After a chaotic weekend, round three of the Suncorp Super Netball season delivered some normality but that does not mean it wasn’t an action-packed weekend of netball.
Two teams put on clinical performances, one particular side’s reliance on the super shot was once again its undoing, while a netball icon celebrated a monumental milestone.
Here’s what went down in round three of Suncorp Super Netball.
A MONUMENTAL MILESTONE
Reaching a 200-game milestone in any sport is enormous, even more so in the netball world where there are only limited games in a season.
Only the best achieve that honour, and over the weekend Romelda Aiken-George was the latest athlete to be etched into netball history.
Her 200-game milestone could not have come at a more fitting time.
The spotlight was firmly on NSW Swift Aiken-George as the sharpshooter faced off against her former team, the Queensland Firebirds.
Aiken-George spent more than a decade in the purple dress before returning to the game as a training partner with the Swifts after giving birth.
In the highly anticipated rivalry match for the Jamaican, Aiken-George earned bragging rights as her team surged to victory.
The Swifts trailed the Firebirds for most of the match, but flicked a switch in the final quarter.
Aiken-George sunk 39 goals and worked well with goal attack Helen Housby.
When Aiken-George hit the double-century over the weekend it marked her third game with the Swifts after she was called up as a temporary replacement player for Sam Wallace.
SUPER SHOT UNSTUCK
It is a tale as old as time.
Plagued by close margins, the GIANTS’ reliance on the super shot to claw back a deficit is becoming a weekly occurrence.
It happened last week against the West Coast Fever when they were able to get within one goal after a flurry of super shots in the final term, but they still lost the match.
And it was a case of deja vu on Sunday.
The Melbourne Vixens held strong for majority of the game and were clearly on top during the initial 10 minutes of each quarter before the GIANTS would switch into super shot mode.
Jo Harten and Sophie Dwyer slotted eight super shots between them and were looking like they might run over the top of the Vixens.
But in the second half when it really mattered, the shooting duo missed four shots from long-range allowing the Vixens defenders to rebound and capitalise at the other end.
When in possession the Vixens were able to run down the clock, resulting in a five-goal victory to the Melbourne side.
Relying on the super shot may have worked in the past for the GIANTS outfit, but so far this year, it has done nothing but hurt them.
Will they be forced to revisit their game plan?
It will be interesting to see how they adapt when they face the Adelaide Thunderbirds this weekend.
UNDERDOG STATUS
The Adelaide Thunderbirds have long carried the title of the underdogs.
Often overlooked and never considered a threat. But the tide is changing in favour of the South Australian outfit and Saturday’s win really cemented their status as a team who could be up there come June finals.
With the injection of Eleanor Cardwell, coupled with the Jamaican defensive duo, there is no reason why the Thunderbirds can’t beat everyone.
It has often been the Thunderbirds’ midcourt that has let them down, but that could not be further from the truth this weekend.
A standout for the Thunderbirds during Saturday’s game against the Sunshine Coast Lightning was the midcourt paring of Georgie Horjus and Tayla Williams.
Horjus had a whopping 45 feeds out at wing attack, while Williams had 32 and finished with 92 Nissan Net Points – the highest from both teams.
Latanya Wilson slotted into wing defence in the absence of injured skipper Hannah Petty and proved a menace in that position.
Wilson kept Annie Miller quiet before the Lightning were forced to switch Steph Wood out to wing attack.
But it didn’t make a difference. The Thunderbirds were able to win every quarter to run out convincing winners.
It seems the team have found that magic remedy and the combinations are starting to click.
The real test will be whether they can take it to the competition leader the West Coast Fever later this month.
