Match Preview: Round 1 v Firebirds

The GIANTS will look to kickstart their 2025 campaign in winning fashion as they welcome the Firebirds to town in a massive season opener.  

When and Where:  Sunday, April 6 at 2pm at Ken Rosewall Arena.  

Tickets: Join us at Ken Rosewall Arena to celebrate the start of a huge Suncorp Super Netball season as part of SUNDAY FUN DAY. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster and start from $30 (adults), $25 (concession) and $23 (juniors) or just $59 for a family! 

Where to Watch:  For fans residing in Australia, you can watch Sunday’s game via Foxtel, Kayo Freebies or Binge. Meanwhile, international viewers can watch the game via Netball pass. For more information click here 

Last Time They Met: When the teams last met in round nine last season it was the GIANTS who claimed a four-goal victory at Ken Rosewall Arena. Tied at the main break, the GIANTS put in a big second half to record a gutsy 71-67 win at home. Bolstered by the returns of co-captains Jo Harten and Jamie-Lee Price, the important win kept the GIANTS in the hunt for a finals spot.  

What it Means for the GIANTS: After a gruelling pre-season the GIANTS will begin their mission for Suncorp Super Netball glory with a round one matchup with the Firebirds. After numerous pre-season games the GIANTS are fit and firing and ready for the season to begin in front of a passionate home crowd at Ken Rosewall Arena. Led once against by Harten and Price and possessing a great mix of youth and experience, the GIANTS will enter the 2025 season with high hopes as they search for a return to finals in season 2025 after a disappointing campaign last season. The GIANTS have won 50 per cent of their round one games in their Super Netball history and they’ll be aiming to change that stat for the better on Sunday with a win over the Firebirds.  

Where’s the Opposition At:  The new-look Firebirds enter Sunday’s clash with the GIANTS as the only Super Netball side with a new head coach, with Kiri Willis leading the charge for Queensland in 2025. Willis comes from coaching the Stars in the ANZ Premiership between 2018 and 2024 where she led the team to three ANZ Premiership Grand Finals (2019, 2022, 2023) but was unable to get the ultimate success. If Willis and the Firebirds are to get their season off to a winning start and take down the GIANTS on Sunday then they’ll have to create history, with the Firebirds having never won a round one match in their Super Netball history to date. The Firebirds will have another new face on Sunday, with goal shooting recruit Mary Cholhok, who stands 201 centimetres tall and is a four-time winner of the top goal-scorer award in England's Super League, set to lead their attack in 2025.  

The Name: Hope White – The youngest player in Super Netball this season, White will make her Super Netball debut if she takes to the court in Sunday’s season opener. The 18-year-old midcourter has been ultra impressive across the pre-season after joining the club as a permanent replacement player for Gina Crampton who will miss the upcoming season as she awaits the arrival of her first child later this year.  A GIANTS Academy product who was originally elevated to a GIANTS training partner for the 2025 season before being elevated to a replacement player, White is a dynamic wing attack/centre who has shown she’s got the talent and desire to be a long-term star for the GIANTS and Australian netball.  

The Number: 266 – it’s been 266 days since the GIANTS took the court in an official Suncorp Super Netball season game and the side is hellbent on making sure 2025 bears more fruitful results than last year when the side missed out on finals. With a deep and dynamic squad in 2025, Julie Fitzgerald has more talent and weapons at her disposal than she’s had in years and the super coach will be looking to utilise that on Sunday as the GIANTS look to start their 2025 season with a bang by taking down the Firebirds.