Top spot on the line

By Stephanie Smarrelli

Just when you thought the top four was locked, the last weekend of netball has well and well and truly shaken things up. 

Round 10 delivered a wealth of surprises and with just a few rounds to go pressure is building... and fast.  

The Swifts have now lost two on the trot, giving Fever the perfect chance to leapfrog them  this weekend. 

The Vixens and Lightning are neck and neck rounding out third and fourth. 

And the Thunderbirds aren’t going anywhere. 

But it’s the GIANTS who are making a late play, an unlikely surge towards finals. 
 
Unlikely but not impossible for the team who a week ago sat last.  
 
There’s a lot up in the air and while the top teams have been pulling away, the door is still ajar as we head into Round 11. 

The weekend begins with a Friday night showdown. 

With the top of the ladder on the line for Fever and a threepeat dream hanging by a thread for the TBirds the stakes are high Friday night. 
 
Fever haven’t missed a beat since the return of superstar Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, chasing their ninth win in a row. 
 
The Thunderbirds’ season has been a mix of highs and lows, but they’ll take some confidence into this one having only lost by six to Fever in Round 6. 
 
Latanya Wilson is in blistering form, the defender willing to drag her teammates over the line whatever it takes. 

She leads the league for intercepts and deflections but faces a tough task in Jamaican teammates Fowler-Nembhard and Shanice Beckford. 
 
The last time the teams met she had four gains and two intercepts, but her teammates struggled to treasure possession and capitalise.  

The side recorded their lowest centre pass to goal percentage of the season in addition to only converting 44 per cent of their gains.  

It was a blimp on their radar that can be attributed to the defensive pressure from Fever. 

They’ve improved their gain to goal percentage since then, sitting at 66 per cent for the season. 
 
But Fever’s Green Army at home is no joke, they’ll show up in full force adding to the pressure cooker as the TBirds aim to break back into the top four.  
 
Every possession will be hotly contested especially if the match goes down to the wire.  

All eyes will be on Georgie Horjus and Lauren Frew who combined for seven Super Shots against the Firebirds last weekend and are key playmakers for the Thunderbirds. 

But Fever’s defensive unit is as tough as they come, with Kadie-Ann Dehaney, Sunday Aryang and Fran Williams all able to turn a game on its head in an instant. 

The battles across the midcourt will be key for both teams to win. 

 With Alice Teague-Neeld dishing out more goal assists than anyone in the league, the TBirds will need to shut down her path to Fowler-Nembhard. 

Jordan Cransberg is another one to watch, having a breakout season she’s become a key cog for Fever adding heat on the TBirds midcourters. 

The Thunderbirds won’t shy away from the challenge, they know what’s at stake and hunger can often be enough to drive a team to victory. 

REST OF THE ROUND 

Then attention turns to the Sunny Coast. 
 
Lightning were a shadow of themselves last Sunday against the GIANTS and now they face the Vixens in what could be a ladder-shifting clash. 

They got the better of the Vixens last time, but the Vixens are looking sharp and with a win over the ladder leaders under their belt confidence will be sky high. 
 
Then Sunday there’s much more than NSW bragging rights on the line. 

The Swifts have looked shaky in recent weeks and for the first time this season their spot on top is under threat.  

Teams have figured out how to break them down and now it’s their turn to respond. 

While the GIANTS are full of belief rising from the bottom of the pack and playing with nothing to lose.  

It’s not yet impossible for them to make finals and a win against the Swifts would only add fuel to the fire.  
 
Closing out the round the Firebirds and Mavericks go head-to-head. 

Both teams have strung together solid patches of play throughout recent weeks, but wins have remained elusive. 

Sitting at the bottom of the cellar neither team wants to finish last and a win or loss this weekend could determine which team gets the wooden spoon.