Super Netball Round-Up: Casey Kopua ignores keyboard warriors, netball joins Big Freeze and is it time to bring Lucy Austin back?

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19 hours ago

Super Netball is heating up with five rounds left in the regular season, as two upsets took place across round nine. It was the highest attended round of 2025 so far, with three sell-outs in Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide.
The Vixens recorded their best-ever home crowd of 9,041 as they defeated the Mavericks in the Melbourne Derby, 66-57, and jumped into the top four. They were the only team to win at home on the weekend.
The NSW Swifts finally had their eight-match winning streak snapped by the West Coast Fever, 79-68. The top of the ladder clash was attended by close to 9,000 people in Sydney and demonstrated to the rest of the league it is possible to beat the premiership favourites — the key is to isolate goal attack Helen Housby.
The Queensland Derby was a bit predictable, as the Sunshine Coast Lightning celebrated Courtney Bruce's 150th game and handed the Firebirds a seventh consecutive loss, 72-62.
Lastly, the most interesting result of all was the Giants' victory over the Adelaide Thunderbirds, 66-63. It marked their second win this season — both of which have come against the two-time defending champions. Not many would have got that tip right!
If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball Round-Up.
We are still trying to come to terms with Casey Kopua's Super Netball debut, six years after she retired from elite netball.
It seems it has been a whirlwind two weeks for the 2019 World Cup champion, who is juggling her full-time work and three kids to fill the hole of injured Giants defender Jodi-Ann Ward as a huge favour for coach Julie Fitzgerald.
Last week, Kopua spent the full 60 minutes on court against the Vixens. She wasn't expecting to get so much game time. Or for her opponent, Vixens goal shooter Sophie Garbin, to be so cold.
"To be honest, I was bloody scared hey, it's so fast and that first ball," Kopua told the Inside Netball podcast.
"For me, you always say hello to your opponent [before the game] as a sign of respect but she didn't even acknowledge me.
"She said nothing, and I was like 'Oh my god, that's so rude, at least say hello'.
'It's just a game of netball but I got nothing, so me being stubborn I thought, righto if that's how it's going to be, let's go."
The Giants lost in round eight by 10 goals, and Kopua finished with two gains. She admits she cannot jump as high as she used to, however, it is the support and structure she offers Erin O'Brien that gave the 21-year-old the confidence to tally seven gains.
In the lead-up to round nine, the club secured the services of Kopua for the rest of the season and we got to see her combine with O'Brien again for an entire match. This time they got the win, and the pair had a similar amount of hand to ball, sharing 11 gains.
It was the first time Kopua had faced old foe Romelda Aiken-George in many years, as Jamaica and New Zealand were in separate pools at the 2019 World Cup. Kopua is now nine days away from her 40th birthday and said the recent passing of her father was the main reason she answered Fitzgerald's call. Sadly, it has not stopped fans from criticising her comeback.
"For me, Super Netball has always been something I was intrigued by and losing my dad a couple of months ago, I knew if he was here, he would have told me, 'You can't turn this down'.
"I got a lot of private messages about me stopping people's pathways.
"There are the keyboard warriors that put it out there publicly, then there's the ones that come at you behind the scenes.
"I would never say that to anybody and I'm just trying to help out a friend here ... For me it's part of giving back to netball and teaching the younger ones a few tricks."
The Thunderbirds have faced a couple of bumps in the road in their quest for a historic three-peat. The biggest blow has undoubtedly been the loss of goal keeper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, bowing out following round three after announcing her pregnancy.
They signed South African replacement Sanmarie Visser in her place, before they changed tactics and assigned the GK bib to Latanya Wilson. Wilson has had a cameo there throughout her Super Netball career, but her preferred positions are wing defence and goal defence.
Before shifting roles, Wilson was by far the best performing player in the league, now she's got to learn a new craft. The Giants were able to exploit Wilson's busy style of play, dragging her out of the circle to take her away from the contest.
The fitness of goal shooter Romelda Aiken-George was another question mark leading into 2025, after she had minor knee surgery in the pre-season. Although Aiken-George seems to be holding up okay, donning a full leg compression on her right side, the super shot isn't a regular skill she pulls out to claw a lead back when her team are down.
Against the Giants, both Lauren Frew and Kayla Graham struggled to convert the two-point goals (0/11) which hampered their ability to get back in the game.
Homegrown talent Lucy Austin played a role in the Thunderbirds' 2023 and 2024 premierships but has been absent on court. Austin can shoot long. Instead, she has been playing Super Netball Reserves, while defensive midcourter and No.11th player Sophie Casey has been elevated.
The one name that hasn't been spoken about a heap, that the Thunderbirds really seem to miss, is Laura Scherian. The veteran finished her career on a high after switching from the Lightning to the Thunderbirds for 2024 and gave the team another solid wing attack option alongside Georgie Horjus. This allowed Horjus to swing freely from WA to GA.
The season, Horjus has spent a lot less time inside the circle because she has had to steady the midcourt. So, the balance of this team feels off.
They have Visser, Wilson, Casey, Hannah Petty, Tayla Williams and Matilda Garrett to fit into four positions across the midcourt and back third. As Aiken-George, Horjus, Lauren Frew and Kayla Graham look after the front three spots. Now would be the obvious time to bring Austin back. She's the highest scoring player in Super Netball Reserves.
Some things are bigger than sport.
One of them is the fight against motor neurone disease.
It was heartwarming to see Victorian netball get behind Neale Daniher's Big Freeze on the June long weekend, crossing codes to champion an AFL cause.
The Vixens made their Sunday home game Big Freeze themed, selling physical beanies at the match and digital ones to those who couldn't attend.
Carlton-born Liz Watson left the warmth of Queensland's Sunshine Coast behind to go down the slide at the MCG.
The dress code was Australian icons, and the Diamonds captain played her part in a pink get-up, channelling Margot Robbie in the Barbie movie.
Another captain, Alyssa Healy, swapped her cricket gear to appear as netball-obsessed Kath and Kim character Sharon Strzelecki — pash rash and all. It was a nice nod to Magda Szubanski, after her recent diagnosis with blood cancer.
It just goes to show you what is possible when the sporting codes work together. Well done to all involved.