2015 ANZ Championship Round 11 Preview

2015 ANZ Championship Round 11 Preview

Round 11 Fixtures:

Mission Queensland Firebirds v Melbourne Vixens
Sunday 10 May, 12.18pm
Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast

NSW Swifts v Adelaide Thunderbirds
Saturday 10 May, 2.18pm
Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre, Sydney

Kia Magic v Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel
Sunday 10 May, 7.10pm
Claudelands Arena, Hamilton

Mojo Pulse v Mainland Tactix
Monday 11 May, 7.40pm
Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua

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Game Talking Points:

Mission Queensland Firebirds v Melbourne Vixens
CHALLENGE TROPHY DEFENCE
Sunday 10 May, 12.18pm
Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast

Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 2 (AUS); ONE (AUS); SKY SPORT 1 (NZ)

Umpires: Sharon Kelly &Michelle Phippard
Reserve: Clare McCabe

Head to Head:

Challenge Trophy:
Successful defences: -

The Facts:

LAST MEETING: Rd 7, 2015: Firebirds 55 def Vixens 48, Melbourne
• The Firebirds will defend the Challenge Trophy for the first time. The Firebirds won the Challenge Trophy last weekend when they defeated the Fever 56-48 at Perth Arena in Round 10. The Firebirds are the second holder of the Challenge Trophy after the Fever were the inaugural holders.
• This will be the first time the Firebirds and Vixens have clashed on the Gold Coast. Their past seven meetings in Queensland have been played in Brisbane.
• This will be the seventh ANZ Championship match played at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre. The Firebirds have a 4-2 win-loss record at the venue. Their average winning margin is 17 goals while both of their defeats have been by three goals.
• The Vixens will be only the second Australian side that the Firebirds have played on the Gold Coast. They hosted the NSW Swifts in the first ever match played at the venue in Round 1 of the 2010 season.
• The Vixens have won four of the seven matches played in Brisbane by an average of 6.5 goals.
• The Vixens have lost twice by 21 goals against the Firebirds – in Round 6, 2010 and Round 10, 2011. Both came in Brisbane.
• The Firebirds lowest ever total of 38 goals was scored against the Vixens in Brisbane in Round 6, 2014.
• The Vixens are coming off their worst ever defeat in their ANZ Championship history, a 24-goal loss to the NSW Swifts in Sydney last round.
• Two more players made their ANZ Championship and Melbourne Vixens debut in their loss to the NSW Swifts last round. Alice Teague-Neeld played just over a quarter at goal attack and shot five goals at 100 per cent accuracy while Emily Mannix played a half at goal keeper.
• The Vixens have played three debutantes this season, the most of any team in the ANZ Championship. They are also one of four teams to give court time to all 12 players in their squad so far this season.
• The Firebirds have taken over from the Vixens as the No.1 defensive combination in the league, conceding an average of 47.6 goals a match. They have not conceded 50 goals in a game since their opening round loss to West Coast Fever in Brisbane.
• The Vixens have conceded 50 goals or a more in match in their last five matches for the first time in their ANZ Championship history. They are conceding an average of 50.6 goals per game this season.
• Firebirds shooter Romelda Aiken became the first player in the ANZ Championship to reach 4000 career goals. She has scored 4015 goals and has a career average of 37.1 goals a match over her 108-game career.
• A victory on Sunday will see the Firebirds equal the Vixens’ tally of 73 victories overall in the ANZ Championship. The Kia Magic has the most wins of any side with 76 overall.
• Firebirds shooter Gretel Tippett needs eight goals to reach 100 goals in a season for the first time in her career.
• Firebirds coach Roselee Jencke has equaled the winning percentage of former Kia Magic mentor Noeline Taurua. Jencke has won 69.5 per cent of her matches since taking over as Firebirds coach in 2010. She has 57 victories overall.
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NSW Swifts v Adelaide Thunderbirds
Saturday 10 May, 2.18pm
Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre, Sydney

Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 2 (AUS); SKY SPORT 1 (NZ)

Umpires: Helen George & Rachael Ayre
Reserve: Josh Bowring

Head to Head:

The Facts:

LAST MEETING: Rd 7, 2015: Thunderbirds 56 def Swifts 49, Adelaide
• The NSW Swifts players will be wearing `temporary’ tattoos on Sunday for the Kids’ Cancer Project, which is the official charity partner of Netball NSW and the Swifts. Each season they dedicate one match to raising awareness and money for The Kids’ Cancer Project. In 2014 the netball community helped raise nearly $40,000 towards vital childhood cancer research. This year’s match will be Sunday’s game against the Adelaide Thunderbirds and supporters are asked for a gold coin donation. For more information or to make a donation go to www.thekidscancerproject.org.au.
• The Swifts and Thunderbirds have split the eight matches played between the two sides in Sydney, winning four each.
• The Swifts average winning margin against the Thunderbirds in Sydney is 12.3 goals while it’s 13.8 goals for the Adelaide side.
• The winning margin in last two matches played in Sydney has been three goals – Thunderbirds won 46-43 in Round 11, 2013 and the Swifts won 45-42 in Round 12, 2014.
• The 2014 match was played at Allphones Arena in front of a crowd of 10,118 people – that record was broken by the Swifts and Melbourne Vixens last Sunday. That match attracted a crowd of 10,370.
• The Swifts won every quarter of a match for the first time this season in their win over the Vixens last Sunday.
• The 20-goal third quarter was also the Swifts best of any quarter this season and also the highest of any team last round overall.
• The Swifts’ lowest ever score and biggest defeat in their ANZ Championship history have both come against the Thunderbirds in Sydney – in Round 12, 2012 when they lost 62-35.
• The Swifts are one of four teams to have given court time to all 12 players in their squad so far this season.
• Swifts coach Rob Wright has been given a 12-month contract extension by Netball NSW through until the end of the 2016 season.
• The Thunderbirds have the third best defence in the ANZ Championship behind the Mission Queensland Firebirds and Mojo Pulse, conceding an average of 49.4 goals per match. The Swifts are ranked No.6, conceding an average of 50.9 goals a match.
• The Thunderbirds have averaged 57.3 goals a match in their past three games compared to 47.7 in their first six matches of the season.
• The Thunderbirds’ seven-goal win in Adelaide in Round 7 was their 10th victory over the Swifts, making them the third team that the Thunderbirds have record 10 or more wins against. They have 12 victories against both West Coast Fever and the Mission Queensland Firebirds.
• Swifts shooter Caitlin Thwaites produced her most productive performance against the Vixens since the opening round of the season, shooting 39 goals at 93 per cent accuracy. Overall, Thwaites and Susan Pettitt shot at 94 per cent accuracy last round.
• Swifts defender Sharni Layton is the No.1 ranked player in the competition for intercepts (29), gains (50) and defensive rebounds (21) and No.2 for deflections (50).
• The Thunderbirds have three players ranked inside the top 10 in the competition for blocks – Amy Steel (2), Eboni Beckford-Chambers (1) and Kate Shimmin (1).
• Thunderbirds shooter Carla Borrego became the seventh player last round to reach 2500 career goals in the ANZ Championship. She has shot 2525 goals from her 79 appearances.
• Swifts captain Kimberlee Green had 17 goal assists against the Vixens last round, the equal most of any player along with her SKYCITY Mystics counterpart Maria Tutaia. Green is ranked No.3 in the league for goal assists with 117.
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Kia Magic v Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel
Sunday 10 May, 7.10pm
Claudelands Arena, Hamilton

Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 2 (AUS); SKY SPORT 1 (NZ)

Umpires: Danielle Maulder & Liz Boon
Reserve: Kristie Simpson

Head to Head:

The Facts:

LAST MEETING: Rd 7, 2015: Magic 63 def Steel 57, Invercargill
• The Magic leads the Steel 11-5 head to head in 16 previous meetings
• The Magic has won three of the past four meetings between the sides.
• The Steel is coming off a 50-49 victory over the Pulse in Dunedin in Round 10.
• The Magic is coming off their bye in Round 10. The Magic has never lost a match the week following their bye.
• The Magic and Steel have met in Hamilton on three previous occasions with the Magic winning all three matches.
• The Magic has the best home court record in the ANZ Championship with 45 wins, 12 losses and a draw at 78 per cent. The Magic has a record of two losses, one win and a draw at home in 2015.
• The matches between these sides have been split 1-all in the past three seasons and the Magic have a chance to sweep the Steel for the first time since 2011.
• The Steel jumped ahead of the Magic into 2nd position on the New Zealand conference ladder with their 50-49, Round 10 win over the Pulse.
• Steel coach Janine Southby will lead the Steel for the 49th time in Round 11. Southby took over the reins at the Steel in 2012 (co-coach with Natalie Avellino) and in her own right in 2013.
• The Magic has the 4th best defensive record with 49.67 goals per match scored against them.
• The Steel has the best attacking record in the ANZ Championship with 60 goals per match.
• Magic shooter Joanne Harten will play her 50th ANZ Championship match in Round 11 against the Steel. Harten played 26 matches for the Tactix (2012-13) and has played 23 for the Magic since joining the side last year.
• Steel shooter has shot 399 so far in 2015 which is 73.9 per cent of all Steel goals this season.
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Mojo Pulse v Mainland Tactix
Monday 11 May, 7.40pm
Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua

Media Contacts:
Pulse - Catherine Rossiter-Stead
M: +64 21 047 1723
E: Catherine@pulse.org.nz
Tactix - Leanne Harris
M: +64 275 526 876
E: Leanne.Harris@netballmainland.co.nz

Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 2 (AUS); SKY SPORT 1 (NZ)

Umpires: Yvonne Morgan & Jono Bredin
Reserve: Angella Armstrong-Lush

Head to Head:

The Facts:

LAST MEETING: Rd 3, 2015: Pulse 48 def Tactix 41, Christchurch
• The Pulse holds a 9-6 record over the Tactix in 15 previous meetings
• The Pulse has won nine of the past ten meetings between the sides including the past two.
• The Tactix Round 4, 2014 55-53 win over the Pulse in Napier was their last victory in the ANZ
Championship.
• The Tactix equalled their and the ANZ Championship record of 18 consecutive losses when they went down 53-61 to the Mystics in Round 10 in Auckland.
• The Pulse suffered their sixth loss of the season when they went down 49-50 to the Steel in Dunedin in Round 10.
• Eight of the fifteen meetings between the sides have been decided by 5-goals or less including two matches decided after extra time.
• The Tactix and Pulse both played their 100th ANZ Championship matches in Round 10. Both sides are yet to take part in the ANZ Championship finals since the inception of the competition in 2008.
• Tactix captain Anna Thompson will play her 100th ANZ Championship match in Round 11 against the Pulse. Thompson is a foundation Tactix player having made her debut in the Tactix in their very first match in 2008 against the Mystics.
• The Pulse have the 2nd best defensive record with 48.78 goals per match being scored against them.
• The Tactix have the 6th best attacking record with 51.44 goals per match.
• The Tactix have the 6th best shooting with 81.5 per cent while the Pulse are 7th with 78.9 per cent.
• Pulse shooter Jodi Brown has shot 226 goals at 82 per cent so far this season already beating her 2014 record of 217 goals at 78 per cent when she was the support act to Jhaniele Fowler-Reid at the Steel.
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Upcoming milestones:

100 Games (ANZ Championship):
Anna Thompson (Tactix) – 99
Joline Henry (Pulse) - 98
Katrina Grant (Pulse) - 96

50 Games (ANZ Championship):
Jo Harten (Magic) - 49
Eboni Beckford-Chambers (Thunderbirds) - 48
Hayley Saunders (Tactix) – 47
Elias Shadrock (Pulse) – 47

3500 Goals (ANZ Championship):
Irene van Dyk (Pulse) – 3369

2500 Goals (ANZ Championship):
Maria Tutaia (Mystics) - 2335

1500 Goals (ANZ Championship):
Paula Griffin (Mystcis) – 1451
Kate Beveridge (Fever) – 1418
Tegan Philip (Vixens) – 1349
Ellen Halpenny (Magic) – 1348
Erin Bell (Thunderbirds) – 1339

1000 Goals (ANZ Championship):
Mwai Kumwenda (Tactix) - 826

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