Despite these teams' opposite results for the season, the game between the GIANTS and the Swifts was always going to be fierce, due to the nature of it being the NSW Derby.
There was an extra element in play this game because the NSW Swifts had been elevated to the top spot on the ladder – thanks to the Collingwood Magpies knocking off the Thunderbirds the night before. They may not have had any pressure, but they used their new position to spur them on.
It was an exciting contest from the get-go, both teams ferocious in their attacks for the ball. All eyes were on the mid-court to begin, the combinations of Tayla Fraser, Maddy Proud, and Paige Hadley, taking on Amy Parmenter, Jamie-Lee Price, and Maddie Hay were expected to make for great match-ups. And they were! The physicality was evident from both teams, with players hitting the ground and each other – hard.
The Swifts did start to pull away, Romelda Aiken-George proving a difficult task to stop for the GIANTS' defenders.
It was the active work by Sophie Dwyer down the other end that helped her team stay in the game, her movement outside the circle and her hard drives allowed skipper Jo Harten to get open. This continued throughout the game, Harten using her strength to block out Klau and allowing Dwyer to shoot the super shot during the power five period.
Amy Parmenter was her usual self, doing a wealth of work and keeping the Swifts on their toes. Maddy Proud was also having an impact on her team, however, was increasingly connecting with the hardwood and required a sub midway through the second quarter.
She subbed back on later but was moved into the WA position to ensure she was a little more protected.
After her performance last week, Sophie Fawns was back in for her super shot prowess, but her accuracy wasn’t as impressive this week and the GIANTS capitalized on her misses. Despite this, the Swifts held the lead going into halftime. The margin was the same as it was after at the end of the first quarter – just six goals.
The second half, particularly the third quarter was all GIANTS. Slow and steady, they built up their defensive pressure, both in the goal circle and in the midcourt – every ball was up for grabs, and they continued to get deflections and intercepts, purely from wanting the ball more.
Matisse Letherbarrow showed what she was capable of nailing some very important super shots to help her team narrow the margin and then take the lead.
The scores were level going into the fourth and despite a valiant effort from the GIANTS, the Swifts were able to creep away with a five-goal win.
