3m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 6:28am
Swifts wearing black armbands
There have been two big losses in the Swifts camp this week, which won’t be helping their emotional state in their biggest game of the 2025 season thus far.
Head coach Briony Akle lost her dear friend and former NSW Netballer Katrina McCaffery a couple of days ago to cancer. Akle had spent much of the week at her bedside. Then Swifts midcourter Allie Smith also lost her grandfather. Very sad news.
7m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 6:24am
Nweke misses
Not the start Nweke or the Swifts were hoping after the reset at the break. Nweke was given a penalty shot at goal on the first centre pass and then missed the shot. Fever were quicker on the rebound and they convert to roll on with their dominance in this major semi.
SCORE: Fever lead 21-11
10m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 6:21amQT: Fever lead 20-11
Wow, what an unusual way to start a semifinal. Let alone the major semifinal. This is supposed to be the best two teams and the best contest of the day.
Instead the Swifts have been caught napping. They had an opportunity to go up 2-0 when an unusual mistake from Fever GS Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard put a foot out of court as she looked to score her first goal. Nweke’s offensive contacts have really cost them though and meant they failed to capitalise on this gift from the home team. A host of errors followed from the Swifts and has now put them under immense pressure on the scoreboard at the first break. Nweke has three contact calls against her name and five turnovers already after 15 minutes. It’s her first ever Super Netball season and her first final. She’s come here to test herself and try to become the best shooter in the world. This is a tough mental challenge for her now.
It’ll take a huge effort and a heap of super shots if they’re able to come back from here and upset the minor premiers.
13m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 6:18am
Housby super shot doesn’t count
With 30 seconds to go, Housby’s accuracy was on song from the white arc. But another offensive contact against her shooting partner Grace Nweke means the goal does not count. It’s Fever’s penalty and they head up their end and convert a single.
SCORE: Fever lead 19-11
14m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 6:17am
Housby super shot
Swifts goal attack and English import Helen Housby opens her super shot account for the major semifinal.
SCORE: Fever lead 17-11
15m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 6:16amSimmons injured
Swifts midcourter Verity Simmons goes down with two minutes left in this opening quarter. She rolled her ankle but grabbed at it straight away as she hit the deck and has now taken herself off to be assessed. Grace Whyte has taken her position in WA.
16m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 6:15amFowler-Nembhard hits a milestone
Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard has scored her 9,500th goal across the trans-Tasman Championship and Super Netball eras of the national netball league. There’s a reason this five-time MVP is widely regarded as the GOAT!
21m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 6:10am
Offensive contact Cransberg
We’re about halfway through the quarter and Fever centre Jordan Cransberg has given away an offensive contact in the pocket of the home team’s goal third. The Swifts use the opportunity to peg one back on the scoreboard.
SCORE: Fever lead 11-5
24m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 6:07am
Swifts timeout
Head coach Briony Akle is not happy!
Her feedback is direct to her team, with just over five minutes gone in this opening quarter.
The attackers are putting way too much pressure on their feed into shooter Grace Nweke and combined with Nweke’s offensive contacts as she tries to desperately get free, they’ve bungled this start and handed the minor premiers a huge lead.
This Fever side has already won 12 in a row, so it’s not looking good.
“We need one extra pass before it goes into Grace.”
26m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 6:05amFever take an early lead
The Swifts had the first centre pass and managed to convert quickly through their New Zealand spearhead Grace Nweke.
An early mistake from Fever goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard with her foot over the baseline gave them an opportunity to take a 2-0 lead to start this semifinal but then Nweke was pinged twice for offensive contact as she tried to push off the body and find space in the circle away from Jamaican defender Kadie-Ann Dehaney. Now it’s the Fever who lead by four!
SCORE: Fever lead 5-1
29m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 6:03amMajor semifinal teams are in
We’re straight onto the next semifinal and it’s the major one between the West Coast Fever and NSW Swifts. Let’s see how these two teams line-up.
West Coast Fever
GS Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard
GA Shanice Beckford
WA Alice Teague-Neeld
C Jordan Cransberg
WD Jess Anstiss
GD Sunday Aryang
GK Kadie-Ann Dehaney
Subs: Zoe Cransberg, Olivia Wilkinson, Fran Williams
NSW Swifts
GS Grace Nweke
GA Helen Housby
WA Verity Simmons
C Allie Smith
WD Sharni Lambden
GD Maddy Turner
GK Sarah Klau
Subs: Grace Whyte, Sophie Fawns, Freddie Schneideman
32m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 5:59amFT stats
Here are the full-time stats from the minor semifinal.
As you can see the Vixens were slightly better in defence. But it was an extremely tight game. To only see 19 turnovers in total between the two teams is nuts!
Full-time statistics from the minor semifinal. (Champion Data)
The Thunderbirds were better at converting their defensive gains but not as clinical on their own centre passes. Such a tight match built on small margins!
Full-time statistics from the minor semifinal. (Champion Data)36m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 5:55amPOTM is Kiera Austin
It came down to a super shot off to finish this minor semifinal and although Georgie Horjus converted more of them (6/9) Vixens goal attack Kiera Austin was more accurate (5/5). She made her attempts at the long bomb count.
“I’m super proud of [the team],” Austin told Fox Netball.
“It was such a great game, and all due respect to the Thunderbirds, because they have been absolute champions over the last couple of years.
“We’re happy for the win, it means we can continue on in the finals campaign.”
39m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 5:52amFT: Vixens win 58-56
The boos ring out at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. It’s not the best sportsmanship from the crowd but they’re clearly disappointed their team’s chance at a three-peat is over.
For the Vixens, their head coach Simone McKinnis remains in her position at the helm for an extra week. This will be considered a huge upset.
Lily Graham and Rudi Ellis of the Vixens celebrate victory. (AAP)
As the Vixens last beat the Thunderbirds back in round two in the 2024 season.
Since then, they’d lost six straight matches to the defending premiers (including a pre-season game). Georgie Horjus has a chance at a super shot with 1:30 on the clock but missed.
That would have seen the Thunderbirds take the lead. Instead, the Vixens were able to take the ball and hold onto possession to wind the clock down. What a match!
44m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 5:47amVixens take back the lead
Kiera Austin will not be outshone in this department and responds with own super shot. It’s a super shot shootout to finish in Adelaide. Less than two minutes left now.
SCORE: Vixens lead 57-56
46m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 5:45amTBirds hit the lead
The Thunderbrids goal attack has a lot of pressure on her shoulders right now but she’s standing up to the contest. On their next centre pass, Horjus goes back-to-back with the two-pointers and sees her team take the lead with just over two minutes left in the game.
SCORE: TBirds lead 56-55
47m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 5:44am
Graham intercept
Kayla Graham – the youngest player on court – has just come up with a huge intercept in the middle third. Horjus backs that up with a huge super shot!
SCORE: Vixens lead 55-54
49m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 5:42am
Aiken-George replay
It felt like there could have been a shift in momentum there, but a handling mistake from the Thunderbirds shooter sees the Vixens add another to the scoreboard.
SCORE: Vixens lead 55-52
51m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 5:40am
Austin loses the ball
The super shot siren has just gone and the Vixens were going to have the first go at it in this fourth quarter. But Kiera Austin and Kate Moloney have been pinged for a short pass on the edge of the circle. Instead the Thunderbirds score a one.
SCORE: Vixens lead 54-52
53m agoSun 20 Jul 2025 at 5:39am
Garrett off
Matilda Garrett looks as if she’s rolled her ankle. So she’s taken herself off. A defensive change forced for the Thunderbirds. Latanya Wilson takes on the GK bib for the first time today, Sanmarie Visser into GD and Hannah Petty back on in WD.