By Sophie Taylor
Friday night netball has returned for 2025 and what a match it was as second and fifth ranked West Coast Fever and Adelaide Thunderbirds went head-to-head to open Round 11.
Despite the Thunderbirds sticking close throughout a challenging contest, Fever were in control from the jump to run home by five goals (68-63).
An enormous opening quarter of action proved just how tight the contest would be as the defensive pressure mounted from the very beginning.
Goal keeper Latanya Wilson and goal defence Tilly Garrett have well and truly stepped up in the absence of Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, and did that once again in the opening term forcing uncharacteristic errors from Fever’s feeders.
But Kadie-Ann Dehaney and Sunday Aryang said ‘anything you can do, I can do better’ and stepped up at the other end to account for three of Fever’s five first quarter gains.
Comparatively, the Thunderbirds did not record a single gain in the opening 15 minutes despite their two deflections.
The battle between Jess Anstiss and Georgie Horjus loomed as one to watch and well and truly proved its mettle as the opening quarter progressed.
But controlled and patient movement throughout the Power Five allowed Fever to extend to a six-goal lead at the first break despite long range accuracy from Thunderbirds goal attack Lauren Frew.
Tempers flared in a searing second quarter as Jamaican compatriots Dehaney and Romelda Aiken-George fought non-stop for control in the goal circle.
With both players willing to give as much physicality as they got, it was a constant battle for dominance.
Thunderbirds’ flow in attack was not their typical cut and drive but did the job as they gradually chipped away at the Fever’s resolve.
Two more back-to-back Suncorp Super Shots from Frew reduced the margin to four as the main break arrived, signalling a tight second half to come.
There was no love lost between Kadie-Ann Dehaney and Romelda Aiken-George.Focus was the name of the game as the two sides entered the third quarter.
Fever pulled the strings, switching Aryang onto Horjus in a moment of genius, while a stable attack allowed Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and Shanice Beckford to continue their excellent partnership.
But at the other end, the positional switch between Garrett and Wilson paid dividends for the Thunderbirds.
Wilson’s leap was crucial against the height of Fowler-Nembhard, while Garrett stemmed the influence of Beckford out the front and forced a change as Olivia Wilkinson entered the court.
San-Marie Visser’s influence became evident as the pressure continued to build, before the Thunderbirds drew back level to 44 goals apiece as the Power Five loomed.
An enormous final five minutes of the third quarter led to a 51-51 three quarter time score.
Two runs of three goals opened the final quarter as both teams won crucial turnover ball only to turn it back over on their centre pass.
The goal for goal game continued until a rare long range miss off Frew’s hand gave Fever an extra buffer, going up by four goals with less than four minutes remaining.
Despite every Tbirds defensive effort, Fever’s composure to run the game home was the true winner.
Patience with ball in hand allowed the home side to stem the flow of Power Five opportunities, and despite a flurry of late attempts from Horjus and Aiken-George, it was not enough as the Fever closed out the contest 68-63.
Fowler-Nembhard was her usual commanding self with 63 goals from 68 attempts, including one from two in Suncorp Super Shot range, while international teammate Aiken-George recorded 47 goals at the opposite end.
Skilful feeds from Alice Teague-Neeld were the talk of the town as she received Player of the Match honours for her 18-assist game, while the defence combination of Aryang, Dehaney and Anstiss accounted for six gains.
