The district of Goulburn was treated to a netball spectacular when the GIANTS and Swifts battled it out on Saturday afternoon as part of their preparations for the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball Season.
The GIANTS were impressive early on, holding a four-goal lead early in the first quarter.
After the Swifts called a time-out, the remainder of the quarter was owned by the team in the red. At the end of the first term it was 14-goals apiece.
Despite an early jump in the second quarter, GIANTS had too many errors that the Swifts took advantage of to hold the lead at half-time.
Young GIANT Matilda McDonell, who wasn’t with the team in New Zealand, was impressive as she matched up against Swifts’ internationals Sam Wallace and Helen Housby in both GK and GD.
In what seems to be a common trend for the GIANTS this pre-season, the third quarter and the latter half of netball was the strongest for the GIANTS.
The GIANTS scored just shy of 20 goals in the third quarter, running out one of their most unfamiliar line-ups with young training partner Matisse Letherbarrow and captain Jo Harten in the circle.
Kristiana Manu’a returned home to goal keeper in the second half after playing majority of the 2019 season in goal defence.
The vice-captain came flying out of the circle at the first ball that entered the third and from there she never looked back.
The final quarter was still anyone’s game with the margin getting to the narrowest of differences with plenty of time remaining on the clock.
A cool, calm and composed GIANTS took the lead and played out the game to take a two-goal win on the final whistle.
A giant thank you to everyone who came out to Goulburn to support the match.
Q1: GIANTS 14 | Swifts 14
Q2: GIANTS 25 | Swifts 29
Q3: GIANTS 44 | Swifts 44
Q4: GIANTS 56 | Swifts 54
Jo Harten (25/29) 86%
Kiera Austin (16/18) 89%
Sophie Dwyer (3/4) 75%
Matisse Letherbarrow (12/17) 71%
