflection.
4. Inconsistent Firebirds
It was a disappointing first performance against the Sunshine Coast Lightning in the battle of the Bruce. With the Lightning able to get the ball out of defence into the shooters with ease, which meant the Firebirds were going into halftime with an 18 point deficit.
Whilst the Firebirds were able to mount a comeback, going down by 10 goals, they still have a fair way to go when it comes pulling off full four quarter performances with the team showing positive glimpses throughout the match.
The Firebirds made plenty of changes in the second half, including pushing captain Kim Ravaillion back into wing defence and bringing Macey Gardner on into centre. With coach Bec Bulley looking to change it up after a disappointing first half.
"I guess when you're down by 18 goals you've got to try something." Bulley said post match.
"I thought I'd mix it up a bit and I actually thought the girls that came on did a really good job. Ash Unie made her debut, Emily Moore again it's only her second game in the SSN but did quite well. Lara also played four quarters, her first four quarters this season so she did a great job too."