The Super Netball ladder is starting to take shape after three rounds of the season and it doesn’t make great reading for Giants fans.
Here’s everything you need to know from Round 3, including a controversial call, a veteran’s retirement bombshell and a longstanding shooting record finally being broken.
Super Shot snub leaves fans puzzled
The Giants’ shooting pairing of Jo Harten and Sophie Dwyer have proved they are the masters of the two-point Super Shot early this season.
They’ve constantly used the long range shot — only allowed in the last five minutes of quarters — to claw their way back into games.
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That was the case again on Sunday when put Dwyer put on a Super Shot clinic.
But there was a moment of confusion late in the third quarter when Dwyer thought she’d nailed a two-pointer, but the umpire ruled her landing foot had gone over the white arc.
That certainly didn’t look like the case to viewers on TV, and the usually unflappable Dwyer was visibly puzzled by the call and pleaded her case to the umpire, but her shot was deemed to be worth just one point.
Fox Netball’s Bianca Chatfield explained in commentary: “That was only worth one. You can hear the umpire there saying you did have a foot outside the white arc.”
It was a pivotal call in the context of the game, given a Super Shot would have put the Giants up 48-45 in the dying stages of third quarter.
Instead, Kiera Austin nailed a Super Shot at the other end for the Vixens to tie things up 47-47 at the end of the third quarter.
Dwyer (6/9) and Harten (2/5) shot eight Super Shots for the game but inaccuracy in the last quarter played into the hands of the Vixens, who closed out a 62-57 win.
‘Panic mode’: Giants slump to 0-3 start
The Giants have been perennial finalists in recent years but a 0-3 start to the season isn’t ideal.
It doesn’t get any easier for them, with a match-up against the red-hot Adelaide Thunderbirds on Easter Sunday.
Former Diamonds captain Annie Sargeant believes the wins will start to come if the Giants “back themselves in”
“They know they’ve got the line-up to do it,” Sargeant said on Fox Netball’s Pivot.
“They know they’ve got the Super Shot power in the shooting personnel. You start to get that panic mode (with) three outings, no wins.
“I don’t think they’ll be worried. They’d prefer to have points on the board but they won’t be worried. They’ll back themselves they’ve got the personnel to go on with it.”
Fowler breaks record in Fever thrashing
The green machine of the West Coast Fever just keeps on rolling on.
The Fever thrashed Collingwood 80-52 to stay on top of the ladder as one of just two teams, along with the Thunderbirds, to be undefeated after three rounds.
Goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler has been unstoppable and broke the record for the most consecutive goals in ANZ Championship/Super Netball history without missing.
Fowler shot the 26 goals required to break Kiwi shooter Cathrine Tuivati’s in-season record of 139 straight goals without missing.
She eventually missed one, but finished with 51 from 52 attempts.
Diamonds star drops retirement bombshell
Many thought retirement could be on the cards for veteran wing defence Ash Brazill after this year’s Netball World Cup.
But it still came as a shock when she casually revealed on Fox Netball this year would be her last playing professional netball.
“This is going to be my last year of netball so I’m just putting everything I have on court and if that shows with passion and fire then so be it,” Brazill said after a feisty display in Collingwood’s heavy loss to the Fever.
“I just want to be out there, I want to enjoy it. I want to walk away with a premiership so I think you are going to see a bit of emotion.
“It’s not directed at the umpires — that’s just how I get myself in this game, how do I pick up ball for my teammates. I wear my heart on my sleeve probably a little too much.”
Super Netball Round 2 results
NSW Swifts 74 defeated Queensland Firebirds 71
Adelaide Thunderbirds 66 defeated Sunshine Coast Lightning 42
West Coast Fever 80 defeated Collingwood Magpies 53
Melbourne Vixens 62 defeated Giants 57
