Where and When: Sunday, 20 June at 1:00pm at Ken Rosewall Arena
Where to watch: LIVE in stadium at Ken Rosewall Arena or on Channel 9, Telstra TV or the Official Netball Live App
Tickets: CLICK HERE to purchase tickets
Last time they met: As the second half of the season begins, so too do the second round of match-ups. The GIANTS opened their 2021 season against the Thunderbirds in Adelaide in round one on a day of mixed emotions for the club. It was a resounding 14-point win but came at a cost for the GIANTS with star shooter Kiera Austin injuring her knee which will cause her to miss the rest of season. In her first real taste of SSN netball, Sophie Dwyer came on in the second quarter and shot 22/27 while captain Jo Harten was named the player of the match.
What it means for the GIANTS: At the half-way mark of the season where every team has played each other once, the GIANTS are sitting in third on the SSN ladder. After a hot start to the season and four wins in a row, the GIANTS have dropped the last three to the Fever, Swifts and Lightning. Coach Julie Fitzgerald has spoken about the different ways in which the GIANTS have lost each of the three games and has pointed to consistency as the main focus area for the GIANTS in the second half of the season, starting this week.
Where’s the opposition at: The Thunderbirds are sitting in seventh spot on the ladder with two wins so far this season. After a tough start to the season, the Thunderbirds have won the past two games in a row - a victory over the Vixens in round six which they then backed up with an upset win over the Swifts in Adelaide last weekend. It was the Thunderbirds’ first win over the Swifts in the SSN era with the home side winning all four quarters. Shadine van der Merwe was named the player of the match.
The number: 31. At this stage in the season, captain Jo Harten is leading all comers with 31 Super Shots over the opening seven rounds. She’s five ahead of Samantha Gooden - from the Thunderbirds - so the team who capitalises on their Super Shots could be in the box seat come Sunday’s game.
Key Match Up: Sophie Dwyer v Matilda Garrett. It’s the battle of the young guns on Sunday with 19-year-old Dwyer set to go head-to-head with 22-year-old Garrett in the goal circle. Dwyer has been a revelation for the GIANTS since Austin’s knee injury and hasn’t missed a minute of court time since coming on in round one. She’s shot 162 goals and 20 Super Shots at 75 per cent accuracy. Garrett joined the Thunderbirds in 2021 after four seasons at Collingwood and has featured in all seven matches so far this season.
