Talking points: Semi Finals

By Sophie Taylor & Stephanie Smarrelli
 

The first Grand Final spot has been locked in and a massive Preliminary Final is up next.

We run you through our top talking points from the Semi Finals.

HOW ABOUT THE FEVER

One word.

Wow.

Talk about a dominant performance.

And while the West Coast Fever have been pretty damn good this season, no one really saw that first half coming.

The Swifts had no answers for the Green Machine, who fired on all cylinders through an incredible 46-20 first half against the Swifts to run home 77-45.

Confidence on the feed from the very start was crucial to their success.

Alice Teague-Neeld and Jordan Cransberg paved the way in attack, while Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and Shanice Beckford had Sarah Klau and Maddy Turner’s number from the very beginning.

Jess Anstiss and Sunday Aryang had standout performances in the defensive end, piling on the pressure and allowing Kadie-Ann Dehaney and Fran Williams to shine at the back.

Something could be said for every single Fever player, such was the enormity of their full-court effort.

Notably, they did not shoot a successful Suncorp Super Shot until the final quarter, compared to the Swifts who peppered the scoreboard from range to little avail.

Fever will have a well-deserved break before heading to Melbourne for the SSN Grand Final on August 2.

On the flip-side, the Swifts will need to quickly recover ahead of a home Preliminary Final on Sunday afternoon against the Vixens.

The Swifts really missed the leadership of Paige Hadley on court and struggled to find avenues to circle edge.

Those issues translated into the circle too, with Grace Nweke and Helen Housby unable to convert on the scoreboard thanks to the pressure built from Fever’s defence.

And when Housby’s four-goal, four Suncorp Super Shot, five goal assist game leaves her as the Swifts’ top performer, there’s some concerns that need to be tackled ahead of the next match.

VIXENS OUT OF NOWHERE

Vixens is the name, clinical was the game.

Safe to say this was a bogey match for the Vixens and a gimmie for the Thunderbirds.

Based off history, you would not have been alone in predicting a Thunderbirds win at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday afternoon.

Heading into the weekend the Vixens had lost their past five outings against the Tbirds – four of those in Adelaide.

But the Vixens found an extra gear on the weekend to knock the back-to-back reigning premiers out of the race, giving themselves an extra week to prove they can take on the Fever for premiership glory.

And despite a shaky start going 1-4 in the opening minutes, it did not take long for the Vixens to pile on the pressure to hold a lead by the first break.

Led by Kate Moloney through the midcourt, the Vixens took charge to dominate each area of the court.

Precision passes from Moloney, Kiera Austin and Zara Walters nullified the impact of Latanya Wilson, while Sophie Garbin was cool, calm and collected at the post.

The defensive unit of Kate Eddy, Jo Weston and Rudi Ellis kept the pressure on the pulse of the Thunderbirds’ quick-moving attack, picking off any errant passes that came their way.

All that said, it was certainly not an easy battle.

Matilda Garrett stood tall in her 100th match, while Kayla Graham put out her best performance of the season in a huge second half effort.

Georgie Horjus was undeniable to post, shooting eight goals from 12 attempts (six Suncorp Super Shots) but nullified by Austin’s five Suncorp Super Shots at the other end.

The Thunderbirds unfortunately wave their finals campaign goodbye with this loss, but can hold their heads high after an enthralling match.

The Vixens will turn their attention to an out-of-sorts Swifts side in the Preliminary Final on Sunday.

JULIE FITZ BIDS FAREWELL

A stalwart of the game and long-time head coach, Julie Fitzgerald officially announced she has stepped down from the GIANTS head coach role.

Fitzgerald’s coaching career is one to admire.

Twenty-seven seasons.

Five premierships.

Three clubs.

She has left an indelible mark on Australian and NSW netball credit to her coaching nous and ability to develop players from the group up.

And forgive us for believing this announcement was held off to ensure retiree Jo Harten got the Round 14 send-off she deserved.

But never fear, the word “retirement” was never used in the GIANTS’ announcement.

We may still see more of Jules yet.