So there you have it, it was great to see the NSW Swifts begin their 2025 season with the win, especially when they went up against last year’s Preliminary Finalists West Coast Fever at Perth’s RAC Arena.
First of all, things may have been shaky off the back of a flying Fever start, especially when the Swifts back two seems to be a hit and miss at times.
Although they got away with some good deflections/rebounds based on the Fever’s poor attacking output through luck.
What kept the Swifts marching above their weight was the world-class goal shooting duo they’ve built of England’s Helen Housby (Goal Attack) and new recruit from New Zealand via the Mystics & Silver Ferns in Grace Nweke (Goal Shooter).
They both shot flawlessly into the net like rockets including restarts every time Fever struggle to put those pieces together and the progress was there to see.
Now it’s up to the mid-court engine room to keep up the ante in which they weren’t bad coupled with the added help of temporary replacement signing Verity Simmons who knows Perth all two well after Grace Whyte fell down when she was trying to mark the ball at Wing Attack.
They got a few days of homework on their flight home at Netball Central before Swifts first home game of the year is on Saturday night at 7pm v Melbourne Mavericks.
And on Fever, it wasn’t the afternoon they wanted when their defense was rinsed by both Nweke & Housby while the shooters of their own had to do the heavy lifting.
One highlight though the Fever will always remember is the return of Mwai Kumwenda, who just got back on the court following some time away due to pregnancy, and she too now just racked up over 100 Super Netball Super Spots.
They need to keep their head up especially when the opponents they face this season will be new-look squads and the Kiri Willis-led Queensland Firebirds is up next also next Saturday to Brisbane from 5pm. QLD also got away with the win too against the Giants earlier this afternoon here in Sydney where Kiri will want to make the most out of her time in Australia having recently been the coach of fellow Auckland ANZ Premiership side Northern Stars up until the end of 2024.
All in all, the Ferns players may not be able to leave home that could compromise their eligibility status with selection for the foreseeable future. But getting tested at the highest level is something no one else could provide that springboard other than Super Netball – only available in Australia.
