Operation Jhaniele: Swifts set for ultimate challenge

Perth Now

a day ago

Verity Simmons had the best midcourt job in the world from 2018 to 2023 - feeding Jamaica and West Coast superstar Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard.
Now, back plying her trade for home state NSW, Simmons has the unenviable task of trying to stop the flow to the five-time Super Netball MVP and shooting star.
Simmons is well aware of the magnitude of her task, but the midcourter believes it's at the other end of the court where the undefeated Swifts can hammer their advantage.
Swifts coach Briony Akle is well known for using her bench frequently and it's the depth in attack that has Simmons confident NSW can unnerve the Fever.
Both teams enter the top-of-the-table clash on Saturday in red-hot form, with the Swifts on a competition-record eight game winning streak to start the season.
The Fever have won all six games since Fowler-Nembhard first played in round three, leaving them in second place before their clash at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Simmons says while the Swifts easily accounted for the Fever 67-49 in round one, the presence of Fowler-Nembhard this time around will be the biggest test of their barnstorming season.
"Playing teams a second time has been a whole different ball game," Simmons told AAP on Friday.
"We're going to get hit hard by Fever tomorrow night with Jhaniele coming back.
"I think we still keep the momentum of what we've been doing, it's been winning us games and yes she's in there, but I think we keep the focus on us."
A win for the Swifts will see them go three games clear with five rounds to play in Super Netball, and being unpredictable is what Simmons believes can disturb the Fever.
"I think we still keep doing the same thing in attack, we've got lots of rotation, lots of depth," Simmons said.
"We can keep changing it up and keep people fresh and I think that's also probably something that Fever aren't used to.
"With how many changes we have, they've got to keep adjusting to what attack line we put out there."
The former Fever and West Coast Eagles AFLW player said while she still keeps in contact with many of her former teammates, it's been all business in the lead-up to such an important game.
And while the 34-year-old knows she has her own job to do to try and stop the service to Fowler-Nembhard, she understands the pressure on the defence given the Jamaican's strength.
"Just watching her I feel sorry for the defence with the work they've got ahead of them," Simmons said.
"But it's more the work we're doing out front to slow them down to really have an impact, that's where we've really got to pick the slack up for our defence."
While Fowler-Nembhard is a unique athlete, Akle says the Swifts' roaring success this season means the blueprint doesn't need to change.
"I feel like there's other teams in the competition that have really beautifully strong, tall shooters," Akle told AAP.
"I think it's very similar game plans coming up against such an amazing shooter as (Fowler-Nembhard).
"It's more about the preparation about what leads up into her in terms of our style of defence."