2015 ANZ Championship Semi-Finals Preview

2015 ANZ Championship Semi-Finals Preview

ANZ Championship Semi-Finals Fixtures:

Mission Queensland Firebirds v SKYCITY Mystics
Sunday 14 June, 12.18pm
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane

Kia Magic v NSW Swifts
Sunday 14 June, 7.10pm
Claudelands Arena, Hamilton
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Finals Series:

Australian Conference Elimination Final:
NSW Swifts 60 def West Coast Fever 53

New Zealand Conference Elimination Final:
Kia Magic 71 def Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel 69

Australian Conference Final:
Mission Queensland Firebirds 55 def NSW Swifts 44

New Zealand Conference Final:
Kia Magic 57 def SKYCITY Mystics 54

ANZ Championship Semi-Final:
Mission Queensland Firebirds v SKYCITY Mystics

ANZ Championship Semi-Final:
Kia Magic v NSW Swifts

ANZ Championship Grand Final:
(Winner of Semi-Final) v (Winner of Semi-Final)
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Finals Series Statistics:

Finals Series Records:

Finals Series Records (Home):

SEMI-FINAL

Mission Queensland Firebirds v SKYCITY Mystics
Sunday 14 June, 12.18pm
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane

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

Umpires: Sharon Kelly & Kristie Simpson
Reserve: Helen George

Head to Head:

The Facts:

LAST MEETING: Rd 9, 2015: Firebirds 53 def Mystics 47, Auckland
• The Mission Queensland Firebirds were crowned the inaugural Australian Conference champions after defeating the NSW Swifts 55-44 last Sunday.
• Despite finishing on top of the New Zealand Conference ladder, the Mystics lost their Conference Final to the Kia Magic 59-57 in Auckland on Monday night.
• The Firebirds set a new crowd record for an ANZ Championship match in Brisbane in last Sunday’s Australian Conference Final. A crowd of 5175 filled the Brisbane Entertainment Centre to watch the Firebirds defeat the Swifts.
• The Firebirds remain unbeaten in four finals at home. That includes their only other final meeting against the Mystics, the 2011 Grand Final (Firebirds won 57-44).
• The Mystics’ loss to the Magic was their fourth consecutive finals defeat that stretches back to 2011. Their last finals victory was the 2011 Preliminary Final, where they defeated the Magic 43-42 in Rotorua.
• Laura Geitz, Clare McMeniman and Romelda Aiken are the remaining Firebirds players from the 2011 Grand Final while Maria Tutaia, Cathrine Latu and Kayla Cullen are still part of the Mystics squad.
• The Firebirds have twice scored more than 70 goals in a match against the Mystics – Round 4, 2010 (71-54) and Round 3, 2013 (72-51). Their lowest total of 46 goals came in the very first clash between the two sides in Round 4, 2008 (Firebirds won 46-40).
• Firebirds shooter Romelda Aiken needs 42 goals to reach 600 goals in a season for the second time in her career. In 2013 Aiken shot 667 goals, the most of any player in an ANZ Championship season.
• Mystics Maria Tutaia is one of two shooters ranked inside the competition’s top 10 for goal assists. She has 143 goal assists with Laura Langman (169) the No.1 Mystics player.
• Tutaia is the No.1 player in the competition for goals scored from long range with 56 per cent of her overall season tally – 181 out of 319 – coming from long range. She’s shooting at 76 per cent accuracy from that range.
• Mystics Catherine Latu is the most accurate shooter in the competition, scoring her 343 goals at 93.7 per cent accuracy. She has only missed 23 attempts for the season.
• The Mystics are the second most accurate team overall in the competition this season behind the NSW Swifts, scoring at 85.6 per cent accuracy. The Firebirds are the least accurate side, scoring at 77.1 per cent accuracy overall.
• Firebirds midcourter Verity Simmons made her first appearance since Round 2 in last Sunday’s Australian Conference Final win over the Swifts.
• Firebirds midcourter Kim Ravillion is the equal leading in the competition for pickups with 32 along with Samantha Sinclair from the Kia Magic. Firebirds teammate Caitlin Nevins is also ranked inside the top 10 with 29. Cullen is the leading Mystics player with 26.
• All 12 members of the Mystics roster have received court time this season with seven players taking to the court in all 14 matches. The Firebirds have six players that have taken to the court in all their games.
• The Firebirds have won 11 consecutive games and their past four matches by 10 goals or more, the first time they have achieved that feat since Rounds 3-5 in 2011. Their average winning margin in the past four matches is 17 goals.
• The Mystics average winning margin this season is 4.7 goals while their average losing margin is 9.8 goals. They have also played two draws.
• The Mystics have lost eight of their past nine trips to Australia. The other result was a draw against the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Round 3 this season. Their last win in Australia came in Round 8, 2012 when they defeated the Melbourne Vixens 49-45.
• The Mystics' only finals victory in Australia was the 2011 Minor Semi-Final against the NSW Swifts in Sydney 49-44 under the old ANZ Championship finals format.
• The Firebirds have won their past 12 matches against New Zealand opponents. The last New Zealand team to beat them was the Kia Magic in Round 10, 2013 on the Gold Coast. That match went to extra time and the Magic triumphed 63-60.
• The Mystics have three players ranked inside the top 10 for deflections – Temalisi Fakahokotau (48), Serena Guthrie (43) and Cullen (43). Geitz has the second most of any player in the competition with 89.
• Guthrie (32) and Cullen (18) are also ranked inside the top 10 in the league for intercepts along with Geitz (32) and Gabi Simpson (22) from the Firebirds.
• Firebirds shooter Gretel Tippett has averaged 15.8 goals in her last four matches compared to her overall season average of 13.2 goals per game.
• The Mystics have conceded an average of 53.7 goals a match this season compared to 46.6 goals per game by the Firebirds.
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SEMI-FINAL

Kia Magic v NSW Swifts
Sunday 14 June, 7.10pm
Claudelands Arena, Hamilton

Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 3 (AUS); ONE (AUS - DELAY); SKY SPORT 1 (NZ)

Umpires: Rachael Ayre & Jono Bredin
Reserve: Liz Boon

Head to Head:

The Facts:

LAST MEETING: Rd 2, 2015: Swifts 48 def Magic 43, Tauranga
• The Magic won through to host the ANZ Championship Semi-Final after defeating the SKYCITY Mystics in the NZ Conference Final in Auckland 57-54.
• The Swifts travel to Hamilton after losing the Australian Conference Final to the Mission Queensland Firebirds 55-44.
• Swifts shooter Susan Pettitt needs just six goals to achieve her career-best season in the ANZ Championship. Her previous highest tally was 374 goals in 2010 at 82 per cent accuracy. Pettitt is shooting at 86.4 per cent accuracy in 2015.
• Magic shooter Joanne Harten is 16 goals shy of 500 for the 2015 season. She is sitting on 87 per cent accuracy.
• Magic goal attack Malia Paseka played just her second ever full match in the ANZ Championship in the NZ Conference Final.
• Swifts Sharni Layton enhanced her reputation as the No.1 defender in the competition in 2015 with four deflections in last week’s Australian Conference Final. She’s registered 93 for the season.
• Swifts defender Julie Corletto will play her 100th ANZ Championship match in Hamilton. Corletto made her debut for the Melbourne Vixens in 2008.
• The Swifts made the Finals in 2014, but were eliminated in the Minor Semi-Final, losing to the Magic 50-49.
• The Magic are the only team in the league to have played finals netball every year since the inception of the league in 2008.
• The Swifts have played the Magic on 12 occasions, winning eight matches and losing four.
• 2015 is Magic coach Julie Fitzgerald’s fifth ANZ Championship Finals campaign in her six seasons as a coach in the league. Fitzgerald led the NSW Swifts to the inaugural title in 2008 and led the Swifts to the Finals in 2010 and 2011 before guiding the Magic to the Finals last season.
• Magic defender Casey Kopua played her first full match for the team in the NZ Conference Final after recovering from a serious knee injury sustained in October 2014.
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Birthdays:

5 June 1995 - Samantha Sinclair (Magic)
7 June 1989 - Erin Hoare (Swifts)
18 June 1986 - Anna Thompson (Tactix)
19 June 1985 - Casey Kopua (Magic)
21 June 1972 - Irene van Dyk (Pulse)
24 June 1990 - Joanna Trip (Magic)

Upcoming milestones:

100 Games (ANZ Championship):
Julie Corletto (Swifts) - 99

3000 Goals (ANZ Championship):
Cathrine Latu (Mystics) - 2896

2500 Goals (ANZ Championship):
Maria Tutaia (Mystics) - 2422

1500 Goals (ANZ Championship):
Paula Griffin (Mystics) - 1474

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