The GIANTS Academy have finished the inaugural Australian Netball Championships in fifth place.
It was both the first time the revised pathway competition was held (formerly called Australian Netball League) and also the first time the GIANTS Academy has participated as a team in a points-based competition.
The GIANTS finished in third place in Pool A at the end of the regular pool games, with two wins from four matches.
In their first round of play-offs they came up against the West Coast Fever Reserves. In a tight battle, the GIANTS dug deep in the final 15-minutes to record a four-goal victory.
The final day of action for the GIANTS was closed out with none other than a NSW Derby, up against the Swifts Academy, playing off for fifth and sixth position.
Entering the final quarter with a five-goal lead, the game was far from over as the cross-town rivals fought right to the very end, but the GIANTS’ determination saw them hold on at the final whistle, taking the win by one goal.
Reflecting on the week, Head Coach Ali Tucker-Munro said she was really pleased.
“We finished the week with four wins from our six games and those two losses were against the grand finalists,” she said.
“I spoke to the girls of the quality of our competition in our pool and I was really proud of the way they handled themselves after those initial losses early on.
“We had some amazing personnel within the group and everyone knew their role and they stood up when required and they were a really connected bunch, with a great team culture and they really did play for each other which is what it’s all about.”
It was a week of learnings and Tucker-Munro’s number one takeaway for her team was the importance of doing the simple things well.
“You can try and replicate it as much as you can at training, but under pressure, under fatigue and in a week-long tournament, it is different,” she said.
“It’s a good reminder that all that hard work is not for naught and it’s really about pushing yourself at training so that you’re in the best position and condition possible.”
There was a range of experience within the GIANTS’ line-up, from Suncorp Super Netball experienced players to those that haven’t competed in a national competition for a few years to those that competed for the first time earlier this year and for some, it was their very first taste at this level.
“I think irrespective of your level of experience or age, I think you take different learnings from a mental point of view as well as a physical and emotional,” said Tucker-Munro.
“I think given the nature of the tournament it’s all about building resilience as an athlete and I think that bodes well for us a team moving forward and now that we’ve had this competition under our belt, for all it was a good reminder about all those key off-court components that really make a difference.”
The Australian Netball Championships is important part of the Australian Netball pathway to showcase and identify the future stars of the game.
“I think it goes without saying that there are some really talented athletes in the pathway from right across the country and I think that spoke even more to the back end of the week where there were a few tired bodies but everyone was giving everything day in, day out,” Tucker-Munro said.
“It was a real joy to have had this tournament run for a cohort of players that some may have not had a national competition for a number of years now because of COVID.”
