TheRD10 FEVER v FIREBIRDS, Suncorp Super Netball 2023, RAC Arena, 21 MAY 2 title of your publication

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FROM THE COACH

After another one-goal loss last weekend, this time to the Swifts, we cannot wait to hit the court at RAC Arena again in front of the Green Army as we strive to return to the winners list.

We know the importance of putting out a strong performance today as we look to steady and consolidate our place in the top four after back-to-back one-goal losses. We don’t lose often at Fever, but when we do, it hurts, especially when it’s by a single goal.

But this is where the best lessons and learnings come from and it’s certainly hardening us for what it is going to take to be successful this season. As I said to the players, you don’t win the premiership in Round Nine!

That said, there was still a lot to be proud of considering the challenges of losing key starters Sasha Glasgow and Jess Anstiss to COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols before the game. It tested our depth and irrespective of

the result, our depth absolutely delivered. Training Partner and mid court dynamo Jordan Cransberg made her SSN debut when she entered the game at WD mid-way through the second quarter. What’s exciting is WD is her third best position.

And how good was it to see the return of netball Legend Nat Butler (nee Medhurst). It was like she had never left the game and her silky skills were on show for all to see. Both players were significant contributors in putting us in a winning position.

That then brings us to today’s clash with the Queensland Firebirds. It’s a must win game in our eyes and we know the importance of responding as a team, right now. We only won by two goals back in Round Five so we will need to be on song early and we are ready!

So, I’d like to welcome the Firebirds to Perth, led by Head Coach Bec Bully and Captain Kim Ravaillion. We look forward to another great contest out on court today.

Come on GREEN ARMY, let’s do this! We need you in full voice today, so get behind us, believe in us and let’s turn RAC Arena into our Fortress!

Go Fever!

Dan Ryan Head Coach WEST COAST FEVER

Thank you to our 2023 sponsors

Fever depth on show in tight loss

West Coast Fever suffered a second buzzer beating loss in as many games last weekend as they went down 64-65 to the NSW Swifts at RAC Arena.

Despite the loss, Fever showed how competitive their squad is with Jordan Cransberg debuting at Wing Defence with Emma Cosh and Nat Butler, fresh out of retirement, sharing the Goal Attack position.

Before the game, Vice Captain Jess Anstiss and Goal Attack Sasha Glasgow were ruled out of the squad due to COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols.

Moments that Mattered

Swifts brought scores level with a minute left on the clock and they were able to hold up play and feed the ball into Goal Shooter Romelda Aiken-George for her to score the winning goal on the final siren, despite the best efforts of the 7,048 strong Green Army.

Verity Simmons had a great game in Centre with 26 Feeds, 20 Goal Assists and a Gain despite her midcourt teammates changing around her.

Quarter by Quarter

Q1: WCF 17 | SWIFTS 19

After a tense opening few centre passes, Swifts were the first team able to break the deadlock. Fever couldn’t convert their chances in response despite multiple gains from Goal Keeper Courtney Bruce.

Cosh started the game in Goal Attack and showed her shooting prowess in the Power 5 with a Super Shot to bring scores even. Swifts Goal Attack Helen Housby was able to respond with two Super Shots of her own to ensure the Sydney side finished the quarter ahead.

Q2: WCF 30 | SWIFTS 32

Fever had to contend with some impressive midcourt pressure in the second term, often being forced to take the long way into the circle. After another Swifts turnover Dan Ryan called a timeout, bringing on Cransberg into Wing Defence for her National League debut.

Sunday Aryang’s pressure led to a defensive Rebound which was converted by Cosh to bring scores level. Fowler then put one through the net to give Fever the lead but like the first quarter, Housby was consistent with her Super Shots and gave her team a two-goal lead at half time.

Q3:

WCF 49 | SWIFTS 48

Fever begun the second half with a bang thanks to Bruce getting a Rebound and Simmons getting an intercept bringing the game back on centre pass.

Butler came on the court for the first time in green for five years and immediately impressed showing she wasn’t afraid to take on some long-distance shooting.

The early run saw Fever take a six-goal lead midway through the third quarter but Housby once again brought her team Power 5 momentum with multiple Super Shots to bring scores almost level.

Q4:

WCF 64 | SWIFTS 65

With the game on a knife’s edge coming into the final 15 minutes of play, Fever got off to a good start pushing the margin to five goals.

Bruce did everything she could to maintain the lead including an athletic Defensive Rebound that she kept in Fever possession despite being off balance, falling over the base line.

A couple of turnovers for the Swifts were enough to get their nose back in the game and in the dying seconds Aiken-George was able to put through one last goal to snatch the win.

Goals

Super Shots

Goal Assists

Feeds

Centre Pass Receives

Deflections

Gains

Fowler 53 | Aiken-George 28

Cosh 2 | Housby 10

Simmons 20 | Hadley, Housby 16

Teague-Neeld 33 | Hadley 30

Teague-Neeld 26 | Hadley 28

Bruce, Aryang 4 | Turner 5

Bruce 4 | O’Shannassy 3

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GIG WANL wrap round 9 men relish first rapid round

The GIG WANL Men’s Division took centre stage during Round 9 with the successful introduction of Rapid Round.

Rapid Round features a number of rule changes designed to increase the speed of play however, the shake up in the rules couldn’t dislodge the Roar’s good form as defeated the Comets 59-37.

While Roar looked like the dominant side through much of the contest, Comets were able to keep in striking distance early thanks to utilising the twopoint range.

Roar’s Dylan McPherson capitalised on the twopoint chances, scoring three in a row in the second quarter as the Roar stamped their authority on the game. Tom Gorman scored the first three pointer of the round in the dying stages of the second quarter with a magnificent bomb from the left hand corner.

From there, Comets couldn’t keep up as Roar made it seven wins from as many matches with an imposing percentage of 183.

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Demons put up a good fight in their matchup against the Warriors in a game that ultimately went the Warrior’s way 43-25.

There was an interesting early dynamic as the Warriors went for a low-risk strategy relying on their accuracy from under the post compared to the Demons who opted to go big from range.

Goal Shooter Dylan Gunn scored three two-pointers in the first quarter to light up the contest and put Demons ahead at the first break.

Warriors began to embrace the extra scoring opportunities in the second quarter and were able to claw back control of the game.

They restricted the Demons to just 13 goals for the rest of the game giving them a big win and consolidating their second place on the ladder. In the Open Division, the Comets were able to prevail over the Sharks 70-52 in a top-four tussle with Comets Shooter Jasmah Hayood starring with 36 Goals at 90 per cent.

A fast start for the Comets ensured it was their game to lose with 21 goals coming in the first quarter.

Despite the Sharks’ best efforts, they were ultimately outrun as they couldn’t get ahead in any of the remaining quarters.

Both teams finish the round in the top four as Comets remain third, only percentage separating

second-placed Roar on percentage, while Sharks remain fourth with six wins and three losses.

Top of the table Demons took home another win with a nine-goal victory over the Lightning.

Lightning put up a good fight in the first quarter taking it by two goals but from then on Demons were able to nudge ahead.

Demons took the second quarter 17-11 and not even a match high 41 Goals from Demons Goal Shooter Kasey Ridout could keep her team in the contest. With their eighth win of the season, the Demons stay top of the table while Lightning remain in the bottom two.

In the 20/U Division, the Comets managed to parachute themselves into the top four with a big 64-46 win over the Sharks. Comets were able to capitalise on a fast start taking a five-goal lead into the first break.

The side never looked back pushing out the margin throughout the game off the back of 38 goals from Halle Richards.

The Division saw multiple high scoring games with the Roar and Warriors both scoring more than 60 goals in their wins.

The Roar kept their undefeated run alive while Warriors also snuck into the top four after their win over the Jets.

LAST time they met

Fever hold on in brisbane

West Coast Fever travelled to Brisbane’s Nissan Arena in Round 5 when they hung on to win a nailbiter against the Queensland Firebirds 73-71.

Trailing by seven goals at the final change, the Firebirds stormed home in Power 5 of the final quarter to reduce the margin to two goals.

Moments That Mattered

The Fever came to play in the first quarter and jumped out of the blocks building a 10-goal buffer going into the first change. It was a buffer which would prove vital as the game progressed.

Quarter by Quarter

Q1: WCF 25 | FIREBIRDS 15

Verity Simmons, Alice Teague-Neeld and Sasha Glasgow were at their energetic best as they fed Jhaniele Fowler who went into the quarter break with 19 goals.

Rudi Ellis was injected into the game halfway through the quarter when Captain Courtney Bruce rolled an ankle.

Q2: WCF 43 | FIREBIRDS 30

As Bruce returned to the court, Fever continued to control the contest as the Firebirds increased their defensive pressure.

Coach Dan Ryan reshuffled the defence with Ellis coming back into Goal Keeper and Bruce moving out to Goal Defence. Ellis helped to quell the influence of Firebirds Shooter Donnell Wallam with two Gains, two Deflections and a Rebound in the last six minutes of play.

Q3: WCF 58 | FIREBIRDS 51

The Firebirds started the second half strong with the first three goals before Fever responded as their defensive pressure lifted.

By the time Coach Ryan called a timeout leading into Power 5, Fever were in front by 12 goals. However, it was the Firebirds after the resumption that lifted their intensity to force errors from Fever.

A strong Power 5 from the home side reduced the Fever lead to seven at the final change.

Q4: WCF 73 | FIREBIRDS 71

The game lifted in intensity in the final quarter as the Firebirds chased down the Fever. Both sides traded control of the contest as Fever maintained their seven-goal lead going into Power 5.

Wallam then nailed four Super Shots to put the Fever under pressure and reduce the margin to two goals with seconds remaining.

ROUND 10 FEVER VS firebirds

PREVIOUS MEETINGS Fever vs firebirds

ROUND 5, 2023 – NISSAN ARENA FEVER 73 DEFEATED FIREBIRDS 71

ROUND 3, 2022 – NISSAN ARENA FEVER 77 DEFEATED FIREBIRDS 72

ROUND 12, 2022 – RAC ARENA FEVER 68 LOST TO FIREBIRDS 72

ROUND 12, 2021 – NISSAN ARENA FEVER 79 DEFEATED FIREBIRDS 69 CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LATEST LADDER

Courtney Bruce GK • GD

Kim Ravaillion c

Jess Anstiss WD•C

Lara Dunkley WA

Sunday Aryang GD • WD

leesa mi mi Wa

Emma Cosh WA • GA

Mia Stower ga

Rudi Ellis GK

Emily moore ga

Jhaniele Fowler GS

donnell wallam gs

KIM JENNER GD • GK • Wd

ruby bakewell-doran gd

Sasha Glasgow GS • GA

ashlee unie Gd

Verity simmons WA • C

remi kamo gk

Alice Teague-Neeld GA • WA

hulita veve c

Bec bulley

Dan Ryan

Head Coach

Head Coach

Match Preview

West Coast Fever will face a Queensland Firebirds hungry for their third win of the season at RAC Arena this weekend after another heartbreaking loss to the NSW Swifts.

Last Week

Fever fell just short against an in-form NSW Swifts side 64-65 at home as Fever’s opposition once again scored the winning shot in the last seconds of the game.

Some late changes for the Fever saw the return of Nat Butler and debutant Jordan Cransberg, who replaced Jess Anstiss and Sasha Glasgow, both forced out of the squad due to COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols.

After conceding an early lead, Fever were able to get themselves back in the game by half time and built a six-goal lead midway through the third quarter.

Swifts Goal Attack Helen Housby kept her side in the game with 10 Super Shots throughout the match. A late turnover saw the Swifts able to hold up play and find Romelda Aiken-George to put through the match winning goal with just a second left on the clock.

The Firebirds travelled to Adelaide and faced the top of the table Thunderbirds and put up a good fight until a fourth quarter onslaught saw the South Australian side come out 63-46 victors.

The first three quarters of the game were tight but defensive pressure from the Thunderbirds ultimately meant Firebirds Goal Shooter Donnell Wallam had to go for the Super Shots to get her team back in the contest.

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SUN 21 MAY 2PM

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A stellar performance by Goal Keeper Shamera Sterling including 10 Gains and nine Deflections to ensure the Thunderbirds continued their strong season.

Match Ups

A number of Fever players will be facing their old club with Verity Simmons, Kim Jenner and Rudi Ellis all having played for the Queensland outfit. Will they be able to get the jump on their former side?

Firebirds Goal Keeper Remi Kamo is coming off the back of a productive game against the Thunderbirds with seven Gains and three Rebounds to her name. She will have to contend with the returning Sasha Glasgow who will be looking to restamp her authority in the front half after missing last week’s loss to the Swifts.

Stats and Facts

This is Fever’s first back-to-back home game this season as the Perth side will hope less travel will play into their hands in the back half of the season.

Jhaniele Fowler should reach 500 Goals for the season this weekend as she currently sits on 499. Given she scored 60 Goals last time out against the Firebirds, we will see the Jamaican Shooter edge closer to the 5,000 career goal milestone, needing just 131 more.

Last time the sides met, Fever were very effective in finding their players in the circle with 96 Feeds, the side’s second most of the competition. Fever found many ways into scoring opportunities with TeagueNeeld, Simmons and Glasgow all recording more than 20 Feeds each.

in-game activations

QUARTER TIME

LiveLighter is challenging you to Move More!

We’ll have four contestants on court with noise cancelling headphones trying to guess which song you’re dancing to.

Get out of your seat and Dance More!

HALF TIME

Suncorp Super Memory Cards and we pay tribute to our WA State Teams who recently competed in the National Championships.

THREE QUARTER TIME

Mazda Best Seats, Groove along with the West Coast Fever Dance Crew and get behind our Fever with the HCF Noise!

Key Timings

12:30PM - Green Room Doors Open

1:00PM - Stadium Doors Open

1.22PM - Pre-Show Entertainment

1.38PM - Team Warm Up

2:00PM - Centre Pass

COMPLETE AN ACTIVITY EVERY DAY TO SIT LESS, MOVE MORE,

CHALLENGE

COMPLETE AN ACTIVITY EVERY DAY TO

4-WEEK CHALLENGE

MOVE MORE, FEEL GREAT!

TO SIT LESS, MOVE MORE, FEEL GREAT!

FEEL GREAT!

CONGRATULATIONS!

YOU’VE COMPLETED THE MOVE MORE CHALLENGE

CONGRATULATIONS!

rond’s return worth the wait

After 648 days on the sidelines, Western Roar midcourter Trinity Rond made her inspiring comeback to GIG WANL this season.

It was the Roar’s victorious Round 2 journey to Peel that set the stage for Trinity’s return.

At the time of injury, Trinity was an extremely exciting prospect, a member of the Fever Academy, a WAIS scholarship recipient and part of the Australian Netball Centre for Excellence. She also represented WA in numerous State squads and was selected in the 2019/20 Australian Netball World Youth Cup squad.

While training for the State Team in 2021, Trinity tore her ACL, leaving her out of the game for at least 12 months.

After biding her time waiting to get back on the court, scans revealed the injury was not healing as desired and she had to wait months till she was match ready.

Trinity said hearing she would be out of the game was heartbreaking.

“It was pretty devastating, it felt like a long time out of the game.”

While many would take the time away from the game completely, Trinity stuck with her club in every way she could.

She still attended every match and training session she could as well as volunteering countless hours of her time to her club.

As a recognition of her perseverance, she won the club’s Spirit of Netball Award and Club Person of the Year in 2022 despite not playing a single game. Western Roar President Simone Pirie said Trinity was invaluable to the club on and off the court.

“Trinity is the most giving club member I’ve seen in recent memory for me. She’s mature beyond her years and we’re just super fortunate that she’s at our club,” she said.

“She’s a unique human being and we’re so, so lucky to have her at the club, she’s been an enormous and a fantastic example to our youngsters coming through to look at what a club person looks like.”

Pirie spoke of how the club was devasted when they heard the news of Trinity’s injury.

“It’s always devastating when a young person injures themselves and especially someone like Trinity, who was really on an exciting pathway.”

Trinity said while the experience was tough, support by her teammates, club and Netball WA made the experience easier.

“Everyone at the Roar was really great. Every time I’d be down at training they’d always be checking on

me, asking how I’m going and everyone was really nice and really helpful for everything.”

“At academy trainings they would always include me, if I could do anything then I would join in through different ways. They were really helpful, all the coaches, support staff and especially my teammates, everyone just made me feel as involved as possible.”

For Trinity, finally stepping out onto the court and taking the first centre pass from teammate Zoe Cransberg was a mix of emotions.

“I was just itching to get out. Obviously I missed the first game, but I really, really wanted to push to for that start,” she said.

“I was so nervous the whole time, but once I was out it felt great.

“I was a bit stressed to throw the ball away and make mistakes but I knew that everyone around me would support me no matter what, so it felt really great to get out there.”

For Pirie, Trinity’s return was also an emotional moment.

“We all had a bit of a tear in our eye when she first ran on to court, after all that time we knew what she’d gone through to get back on court and how hard she’d worked,” she said.

“To see her over the last few weeks start to really feel comfortable and do those amazing intercepts that only Trin can do, sends shivers down your spine. It’s such a good story.”

Now that she’s back on the court, Trinity feels the time away from the game has made her stronger and helped build her passion for netball.

“Having that time to reflect just made me see how much I actually really enjoy the sport, the people around it, the training and the games,” she said.

“As much as the time off was hard, it really helped me on and off the court, mentally and physically, so I came back a lot stronger physically and mentally as well.”

Trinity now has her focus on progressing through the GIG WANL season and believes she can return to the levels she was playing and then some.

“I want to get our team to a grand final that would be really great if we could do that back-to-back,” she said.

“Individually I’d love to push for the Australian Netball Championships at the end of this year, but just to have a really solid state league season and finishing it off on a high would be great.”

Article by Oliver Lane

Jess Anstiss

DOB: 20 November 1996

Place of Birth: Perth

Height: 175cm

Position: WD, C

National League Debut: 2017

National League Games: 94

First Junior Club: Lightning Netball Club

First started playing Netball: Aged 8

Occupation/Area of Study: Teaching

Netball Highlight: 2022 Premiership

Favourite Movie: Blue Crush

Favourite Book: Colouring Books

Favourite Food: Italian

Favourite Holiday: New Zealand

Favourite TV show/Series: Outerbanks

Signature Dance Move: Worm

Hobbies/Interests: Drone Photography

Biggest SSN Rival: Vixens

Toughest Opponent: Kelsey Browne