The GIANTS will be looking to celebrate Australian netball royalty on Saturday as GIANTS legend Julie Fitzgerald coaches her 400th National League match.
When and Where: Saturday, June 15 at 5pm at Ken Rosewall Arena
Tickets: Join us at our house – Ken Rosewall Arena – as we take on the Adelaide Thunderbirds on Saturday afternoon. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster and start from $30 (adults), $25 (concession) and $23 (juniors), or take advantage of our special family offer for this week for just $45! Use code: GIAFAM910
Where to Watch: For fans residing in Australia, you can watch Saturday’s game via Foxtel or Kayo Sports. Meanwhile, international viewers can watch the game via Netball pass. For more information click here.
Last Time They Met: The last time the sides faced off it was the Thunderbirds who jumped out of the blocks with an impressive first half to run out 69-49 victors in round four at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. The Thunderbirds won all four quarters as the GIANTS found it difficult to penetrate the home side’s stifling defence. Despite the loss, Jamie-Lee Price was a standout for the GIANTS with a starring performance in both attack and defence.
What it Means for the GIANTS: This week’s clash has much more than just four points on the line for the GIANTS as they look to celebrate Julie Fitzgerald’s 400th game as coach in winning style. The GIANTS will enter Saturday’s match full of confidence after keeping their season alive with a 71-67 win over the Firebirds last week. The GIANTS were buoyed by the return of co-captains Jo Harten and Jamie-Lee Price in the win, while young defender Erin O’Brien showed what she was capable of in the absence of Tilly McDonell. Now winners of three of their last five games following a slow start to the season, the GIANTS will be looking to continue their resurgence with a win over the Thunderbirds
What it Means for the Opposition: Sitting outright third with a 6-3 record, the Thunderbirds will enter Ken Rosewall Arena on Saturday at the peak of their powers following an impressive 68-50 win over the second-placed West Coast Fever in Adelaide last week. Racing to a 15-goal half-time lead, the Thunderbirds proved far too good for the highly fancied Fever to cruise to a monster 18-goal win. Adelaide will now look to stay in touch with the top two with victory over the GIANTS on Saturday.
The Name: Julie Fitzgerald - Saturday's game is all about honouring the Australian netball legend in her 400th National Netball League match. Starting her National League coaching career with the Sydney Swifts in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy in 1997, Fitzgerald remained at the Swifts until the end of 2011 (later becoming the NSW Swifts) where she coached the club to five premierships during her 15 seasons at the helm. After a two-year stint at the Australian Institute of Sport, the super coach took her coaching career across the ditch where she spent three seasons coaching the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic from 2014-2016. In 2017 Fitzgerald returned home to Sydney to help form one of three new clubs - GIANTS Netball - in the Suncorp Super Netball competition.
The Number: 400 – a coaching career spanning almost 28 years, the GIANTS will be hoping to celebrate Fitzgerald’s 400th National League coaching appearance with sweet victory against the Thunderbirds on Saturday.
