A season of drama and recent controversies of their own all faded into the background as the Fever secured their first premiershipIt was not the closest, nor most exciting grand final, but in the end the 2022 Super Netball title decider characterised the entire season. It was physical, it was emotional, it showcased the contentious nature of the two-point super shot and it was dominated by the West Coast Fever.Although the Melbourne Vixens were minor premiers and had the measure of their grand final opponents in their two regular season outings, the Fever can never be under-estimated and their nine-goal win in the major semi-final showed what they were capable of. They faltered only four times in 2022 – twice...
A short but pivotal period of time that saw the Vixens edge the Giants 55-54 to reach the grand final epitomised the 2022 seasonSeventy-five seconds is not a lot of time. It’s not enough time for the world’s fastest runners to finish an 800-metre race. It’s barely enough time for an NRL team to score a try. Maybe if someone was really committed to saving water they could squeeze in a shower in that time.However, the last 75 seconds of Saturday night’s Suncorp Super Netball preliminary final was long enough for hearts to break, find hope and then explode with joy. Long enough for fans to scream in excitement, then in anguish, despair, belief and finally in agony. Long enough...
West Coast dismiss pressure to ‘earn’ hosting rights with comfortable win over Vixens who will now play Giants for place in Perth grand finalThere is a moment in the Hunger Games – before a group of tributes are sent into the arena to fight to the death – where they all stand united before the crowd, holding hands in an unusual show of solidarity. But when they enter the arena and the games commence, they dutifully begin to fight to the death. What else could they do?The Suncorp Super Netball finals were the culmination of weeks of animosity building up between the playing group and administrators. After the decision to sell the hosting rights to the grand final to Perth...
Across the seven shooters on Australia’s extended list, the only constant in Super Netball has been inconsistencyWith just over two months remaining until the first whistle blows at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, the time for selectors to name the final team is inching closer. Decisions in the defence end are clear cut with only five players named in the wider squad to be reduced to four before the Games begin. The issue in the mid-court is an over-supply of talent, with the Swifts’ Maddy Proud and the Magpies’ Kelsey Browne demanding selectors take notice despite sitting outside of the named squad.But it is at the shooting end where cracks are beginning to appear. Across the seven shooters in the 18-player...
Our writers offer their choices for the highest honours at the prestigious ceremony, from Ronnie O’Sullivan to Tracey NevilleRonnie O’Sullivan has been winning for 25 years now: five world championships, seven Masters and seven UK titles, the latest of them this month. His 19th major victory means he has overtaken Stephen Hendry and become the most successful player in snooker history. Related: The Anti-Sports Personality of the Year awards 2018 | Simon Burnton Related: Dina Asher-Smith a real contender for BBC Sports Personality of the Year Related: Who are the team of 2018? My vote goes to England’s women netballers Continue reading...