By Alexander Dabb
The Melbourne Mavericks have made a big statement in the opening game of the Suncorp Super Netball season, seeing off a spirited GIANTS side to claim a 61 to 52 win and record a perfect start to 2026.
With plenty of fresh faces taking to the court in Round 1 for both sides at Red Energy Arena in Bendigo, it was a frenetic and somewhat scrappy start to the contest, with the ball fizzing around at a breakneck pace.
Amy Parmenter was among the action early in her 100th Suncorp Super Netball contest, with the Mavericks skipper earning a pair of deflections in the opening stages, but it was the GIANTS that were on the board first, with Matisse Letherbarrow draining the first goal of the season.
Shimona Nelson fired straight back though, and along with new Maverick Reilley Batcheldor, looked a handful under the ring for the GIANTS defensive duo, able to capitalise on the strong work in the midcourt from Parmenter and Jamie-Lee Price, the latter off to a brilliant start in her first outing against her old side.
The GIANTS were able to hang in, though, with Sophie Dwyer and Letherbarrow shooting well to stay in touch at 12-12, however Nelson sunk the first Suncorp Super Shot of the year in the dying seconds of the term, followed up with another goal from the centre pass, to hand the Mavericks a 15-12 lead at the break.
The Mavericks were able to open the contest up in the second as Price began to assert herself on the contest, proving a class above as she recorded eight feeds, five goal assists and 27 net points in the second quarter, helping her side out to an eight-goal advantage as the Super Shot buzzer sounded.
Some brilliant shooting from range would keep the GIANTS in it at the half, though, with two Super Shots to Letherbarrow and another to Dwyer cutting the margin to six at the main break, but it was the Mavericks that still led 30 to 24.
Whatever the message from new GIANTS mentor Nerida Stewart was at the break, it clearly had an effect, as the GIANTS immediately cut the margin back to just three in opening stages of the second half as Lucy Austin joined Dwyer inside the circle.
New Mavericks coach Gerard Murphy is off to a winning start.
The GIANTS held all of the momentum, and continued to score at will, coming within a single shot to trail 34-35 with five minutes remaining in the third term, yet the Mavericks showed a steely resolve to weather the storm and wrest the contest back onto their terms.
Uneeq Palavi joined Batcheldor on court and the pair converted a Super Shot each to push the Mavericks’ lead back to 39-35, with Palavi catching fire to drain another pair of two-pointers to reinstate the Mavs’ seven-goal lead.
Letherbarrow would make her third Super Shot of the contest to ensure the Giants won the term and cut the deficit to five goals at the final change, however the GIANTS still had work to do, trailing 38-43 heading into the fourth quarter.
But the Mavericks had the answers to any question they were posed, moving the ball with precision to push the lead out to double digits midway through the term, allowing Sacha McDonald to replace Maddie Hay and make her debut.
Leading 59 to 46 following a fourth Super Shot to Palavi with three minutes remaining in the contest, the Mavericks looked to have sewn it up, yet a run of three straight Super Shots to Letherbarrow gave the GIANTS the faintest of sniffs as the clock dwindled down.
It proved too little, too late, as Palavi sealed the win for the Mavericks with a Super Shot, ensuring Parmenter’s milestone match, and coach Gerard Murphy’s first game at the helm, ended in success.
Tara Hinchcliffe impressed in her first outing for the Mavericks.
Price’s dominant showing at centre was reflected in the final net point standings, with the star midcourter racking up 140 in her first outing against her old side, while both Tara Hinchcliffe, also in her first outing for the Mavs, and Kim Brown were brilliant too, earning 72.5 and 65 net points respectively.
Jane Watson was valiant for the GIANTS in defeat, racking up a team-high 59.5 net points, while Dwyer proved accurate under the ring, shooting at over 92 per cent to make the most of the opportunities that cam her way.
The Mavericks will look to make it two from two to start the season when they travel to take on the Swifts away from home next Sunday, while the GIANTS will look to regroup in their first home game of the year against the reigning premiers in the Vixens.
