Where and When: Saturday, June 4 at 5:00pm at Nissan Arena, Brisbane.
Where to Watch: Foxtel + Kayo Sports (Australia), Spark Sport (New Zealand) or NetballAustralia.TV (international)
Tickets: Tickets to Saturday’s match in Brisbane at Nissan Arena are sold out.
Last Time They Met: The last time the GIANTS and the Firebirds met was in round four, on a Tuesday night – the first round of mid-week games for season 2022. Coming off COVID-impacted losses to the Thunderbirds and Vixens, it was another far from perfect performance as the GIANTS went down to the Firebirds by 13 goals, not winning one quarter. Tilly McDonell worked hard on newcomer Donnell Wallam recording six gains and 80.5 Nissan Net Points but the GIANTS struggled through the midcourt and their shooting percentage was uncharacteristically low.
What it Means for the GIANTS: A win this week would put the GIANTS in the perfect spot to secure a 2022 finals berth. It’s also a chance to put out a much more competitive performance against the Firebirds and look to deliver that more consistent four quarter performance that they’ve been searching for.
Where’s the Opposition At: The Firebirds come off an upset win over the West Coast Fever in Perth last round. The win broke a four-game losing streak, to put their great start to the season back on track. The Firebirds played with extra incentive last round, with the league’s only two First Nations athletes, Jemma Mimi and Donnell Wallam, Firebirds athletes. As the league celebrates its second First Nations round this weekend, it will mark an extra special home game, in front of a sell-out crowd.
The Name: Tilly McDonell – the GIANTS’ go-to goalkeeper comes off an impressive performance in the must-win match against the Adelaide Thunderbirds, recording a team-high 8-gains. This week she’ll have the tough task, up against Donnell Wallam.
The Number: 91 – both team’s one-point shot season percentage is 91%. Despite playing different styles of game, the two have albeit the same percentage (GIANTS 90.7% and Firebirds 90.9%). In the Super Shot, the GIANTS percentage is 56%, whilst the Firebirds is 46%.
The News: A sell-out crowd is expected to fill Brisbane's Nissan Arena as the Firebirds not only play for a place in the 2022 Suncorp Super Netball finals but celebrate their First Nations round. The Firebirds are the only team to have First Nations athletes on their list, with both Jemma Mimi and Donnell Wallam of First Nations heritage.
