The GIANTS have an opportunity to make a statement with a win over the third-placed Fever in an exciting First Nations round clash at Ken Rosewall Arena.
When and Where: Saturday, May 24 at 7pm at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Tickets: Join in our celebrations and acknowledgement of the First Nations community at our annual First Nations round. 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 Saturday’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: The last time the sides met it was the Fever who held on for a thrilling 68-65 win at home in round 12 last season. The GIANTS were brilliant from the first centre pass and jumped out to an eight-goal half-time lead but were left to rue a poor third quarter as the Fever outscored them 20-9 in the term to help set up the epic comeback win.
What it Means for the GIANTS: The GIANTS continue to show that their best can match it with the best but need to address their inconsistency if they’re to take down the Fever at KRA on Saturday. As has been a common theme for the side, the GIANTS played some brilliant netball in last week’s loss to the undefeated Swifts but were let down by one quarter as the Swifts outscored them 22-13 in the third term to set up the 82-69 win. Despite the loss the GIANTS will take plenty of positives out of the game that saw them go goal-for-goal with the top of the table Swifts for most of the match. The biggest focus for Julie Fitzgerald and her side on Saturday will be making sure they can play their best consistently across all four quarters in order to claim victory over the high-flying Fever.
What it Means for the Opposition: The West Coast Fever will enter KRA riding a wave of momentum after an impressive 67-61 win over the Thunderbirds in Adelaide last week. After starting the season with back-to-back losses, the Fever have now won four straight games to sit third on the table entering the clash with the GIANTS. Across the past month the Fever have registered impressive wins over the Vixens, Lightning, Mavericks, and the Thunderbirds. In their most recent win against the back-to-back reigning premiers, the Fever used huge first and third quarters to take control of the game, outscoring the home side by a combined 13 goals across the two quarters. With a victory on Saturday the Fever can move to second place on the table if the Lightning lose to the Swifts at UniSC Arena.
The Name: Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard - A key to the Fever’s dominant run has been the form of the star shooter, who the GIANTS must restrict as much as possible if they’re to win Saturday’s clash. One of the greatest players to step foot in the competition – with a combined eight League MVPs to her name across the Suncorp Super Netball League and the previous ANZ Championships. Fowler-Nembhard has netted 227 goals at 97% accuracy this season for an average of 56.8 goals across her four matches. The GIANTS’ ability to limit the Fever star’s influence is sure to have a major say on who leaves KRA with the win on Saturday.
Fun Fact: Heading into round seven, both the GIANTS and the Fever share identical records — five wins, one draw, and two losses. Who will add to their round seven win tally in 2025?
