Where and When: Saturday, April 16 at 7:00pm at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Where to Watch: Foxtel + Kayo Sports (Australia), Spark Sport (New Zealand) or NetballAustralia.Tv (International)
Tickets: Join us as we celebrate Little GIANTS Round and Easter! Tickets are available via Ticketek, starting from $25 and this round, juniors are FREE.
Last Time They Met: The two sides last met in round 10 of 2021, at John Cain Arena in Melbourne, for a Magpies home game. The GIANTS were coming off a less than satisfying performance against the Queensland Firebirds and came out in the first quarter looking like they had a clear purpose. Holding a five-goal lead at the first break, the GIANTS dropped just one quarter, the second by one-goal, and went one to extend their lead out to nine goals come the final whistle. Jodi-Ann Ward was the best for the Magpies, picking up 10 gains, while the GIANTS were evenly spread in terms of contributors!
What it means for the GIANTS: Still on the search for their second win, the GIANTS are keen to get their season back on track following on from some lingering COVID disruptions to the group. After an uncharacteristic performance in round four on Tuesday against the Firebirds, the GIANTS will be looking to clean things up and put out a more consistent performance all the way down the court.
Where’s the opposition at: The Magpies will be on a high after picking up their first win of season 2022 in round four. A depleted Magpies side, playing with a training partner and a temporary replacement player from another team, outscored the Sunshine Coast Lighting by 10 goals on Wednesday. Due to their COVID disruptions, the Pies will be without both Sophie Garbin and Gabi Sinclair again for Saturday’s match. Nyah Allen is a confirmed temporary replacement player, with a 10th player still to be confirmed.
The Name: Kelsey Browne. Browne was a dominant force in the Pies’ round four win over the Lightning. The 30-year-old was named player of the match and recorded 41 feeds, 29 goal assists, 28 centre pass receives and 101.5 Nissan Net Points. She will most likely match up on the GIANTS’ Amy Parmenter which will make for great viewing.
The Number: 11 – in the five years of Suncorp Super Netball, the GIANTS and the Magpies have met 11 times. Both home and away clashes for each season, plus a historic semi-final meeting in the inaugural season. The GIANTS have won 10 of their last 11 meetings.
The News: COVID and mid-week netball. It’s already been evident at the GIANTS that COVID is having ongoing impacts with lingering effects on performance. For the Magpies and the two players under the health and safety protocols, the fixture means their athletes will miss at least two matches. Whilst mid-week netball was the resolution to fitting games in prior to the Commonwealth Games, the load management of athletes and player availability makes it tough for any teams who are impacted.
