2020 Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final Program

Let’s build a nation of confident girls.

Team Girls

CONTENTS 7

West Coast Fever Team List

2 Welcome from Tourism and Events Queensland

8

2020 Player Stat Leaders

3

Welcome from Suncorp Super Netball

8

National Champions

4

Grand Final Match Preview

9

2020 Retirements

5

Grand Final Captains Quotes

10

Nissan Net Points Year in Review

6

Melbourne Vixens Team List

2

Welcome from Suncorp

15 Sponsors

KEEP IN CONTACT /SUPERNETBALL

@SUPERNETBALL

@SUPERNETBALL

WWW.SUPERNETBALL.COM.AU

UNITED BY UNCOMMON CARE UNITED BY NETBALL hcf.com.au/netball

GS

GK

WELCOME FROM SUNCORP Just as the year’s Suncorp Super Netball league was set to kick off, we experienced the start of the devastating health and economic impacts of COVID-19. While necessary for health and safety reasons it was disappointing for our netball players, administrators and of course fans. The return of the league in August was both a welcome relief and incredibly exciting.

The challenges posed by the pandemic have really highlighted the power of sport to bring people together. Our athletes and teams have shown tenacity, adaptability and resilience and watching elite athletes in action has provided a sense of returning normality. It has also provided a platform to encourage children and young adults to remain active during this period of isolation. As Principal Partner, Suncorp is once again proud to stand beside Netball Australia.

This year, we moved our Suncorp Team Girls program online to keep netball communities connected and engaged through virtual clinics and training programs. We also provided online forums with some of the league’s inspiring athletes, who are role models for younger generations of players and spectators.

Building confidence at a young age is incredibly important. Suncorp Team Girls is all about harnessing the confidence built through team sports and encouraging a positive community where girls feel supported and connected. This is a mission I am personally passionate about and continue to support through my work with the Minerva Network (created to support elite female athletes from all sports).

Congratulations to all the Suncorp Super Netball league teams, their supporters and families – it has been a season like no other, and your passion and determination created positivity and excitement when it was sorely needed. And a special thank you to Suncorp’s home state of Queensland and its fantastic sporting community, which warmly welcomed the fierce competition. We hope 2021 brings a return to a season that is played on courts across the nation.

CHRISTINE McLOUGHLIN Suncorp Group, Chairman

WELCOME FROM TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND It is my pleasure to welcome you to Brisbane’s Nissan Arena for the Suncorp Super Netball Final.

The Suncorp Super Netball season has found its home in Queensland this year – where our beautiful one day, perfect the next lifestyle has been enjoyed by teams in regions throughout the state.

Queenslanders have embraced the opportunity to enjoy this fast-paced competition, and we have enjoyed showcasing our world-class destinations with teams from around the country.

Tourism and Events Queensland has been proud to support the Suncorp Super Netball season as part of our Major Events Program.

To the finalists, I wish you the very best of luck in what is sure to be a spirited and hard-fought competition. On behalf of Queensland, we thank you for the high-quality sportsmanship you have showcased in the past months, and extend an invitation to welcome you, your families, friends and supporters to visit us again in the future.

2 | SUNCORP SUPER NETBALL 2020 GRAND FINAL

Our exceptional destinations offer a range of renowned tourism experiences, and our It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar provides plenty of excuses to book a Queensland trip and experience our culture, landscapes, food, music, lifestyle and communities. Here in Brisbane, where we will enjoy the Grand Final, you will find a bright and growing city, with friendly hospitality and relaxed lifestyle, incredible dining experiences, a range of brand new accommodation options and stunning islands just off-shore.

Best of luck, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon.

LEANNE CODDINGTON Tourism and Events Queensland, Chief Executive Officer

WELCOME TO THE 2020 SUNCORP SUPER NETBALL GRAND FINAL, THE CULMINATION OF WHAT HAS BEEN A TRULY EXTRAORDINARY SEASON! IT HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY AND ONE THAT NO ONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED – THE ENTIRE COMPETITION MAKING ITS WAY TO QUEENSLAND AND THE SEASON BEGINNING ON AUGUST 1, THREE MONTHS BEHIND SCHEDULE. After today’s big decider we will have packed in 60 matches in 78 days. In fact, Suncorp Super Netball has been the only professional sporting competition in Australia to complete a full season in this truly challenging year, 2020.

Enormous sacrifices have been made by all, from our athletes to the support staff and the volunteers and officials through to the league’s administrators. Everyone involved has gone to great lengths to make this season happen and I would like to take this opportunity to pass on my gratitude to all of you.

The standard of netball this season has left no doubt that Suncorp Super Netball is the world’s premier netball competition, especially when you consider that our amazing athletes were taking to the court twice a week to deliver a full 14-round season in the condensed timeframe.

For our fans, the 2020 season was tough, with only Queensland and Adelaide-based supporters able to be in the stands, but thanks to our incredible broadcast partners Nine and Telstra, netball has been beamed into loungerooms and onto phones four days a week, ensuring fans around the country didn’t miss a minute.

And of course, an enormous thank you is extended to our principal partner, Suncorp, and our major partners Nissan, HCF, Origin, Deakin University and Tourism and Events Queensland for their ongoing support throughout this unprecedented year. Their belief in the league has never wavered and for that we are truly grateful.

And now it is time … who will be the team to cement their name in history as the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball premiers in what has been the most memorable season to date?

Best of luck to both teams. May the best team win. See you all in 2021.

MARINA GO Super Netball League, Chair

Eight teams began the season and we’re now down to the final two – the Melbourne Vixens and the West Coast Fever.

The Vixens have been the team to beat all season, being so successful that they secured the minor premiership after Round 13, and the Fever, after a slow start, have finished strongly, losing only one of their past 10 matches.

The last time these teams met, in Round 10, they played out a draw, so we’re in for an absorbing battle today.

SUNCORP SUPER NETBALL 2020 GRAND FINAL | 3

VIXENS V FEVER GRAND FINAL PREVIEW

IT’S THE GRAND FINAL THAT, SINCE THEIR THRILLING ROUND 10 DRAW, MANY HAVE BEEN PREDICTING – THE ALL-CONQUERING MINOR PREMIER MELBOURNE VIXENS VS THE HIGH-SCORING WEST COAST FEVER. The Vixens came away with a nine point win the first time these two met in Round 5, but the two teams couldn’t be separated in Round 10 when they played out a thrilling 63 all draw.

A true strength-vs-strength matchup, we’re about to see if the league’s stingiest defensive unit in the Vixens can slow down a Fever attack end that has scored an average of 69 points per game in 2020.

The Vixens allowed a league low 55 points against per game in the regular season. They may not cause the big turnover numbers that teams like the GIANTS and the Sunshine Coast do, but they make scoring against them difficult by piling on the pressure.

They are going to have to bring their A-game to this one because this Fever attack end, built around their two-time MVP winning Goal Shooter Jhaniele Fowler, is no joke.

4 | SUNCORP SUPER NETBALL 2020 GRAND FINAL

She is the centrepiece of the highest scoring (69 points per game), most accurate shooting (86.3%) and most efficient from the centre pass (73.9 centre pass to goal percentage) attack end in the competition.

Can the Vixens defence slow down the Fever attack and celebrate Caitlin Thwaites and Tegan Philip retirement in style? Or will the Fever return to Western Australia with the team’s first ever Premiership trophy?

RECENT ENCOUNTERS RD 10 : 2020

DRAW 63/63 RD 11 : 2019

RD 5 : 2020

59/68 RD 4 : 2019

64/52 DRAW 63/63

L I Z WAT S O N – M E L B O U R N E V I X E N S

“THE VIXENS AND THE FEVER HAVE ALWAYS PLAYED CLOSE MATCHES, AND I THINK THAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED BY OUR DRAW WITH THEM IN ROUND 10. WE WEREN’T HAPPY WITH HOW WE PLAYED THAT DAY, BUT WE WERE PROUD OF THE GRIT AND DETERMINATION WE SHOW WITH OUR FIGHT BACK – THAT REITERATED TO US THAT WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO GO ALL THE WAY. WE’VE PLAYED SOME GREAT NETBALL THIS YEAR AND IT HAS BEEN TOUGH, BUT AFTER ALL WE’VE BEEN THROUGH TO GET HERE, WE ARE NOT GOING TO PUT A SEASON OF GREAT NETBALL TO WASTE.”

THE VIXENS ARE THE BENCHMARK THIS SEASON AND HAVE SET THE STANDARD BUT WE HAVE A CLEAR BRAND AND WE WILL FOCUS ON CONTROLLING THE CONTROLLABLE, PLAYING OUR ROLES AND BEING UNCOMPROMISING OUT THERE FOR 60 MINUTES.”

COURTNEY BRUCE – WEST COAST FEVER

“THIS SEASON HAS BEEN LIKE NO OTHER, BUT I AM INCREDIBLY PROUD OF OUR TEAM. WE ARE A FAMILY CLUB AND HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH EACH OTHER FOR CLOSE TO THREE MONTHS AND THIS HAS HELPED US WITH OUR PERFORMANCES ON COURT.

SUNCORP SUPER NETBALL 2020 GRAND FINAL | 5

MELBOURNE VIXENS melbournevixens.com.au

@MelbourneVixens

/MelbourneVix

@MelbourneVixens

KADIE-ANN DEHANEY

KATE EDDY

TAYLA HONEY

MWAI KUMWENDA

EMILY MANNIX

DOB: 04/09/96 Height: 192cm Positions: GK, GD

DOB: 28/12/96 Height: 182cm Positions: WD, GD

DOB: 20/08/97 Height: 175cm Positions: WA, C

DOB: 27/09/89 Height: 183cm Positions: GS, GA

DOB: 16/04/94 Height: 188cm Positions: GK, GD

ELLE MCDONALD

SACHA MCDONALD

KATE MOLONEY

JACQUI NEWTON

TEGAN PHILIP

DOB: 16/09/94 Height: 175cm Positions: C, WA

DOB: 25/01/00 Height: 180cm Positions: GA, WA

DOB: 08/01/93 Height: 177cm Positions: C, WD, WA

DOB: 14/02/97 Height: 185cm Positions: GD, GK

DOB: 03/09/88 Height: 175cm Positions: GA, GS

C

C ALLIE SMITH

CAITLIN THWAITES

LIZ WATSON

JO WESTON

DOB: 05/02/00 Height: 180cm Positions: WD, GD

DOB: 29/12/86 Height: 188cm Positions: GS, GA

DOB: 30/03/94 Height: 178cm Positions: WA, C

DOB: 14/02/94 Height: 188cm Positions: GD, GK, WD

HEAD COACH SIMONE McKINNIS OAM

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WEST COAST FEVER westcoastfever.com.au

@WestCoastFever

/WestCoastFever

@WestCoastFeverOfficial

JESS ANSTISS

SUNDAY ARYANG

COURTNEY BRUCE

DOB: 20/11/96 Height: 175cm Positions: WD, C

DOB: 25/12/00 Height: 184cm Positions: GD, GK

BRIDEY CONDREN DOB: 16/12/99 Height: 187cm Positions: GK

C

VERITY CHARLES

INGRID INJURED COLYER

DOB: 08/12/93 Height: 190cm Positions: GK, GD

DOB: 19/05/91 Height: 170cm Positions: C, WA

DOB: 27/10/93 Height: 165cm Positions: WA, C

EMMA COSH

SHANNON EAGLAND

JHANIELE FOWLER

STACEY FRANCIS

DOB: 08/01/93 Height: 180cm Positions: WA, GA

DOB: 16/05/90 Height: 182cm Positions: WD, C, GD

DOB: 21/07/89 Height: 198cm Positions: GS

DOB: 01/01/88 Height: 180cm Positions: GD, GK, WD

COURTNEY KRUTA

OLIVIA LEWIS

KAYLIA STANTON

ALICE TEAGUE-NEELD

DOB: 09/04/98 Height: 174cm Positions: C, WA

DOB: 29/04/99 Height: 184cm Positions: GK, GD

DOB: 17/05/94 Height: 189cm Positions: GA, GS

DOB: 02/03/96 Height: 183cm Positions: GA, GS, WA

HEAD COACH STACEY MARINKOVICH

SUNCORP SUPER NETBALL 2020 GRAND FINAL | 7

2020 SUNCORP SUPER NETBALL

PLAYER STATS 2020 SEASON

MOST GOALS

910

MOST CENTRE PASS RECEIVES

342

Jhaniele Fowler West Coast Fever

MOST GOAL ASSISTS

329

37

Melbourne Vixens

Shamera Sterling

Adelaide Thunderbirds

MOST INTERCEPTS

43

Romelda Aiken

Queensland Firebirds

MOST SUPER SHOTS

78

Sunshine Coast Lightning

MOST DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS

Liz Watson

MOST OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS

110

Laura Scherian

Karla Pretorius

Sunshine Coast Lightning

MOST DEFLECTIONS

108

Jo Harten

GIANTS Netball

Geva Mentor

Collingwood Magpies

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS WINNERS 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NSW Swifts Sunshine Coast Lightning Sunshine Coast Lightning Queensland Firebirds Queensland Firebirds Melbourne Vixens Adelaide Thunderbirds Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic (NZ) Queensland Firebirds Adelaide Thunderbirds Melbourne Vixens New South Wales Swifts Sydney Swifts Sydney Swifts Melbourne Phoenix Sydney Swifts Melbourne Phoenix Melbourne Phoenix

8 | SUNCORP SUPER NETBALL 2020 GRAND FINAL

2001 - Sydney Swifts 2000 - Melbourne Phoenix 1999 - Adelaide Thunderbirds 1998 - Adelaide Thunderbirds 1997 - Melbourne Phoenix 1996 - Melbourne Pumas 1995 - Sydney Electricity 1994 - Adelaide Contax 1993 - Adelaide Garville 1992 - Sydney Pulsars 1991 - Sydney Pulsars 1990 - Melbourne City 1989 - Sydney Tigers 1988 - Not Held - disbanded due to difficulties with netball calendar 1987 - Melbourne Blue 1986 - A.I.S 1985 - A.I.S

MADI B R OW N E

N AT MEDHURST

CAITLIN T H WA I T E S

AS WE PREPARE FOR THE FINAL GAME OF THE 2020 SUPER NETBALL SEASON, IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF FIVE ATHLETES WHO HAVE ANNOUNCED THEIR RETIREMENT DURING THE YEAR. MADI BROWNE The inaugural captain of the Collingwood Magpies and legend of the game in Australia, Madi Browne called time on her illustrious career midway through the season.

Browne achieved almost everything during her 15-year career, including a premiership with the Melbourne Vixens in 2014, 61 test caps for the Australian Diamonds, gold and silver medals at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and two Liz Ellis Diamond awards.

NAT MEDHURST After sitting out the 2020 season as she prepared to become a mother, Nat Medhurst announced she would be retiring from the sport.

A three-time World Champion, Commonwealth Games gold medallist, 2011 premiership winner and league MVP, Medhurst is widely considered one of the greatest to play the Goal Attack position and retires with the third most national league caps with 235.

TEGAN PHILIP

JACQUI RUSSELL

TEGAN PHILIP After 11 seasons at the Melbourne Vixens, Tegan Philip will have a chance to cap off her incredible career with a second Grand Final win today.

The Commonwealth Games gold medallist and 2014 premiership winner and Grand Final MVP will retire a one team player and the most capped Vixen of all time.

CAITLIN THWAITES A player held in the highest regard by everyone who has played, coached or worked with her, the 2020 Grand Final will be the last time we see Caitlin Thwaites play at the national level.

A world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist with the Diamonds, a second career premiership would be the perfect way to cap off this legend’s brilliant 18-year career.

JACQUI RUSSELL After an 11-year career that took her from the Queensland Firebirds to the English Super League and back to Australia with the Sunshine Coast Lightning, Jacqui Russell announced 2020 would be her final year.

Described as the ultimate team player, Russell will retire as a two-time Premiership winner with the Lightning.

SUNCORP SUPER NETBALL 2020 GRAND FINAL | 9

Among all the changes, uncertainty and confusion that has been 2020 so far, one thing has remained consistent Jhaniele Fowler can’t be stopped.

Say what you will about how she plays the goal shooter position, the back to back league MVP is dominating defences this season and has put together her best year yet. Right?

Well, according to the Nissan Net Points totals for the year, that’s totally true.

That was just one of 33 instances where a player scored over 100 Net Points in a game. And, while Dwan would only score a ton once in 2019, five players would go past 100 points in a single game multiple times: Jhaniele Fowler (8), Jamie-Lee Price (4), Shamera Sterling (3), Karla Pretorius (2) and Kate Moloney (2).

It’s been another incredible year of Super Netball and Nissan Net Points and we’re excited to continue to evolve how we analyse the sport in 2021 and beyond.

Fowler’s incredible stat-line, which includes 782 goals, 13 Suncorp Super Shots, 60 rebounds and much more, all added up to a whopping 1509.5 Nissan Net Points.

Let’s put that into perspective.

TIPPAH DWAN

It’s 397.5 more than her MVP winning total from last season, 362.5 Net Points more than any other player totalled this season, her Net Points scored per game average of 107.8 is 25.9 higher than anyone else and it’s 508.5 points higher than the next highest scoring Goal Shooter.

142.5 2020 SEASON TOP SCORE

They really are incredible numbers.

While it was more of the same from Fowler, the player who had one of the biggest jumps in Net Points from 2019 to 2020 was GIANTS Netball shooter Kiera Austin.

With the introduction of the Super Shot, her role in the GIANTS attack end changed from a playmaking Wing Attack/high-Goal Attack to a deadly sniper. And this was reflected in her average Net Points per game, which rose from 19.8 per game in 2019 to 51.5 this season.

Sticking with the Goal Attack position, we had a new record set for Net Points scored in a single game in Round 10 when Queensland Firebirds young gun Tippah Dwan scored 142.5 in her team’s big win over the NSW Swifts.

10 | SUNCORP SUPER NETBALL 2020 GRAND FINAL

TOP 10 SEASON SCORES

1

GA

Tippah Dwan

Rd

Net Pts

10

142.5

2

GS

Jhaniele Fowler

13

138.5

3

C

Kate Moloney

12

136.5

4

GK

Emily Mannix

7

136.0

5

GK

Shamera Sterling

5

136.0

6

GS

Jhaniele Fowler

10

133.0

7

GS

Jhaniele Fowler

12

131.0

8

C

Jamie-Lee Price

10

130.5

9

GS

Jhaniele Fowler

9

128.0

10

GS

Jhaniele Fowler

4

125.5

NISSAN NET POINTS YEAR IN NUMBERS TOP 5 GS SEASON SCORES

1

GS

TOP 5 GK SEASON SCORES Rd

Net Pts

Jhaniele Fowler

13

138.5

1

GK

Emily Mannix

Rd

Net Pts

7

136.0

2

GS

Jhaniele Fowler

10

133.0

2

GK

Shamera Sterling

5

136.0

3

GS

Jhaniele Fowler

12

131.0

3

GK

Courtney Bruce

7

112.5

4

GS

Jhaniele Fowler

9

128.0

4

GK

Shamera Sterling

9

109.0

5

GS

Jhaniele Fowler

4

125.5

5

GK

Shamera Sterling

7

102.0

Rd

Net Pts

10

117.5

TOP 5 GA SEASON SCORES

TOP 5 GD SEASON SCORES Rd

Net Pts

10

142.5

1

GA

Tippah Dwan

2

GA

Jo Harten

3

113.5

3

GA

Helen Housby

2

107.0

1

GD

Karla Pretorius

2

GD

Karla Pretorius

9

110.0

3

GD

Kim Jenner

4

110.0

4

GA

Steph Wood

12

102.5

4

GD

Lauren Moore

1

103.0

5

GA

Alice Teague-Neeld

8

91.0

5

GD

Maddy Turner

14

97.5

Rd

Net Pts

12

88.5

TOP 5 WA SEASON SCORES

1

WA

Kiera Austin

TOP 5 WD SEASON SCORES Rd

Net Pts

7

112.5

1

WD

Amy Parmenter

2

WA

Liz Watson

8

104.5

2

WD

Paige Hadley

8

88.5

3

WA

Maddy Proud

9

96.0

3

WD

Maisie Nankivell

10

73.0

4

WA

Liz Watson

9

88.0

4

WD

Kate Eddy

1

70.5

5

WA

Chelsea Pitman

5

84.0

5

WD

Amy Parmenter

14

68.0

TOP 5 C SEASON SCORES Rd

Net Pts

1

C

Kate Moloney

12

136.5

2

C

Jamie-Lee Price

10

130.5

3

C

Kate Moloney

9

124.5

4

C

Jamie-Lee Price

6

108.0

5

C

Verity Charles

8

108.0

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WINNING PARTNERSHIP NETBALL AUSTRALIA PROUDLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE AIS Netball Australia recognises the contributions of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in leading Australia’s high-performance sport system, including supporting the mental health and well-being of Australia’s netballers.

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