Round 1: GIANTS v Swifts
What better way to kick off the 2019 season then with a Sydney Derby – showcasing that Netball in New South Wales is stronger than ever in its 90th year.
The first quarter proved that this match and the season was anyone’s, with the Swifts just winning the quarter by two goals.
The second was controlled by the GIANTS who outscored the Swifts by four to hold a half time lead of two goals.
It was the Swifts who turned up in the second half, beating the GIANTS by nine goals to get their hands on the Carol Sykes Memorial Trophy.
Despite the result it wasn’t a day to forget for three new GIANTS with Caitlin Bassett, Amy Parmenter and Maddie Hay making their debuts for the club.
Score breakdown:
Q1: GIANTS 12 v Swifts 14
Q2: GIANTS 18 v Swifts 14
Q3: GIANTS 14 v Swifts 18
Q4: GIANTS 12 v Swifts 17
FT: GIANTS 56 v Swifts 63
Suncorp Super Netball Premiership Points:
GIANTS – 1
Swifts – 7
Match Centre and full replay – CLICK HERE
Round 2: Vixens v GIANTS
GIANTS Netball travelled to Melbourne to face the Vixens in round two and, while the result went the Vixens’ way, it was still a special game as captain Kim Green played her 200th elite match and Matilda McDonell made her elite netball debut.
Green became one of only nine players to reach the milestone at elite level.
GIANTS, and Australian netball, fans were happy with what they saw from Caitlin Bassett, whose return from a broken arm seemed to be on track. Bassett finished the game with 35 from 39 shooting.
The GIANTS tried hard all match to reduce the margin, but with dominant performances at both ends of the court from the Vixens, the GIANTS weren’t able to secure any points.
Score breakdown:
Q1: Vixens 16 v GIANTS 10
Q2: Vixens 14 v GIANTS 11
Q3: Vixens 15 v GIANTS 10
Q4: Vixens 16 v GIANTS 14
FT: Vixens 61 v GIANTS 45
Suncorp Super Netball Premiership Points:
Vixens – 8
GIANTS – 0
Match Centre and full replay – CLICK HERE
Round 3: GIANTS v Magpies
Round three of the competition saw the GIANTS secure their first win of the season, defeating the Collingwood Magpies at the Quay Centre.
It was a ferocious start to the match with both teams hitting the ball hard and asserting their playstyle on the game early.
The Magpies were sloppy in the second quarter and struggled to get any flow into their game, as the GIANTS took a 26 to 23 goal lead into the half time break.
It was more of the same in the third, as the GIANTS continued to frustrate the Magpies and play the game on their own terms.
The trio of Parmenter, Sam Poolman and Kristiana Manu’a continued to work hard to stifle the Magpies’ attack, with strong support from Jamie-Lee Price.
On the attacking end, Green, Jo Harten and Price had real vision and played smart to find Bassett in the circle, with the shooter showing great confidence and holding her ground against star Magpies defender Geva Mentor.
Score breakdown:
Q1: GIANTS 11 v Magpies 12
Q2: GIANTS 15 v Magpies 11
Q3: GIANTS 17 v Magpies 12
Q4: GIANTS 15 v Magpies 15
FT: GIANTS 58 v Magpies 50
Suncorp Super Netball Premiership Points:
GIANTS – 6
Magpies – 1
Nissan Player of the Match – Amy Parmenter
Match Centre and full replay – CLICK HERE
Round 4: Firebirds v GIANTS
Entering round four, GIANTS Netball were a team on a mission to add another win to their record after a successful outing in round three.
Not only were they able to secure the win against the Queensland Firebirds, they also took all eight points on offer after downing the Firebirds by eight goals.
It was a tight first quarter with both teams playing tentative netball. However, It was the GIANTS who managed to take the first bonus point by the smallest of margins.
The GIANTS burst out of the quarter time huddle and got to work extending their one-goal lead, upping their ball movement speed and tightening up their passing.
It was a tightly contested third quarter as both teams went goal-for-goal for much of the term.
But the GIANTS were able to steady late, thanks to some rock-solid defence through the centre by Jamie-Lee Price and Amy Parmenter and take a 52 to 45-goal lead into the final quarter.
The Firebirds were desperate to take something out of the game and came out hunting a bonus point in the final quarter, but the GIANTS were too dominant and came storming back to claim the maximum points.
Score breakdown:
Q1: Firebirds 14 v GIANTS 15
Q2: Firebirds 14 v GIANTS 18
Q3: Firebirds 17 v GIANTS 19
Q4: Firebirds 16 v GIANTS 17
FT: Firebirds 61 v GIANTS 69
Suncorp Super Netball Premiership Points:
GIANTS – 8
Firebirds – 0
Nissan Player of the Match – Kim Green
Match Centre and full replay – CLICK HERE
Round 5: Lightning v GIANTS
The GIANTS started strongly but finished poorly in their round five clash with the two-time reigning premiers at their new stadium on the Sunshine Coast.
The second-half blowout didn’t do justice to the enthralling contest fans were treated to in the opening two quarters.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom in the second half as Caitlin Bassett recorded her 7000th elite level goal during the third quarter and Teigan O’Shannassy debuted during the third quarter to become the 18 GIANT.
Score breakdown:
Q1: Lightning 16 v GIANTS 17
Q2: Lightning 14 v GIANTS 16
Q3: Lightning 25 v GIANTS 14
Q4: Lightning 17 v GIANTS 14
FT: Lightning 72 v GIANTS 61
Suncorp Super Netball Premiership Points:
Lightning – 6
GIANTS – 2
Match Centre and full replay – CLICK HERE
Round 6: GIANTS v Thunderbirds
The GIANTS secured their third win of the season in an impressive performance against the Adelaide Thunderbirds, showing glimpses of their 2018 form.
The GIANTS looked the better team in the early stages, but the Thunderbirds just wouldn’t go away, pushing the home team to final whistle.
The first quarter saw GIANTS Jo Harten bring up her 1000th SSN goal as the GIANTS led by just one goal at quarter time
The pace of the game went up a level in the second quarter, with both teams looking to stretch the other and score quickly on the break.
The GIANTS got to work on extending their five-goal halftime lead in the third quarter.
The GIANTS pulled away in the final quarter, securing an 11-goal win along with all eight bonus points on offer for the game.
Score breakdown:
Q1: GIANTS 15 v Thunderbirds 14
Q2: GIANTS 17 v Thunderbirds 13
Q3: GIANTS 17 v Thunderbirds 14
Q4: GIANTS 16 v Thunderbirds 13
FT: GIANTS 65 v Thunderbirds 54
Suncorp Super Netball Premiership Points:
GIANTS – 8
Thunderbirds – 0
Nissan Player of The Match – Amy Parmenter
Match centre and full replay – CLICK HERE
Round 7: Fever v GIANTS
Round seven saw the GIANTS record their one and only draw for the season when they played the West Coast Fever in Perth.
The game ended in controversy as a goal to Caitlin Bassett in the dying seconds was disallowed by the controlling umpire.
The GIANTS were left to wonder what might have been, after leading by as many as eight goals throughout the contest but letting the Fever back in.
A series of errors and missed opportunities left disappointment amongst the group as they walked away with only the four points.
Bassett stood strong under the post, notching up 42 goals at 90% for the match.
At the other end of the court, the defensive duo of Poolman and Manu’a continued to grow and develop as a combination against one of the best shooters in the competition.
Score breakdown:
Q1: Fever 12 v GIANTS 15
Q2: Fever 16 v GIANTS 17
Q3: Fever 19 v GIANTS 17
Q4: Fever 15 v Giants 13
FT: Fever 62 v GIATNS 62
Suncorp Super Netball Premiership Points
Fever – 4
GIANTS – 4
Nissan Player of The Match – Kim Green
Match Centre and full replay – CLICK HERE
Round 8: Swifts v GIANTS
The second edition of The Derby proved to be a thriller from start to finish.
Despite the GIANTS starting strong and holding a four-goal lead, their Sydney rivals managed to finish the opening quarter strongly to have the game tied at the end of the first 15 minutes.
The GIANTS held a handy three-goal lead to start the second half and they got to work extending that lead immediately, but the Swifts dug deep to trail by just one goal heading into the final term.
It was an intense final 15-minutes and the near capacity crowd at Qudos Bank Arena were loving it, cheering hard as their netball heroes put on a show.
When Swifts goal defence Maddy Turner picked off a pass intended for Bassett, New South Wales put their foot down and broke the hearts of the GIANTS faithful, pulling away late and securing a four goal win.
Score breakdown:
Q1: Swifts 13 v GIANTS 13
Q2: Swifts14 v GIANTS 17
Q3: Swifts 15 v GIANTS 13
Q4: Swifts 17 v GIANTS 12
FT: Swifts 59 v GIANTS 55
Suncorp Super Netball Premiership Points:
Swifts – 6
GIANTS – 1
Match centre and full replay – CLICK HERE
Round 9: GIANTS v Vixens
The Vixens were too good for the GIANTS in the final round before the competition was brought to a standstill for the Netball World Cup in Liverpool.
The GIANTS were in the contest throughout most of the opening quarter, but a seven-goal Vixens run saw them take a 19-11 lead into the first break, and from there they were never headed.
Changes made by the GIANTS did little to alter the momentum, with the Vixens’ lead quickly blowing out to double digits, hitting 12 by half-time.
It took until halfway through the third quarter before the GIANTS finally clicked, cutting the margin to 10 goals and prompting a Vixens timeout.
The GIANTS finally found a run of consistency in the last 15 minutes, claiming a solitary bonus point with a 19-14 quarter.
Score breakdown:
Q1: GIANTS 11 v Vixens 19
Q2: GIANTS 13 v Vixens 17
Q3: GIANTS 14 v Vixens 16
Q4: GIANTS 19 v Vixens 14
FT: GIANTS 57 v Vixens 66
Suncorp Super Netball Premiership Points:
GIANTS – 1
Vixens – 7
Match Centre and full replay – CLICK HERE