Latest news with #AdelaideThunderbirds
News.com.au
25-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Adelaide Thunderbirds' double edge defensive sword, Latanya Wilson highlights team of the week. Have your say!
They're without the great Shamera Sterling-Humphrey but the Adelaide Thunderbirds have another outstanding Jamaican defender pushing their case for a third consecutive Super Netball title. Latanya Wilson was outstanding in the Thunderbirds' 66-59 win over the Mavericks in Melbourne on Sunday, racking up an incredible 11 gains - including seven intercepts - to severely restrict the flow of ball to Mavs goal shooter Shimona Jok. With Diamonds defender Tilly Garrett also in the T-Birds' defensive unit and South African young gun gaining experience with every outing, Adelaide cannot be counted out yet. Neither can a resurgent West Coast Fever, with Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard back in their ranks. Fowler-Nembhard became the first player to pass the 9000 goal mark in the ANZ Championship-Super Netball era when she sank her 12th goal against the Giants. It was one of 63 goals she made in the 75-66 victory over the Giants, showing why the Jamaicans will be such a threat at next year's Commonwealth Games.
The Advertiser
25-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Thunderbirds roll away with a Super impressive victory
A dominant defensive performance from Latanya Wilson highlighted a 66-59 Super Netball away win for Adelaide Thunderbirds over Melbourne Mavericks. The win moved two-time defending champions Adelaide to third on percentage above Sunshine Coast Lightning at the halfway point of the season. The South Australian team's victory at John Cain Arena completed a clean sweep of away wins across the four round-seven fixtures. Adelaide were ahead by four, six and 15 goals at the end of each of the first three quarters, and only a late flurry of Mavericks Super Shots added respectability to the final margin. The Thunderbirds moved to 4-3 and the Mavericks slumped to 2-6, dropping below local rivals Melbourne Vixens to sixth, two wins off fourth spot. Jamaican Wilson was a constant menace, recording game-high tallies of seven intercepts, eight deflections and 11 gains. Wilson, who usually plays goal defence or wing defence, was switched to goal keeper after her compatriot, Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, announced this month she was pregnant and would miss the rest of the season. "It (playing goal keeper) has been new to me lately, so it's quite good that I was able able to get the job done," Wilson told Fox Sports. At the other end of the court, Wilson's compatriot Romelda Aiken-George contributed 47 goals from 52 attempts, and Lauren Frew made 11 of 12, including four of five two-pointers. Aiken-George also nabbed six rebounds, with the Mavericks not collecting any between them. The undisciplined Mavericks committed 26 turnovers and a massive 69 penalties. "Our penalties are far too high, you might as well be standing in the stands playing," coach Tracey Neville told Fox Sports at halftime. Maverick Shimona Jok nailed 34 of 35 shots, while her colleagues were perfect from Super Shot range, with Uneeq Palavi hitting six and Sasha Glasgow four. A dominant defensive performance from Latanya Wilson highlighted a 66-59 Super Netball away win for Adelaide Thunderbirds over Melbourne Mavericks. The win moved two-time defending champions Adelaide to third on percentage above Sunshine Coast Lightning at the halfway point of the season. The South Australian team's victory at John Cain Arena completed a clean sweep of away wins across the four round-seven fixtures. Adelaide were ahead by four, six and 15 goals at the end of each of the first three quarters, and only a late flurry of Mavericks Super Shots added respectability to the final margin. The Thunderbirds moved to 4-3 and the Mavericks slumped to 2-6, dropping below local rivals Melbourne Vixens to sixth, two wins off fourth spot. Jamaican Wilson was a constant menace, recording game-high tallies of seven intercepts, eight deflections and 11 gains. Wilson, who usually plays goal defence or wing defence, was switched to goal keeper after her compatriot, Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, announced this month she was pregnant and would miss the rest of the season. "It (playing goal keeper) has been new to me lately, so it's quite good that I was able able to get the job done," Wilson told Fox Sports. At the other end of the court, Wilson's compatriot Romelda Aiken-George contributed 47 goals from 52 attempts, and Lauren Frew made 11 of 12, including four of five two-pointers. Aiken-George also nabbed six rebounds, with the Mavericks not collecting any between them. The undisciplined Mavericks committed 26 turnovers and a massive 69 penalties. "Our penalties are far too high, you might as well be standing in the stands playing," coach Tracey Neville told Fox Sports at halftime. Maverick Shimona Jok nailed 34 of 35 shots, while her colleagues were perfect from Super Shot range, with Uneeq Palavi hitting six and Sasha Glasgow four. A dominant defensive performance from Latanya Wilson highlighted a 66-59 Super Netball away win for Adelaide Thunderbirds over Melbourne Mavericks. The win moved two-time defending champions Adelaide to third on percentage above Sunshine Coast Lightning at the halfway point of the season. The South Australian team's victory at John Cain Arena completed a clean sweep of away wins across the four round-seven fixtures. Adelaide were ahead by four, six and 15 goals at the end of each of the first three quarters, and only a late flurry of Mavericks Super Shots added respectability to the final margin. The Thunderbirds moved to 4-3 and the Mavericks slumped to 2-6, dropping below local rivals Melbourne Vixens to sixth, two wins off fourth spot. Jamaican Wilson was a constant menace, recording game-high tallies of seven intercepts, eight deflections and 11 gains. Wilson, who usually plays goal defence or wing defence, was switched to goal keeper after her compatriot, Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, announced this month she was pregnant and would miss the rest of the season. "It (playing goal keeper) has been new to me lately, so it's quite good that I was able able to get the job done," Wilson told Fox Sports. At the other end of the court, Wilson's compatriot Romelda Aiken-George contributed 47 goals from 52 attempts, and Lauren Frew made 11 of 12, including four of five two-pointers. Aiken-George also nabbed six rebounds, with the Mavericks not collecting any between them. The undisciplined Mavericks committed 26 turnovers and a massive 69 penalties. "Our penalties are far too high, you might as well be standing in the stands playing," coach Tracey Neville told Fox Sports at halftime. Maverick Shimona Jok nailed 34 of 35 shots, while her colleagues were perfect from Super Shot range, with Uneeq Palavi hitting six and Sasha Glasgow four.
ABC News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Super Netball Round-Up: Sanmarie Visser's broken nose, a veteran coach steps down and is Gretel Bueta making a comeback?
As we edge towards the halfway point of the season there's one thing all Super Netball teams are struggling with: consistency. Even the undefeated NSW Swifts hadn't put in a full 60-minute performance until Sunday, when they managed to win their first opening quarter in a month against cross-town rivals the Giants. That laid the platform for them to clinch all four periods, 82-69, in what was a surprising high-scoring affair between top and bottom of the ladder. Sunshine Coast Lightning moved into second place with a 62-50 victory over the Melbourne Vixens. Simone McKinnis then shocked us all by announcing she'd step down as Vixens head coach at the end of this season. The game of the round was played between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and West Coast Fever, where each team's Jamaican target continued their race to 9,000 goals. Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard added 53 to her tally in the Fever's triumph, 67-61, and is now 12 goals away from the milestone. The Melbourne Mavericks are establishing a decent record in Hobart after beating the Queensland Firebirds, 71-64, in their second ever appearance on the Apple Isle. If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball Round-Up. In round five, McKinnis coached her 200th game in the national netball league. In round six, she quietly announced her decision to leave the role she's held for 13 seasons. Despite her contract being up at the end of the year and the team currently seventh with just two wins, by all reports this was Simone's decision that she came to on her own terms. The players were told in the days leading up to the game and shed tears as the news was made public. Captain Kate Moloney said it suddenly felt real and that the announcement should be enough motivation for the team to hold themselves accountable and turn their season around. As a coach, McKinnis delivered two premierships (2014 and 2020) and took the Vixens to four grand finals, including last year. The Vixens have a reputation for being a very clinical team with high standards and McKinnis has demanded excellence while caring deeply for her players. Netball Victoria will begin the recruiting process in the coming weeks. The interesting part is that McKinnis hasn't used the word retirement and says her love for coaching space is still strong. "It has been 13 years and it's just the time for me to move on," McKinnis said. "To be honest, I'm not one for announcements, I would have happily kept it in-house, but Netball Victoria wanted to get on with recruitment. "I don't know [where I'll end up next], it's not even something I've thought about … my job now is to find a way to make the rest of the season the best it can be, then I'll walk away and go on holiday and won't be driving up the freeway from Geelong to Melbourne every day. "We seem a bit flat and lifeless, maybe we just need to go to the pub." It was nice to see McKinnis's humorous side, indicating a weight had come off her shoulders. So, who will replace her? A Super Netball head coach needs to at least have their elite accreditation and to be working towards a high-performance accreditation. Several assistant coaches' names have been raised. Dylan Nexhip (Swifts) recently achieved elite, while Cathy Fellows (Thunderbirds) and Nicole Richardson (Mavericks) are believed to both have their high performance. It's hard to know who else could be in the running as the sport can be tight-lipped about these accreditations, but one thing we know about Netball Victoria is they like to recruit their own. Could one of the best goal attacks the game has seen be forging a comeback? In 2024, Gretel Bueta said she was focusing on her family. Now it seems she's had a change in mindset as tries to regain her fitness after giving birth to her third child, daughter Lacy. Netball fans were very excited when the former Diamonds star posted a video to her Instagram account practising her shooting alongside Australian head coach Stacey Marinkovich. It was quickly confirmed that this appearance was a clinic Bueta and Marinkovich were running for competition winners. False alarm, we thought. Until Marinkovich appeared on Fox Netball and added fuel to the fire. "Gretel is four months post baby and she's using netball as a tool to get fit, she's not retired so is just seeing where her body is at and you never know what could happen," Marinkovich said. "It is step by step, she's doing a good job working in the background, we'll see where it takes us." Bueta is not currently linked to any Super Netball or Queensland state team, but Firebirds goal attack Tippah Dwan ruled herself out of selection last week as she looks to rehab a knee injury. Bueta won two premierships with the team (2015 and 2016) and made headlines in 2021 when she returned to the top level four months after having her first child, son Bobby. She last played in 2022 before having her second child, Toby. In 2023 she worked as an assistant coach before taking a break from the game altogether. Last year, Bueta said she was keeping her distance because she'd been told she was a distraction. Diamonds contracts will be announced towards the end of the season, which will work in Bueta's favour. "We don't have to do it as early as what we have done before because there's no marquee event, so we'll push it back to allow players to showcase what they can do," Marinkovich said. If Bueta is fit and ready the national team would definitely want her in the environment as they build towards the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and a 2027 home World Cup. Particularly with the form of Sophie Dwyer and Sophie Garbin a bit shaky. Adelaide Thunderbirds general manager of high performance Jace Bode has spilled the tea on the club's signing of South African import Sanmarie Visser. On Netball Unlocked, Bode spoke about the sleepless nights he had trying to find a replacement for pregnant goal keeper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey. Super Netball teams were finalised in August and the two-time defending premiers did not expect they'd be trying to claim a three-peat without their marquee player. Bode said his instinct was to protect Sterling-Humphrey, even if it meant telling a white lie to conceal the true reason Visser was spotted at the pre-season Team Girls Cup. "When Shamera told us in early February … given everything that had played out with Fowler-Nembhard's [miscarriage], it was a sensitive topic," Bode said. "It didn't give us a lot of options for replacements and we're not blessed with a lot of height in our South Australia pathways, so we looked internationally. "Romelda Aiken-George had a knee cleanout, there was an opportunity to bring Sanmarie in as her replacement and we didn't disclose that Shamera was pregnant, but we said it was likely there would be an opportunity. "We tried to be as up front as we could be and asked, 'Can you take that leap of faith? Knowing there might not be anything on the end of it?' "She took that risk." Bode also confirmed rumours that Visser had a face injury before joining the Thunderbirds. ABC Sport were originally told Visser had fractured a bone around her eye socket during her international debut at the Nations Cup. Bode said it was a broken nose. Visser was spotted wearing a face guard in April at training, the club has now revealed she had surgery prior to her arrival in South Australia. "Sanmarie came with a broken nose and we didn't see her in a competitive environment while Romelda was injured … It did enable us to fast-track her development though." Playing across goal keeper, goal defence and wing defence, the 21-year-old has a bright future and has offered plenty of versatility in her three Super Netball appearances.
ABC News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Super Netball Round-Up: Mavericks 'murdered' by silly errors, Firebirds captain's show of solidarity and Swifts win ugly
The real contenders and pretenders of Super Netball are starting to emerge after five rounds. The Adelaide Thunderbirds beat the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane 62-53, to see the hosts stoop to three straight losses. Despite changes to their roster, the Firebirds are still failing to connect with a tall goal shooter. West Coast Fever jumped into the top four for the first time this season, as they handed the Melbourne Mavericks their heaviest defeat, 78-61. It was a difficult watch for Mavericks coach Tracey Neville, who delivered some tough love to her players. Sunshine Coast Lightning defeated the Giants 74-56, as Cara Koenen slotted her 3000th career goal. Some may have put this down to Giants co-captain Jo Harten being absent for parental reasons, but she hasn't been a consistent force up front this year anyway. Lastly, the NSW Swifts were challenged by the Melbourne Vixens in the first instalment of the 2025 Sargeant-McKinnis Cup. At home, the Swifts prevailed 59-51 in what ended up being the closest game of round five. If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball Round-Up. The frustration boiled over for coach Tracey Neville, as she sat slumped, head in her hands, throughout the Mavericks loss to the Fever. Captain Amy Parmenter was ruled out last-minute when an irritated ankle she'd had a cortisol injection for earlier in the week didn't feel right to play. No-one stood up in her absence. The side lacked leadership and a steady head to direct play as one mistake led to another, like a domino effect. By the first break, they were down 22-14, and although Neville delivered some tough love in the huddles to try and inspire a fightback, they couldn't get any traction on the scoreboard. "Our unforced errors absolutely murdered us," Neville said afterwards. "Where we lost the ball was offensive contacts, held ball, footwork, it was just silly mistakes. "Those technical skills and our ability to finish off a game weren't good enough. "Maybe you do get found out a little bit, we are a new franchise, and we've got a new interchange every week, so you're always building relationships … but that doesn't take away your technical skills, that comes on the individual." Once again, the Mavericks haven't had their full-time, contracted 10 players available to start the season. Lauren Parkinson and Eleanor Cardwell are injured, while Sasha Glasgow is only four games back from a serious leg break that ruled her out in their inaugural year. But some of their issues are around game plan and intent. They need to work on their clock awareness instead of going through the motions towards the end of a quarter. The Mavericks are so focused on feeding shooter Shimona Jok that they continue to miss opportunities throughout the super shot periods to claw back the score. The offensive contacts racked up because they were pushing off the bodies of their opponents to get free instead of doing the prelims required. Both Olivia Lewis and Kim Brown previously played for Fever and have had plenty of experience training against Jamaican target Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard. Yet, neither had a single gain in the opening 30 minutes. They've lost four from five now, with games against the Firebirds and Thunderbirds left to come in this first half of the season. It's time for the Mavericks to decide if they truly want to be top-four contenders and, if so, who is going to provide the much-needed spark? As the Firebirds co-captain, Ruby Bakewell-Doran is in an awkward position. She's been at the club since 2019 through several controversies: The team has been through four different coaches in five seasons. They haven't played finals since 2018, so it hasn't been an easy ride. But Bakewell-Doran's enthusiasm in her new leadership role demonstrates her love for the Firebirds. She's also been their best performing player on court this season. Her decision to publicly support Kamo last week was therefore a pretty brave show of solidarity. It came at a time when the club had denied any wrongdoing and incoming coach Kiri Wills had had a crack at the media for continuing to report the issue. Underneath Kamo's video released via social media — where she explained her love of the game, that key witnesses hadn't been interviewed during the investigation and that she'd lost faith in Netball Australia — fellow defender Bakewell-Doran's comment was short and sweet. "Beautifully said Rem. So incredibly proud of your strength," she said. On Fox Netball show Pivot, Bakewell-Doran was asked why she felt compelled to publicly support her ex-teammate. "The majority of our team weren't present for anything that happened, so for them it's been business as usual, and I've been trying to keep that up while supporting my friend," she said. "We've been playing netball for many years together, so I wanted to have her back and support her, all while getting my club and team ready for a game. "Two things can be true — there were things that needed to be changed, and have been changed, and that Remi is a really good friend of mine; we experienced a lot together in those last two years. "I am here to lead my team and am really proud of the work we have done in the off-season. "We do have a lot of work to continue doing. For us, it is just being really positive and learning from what has happened and moving forward." Bakewell-Doran brought up her 50th Super Netball cap this weekend and that did get a little lost because of this story. The way she has handled herself is impressive, all while trying to put herself back in the mix for Diamonds selection after dropping off the national contracted list last year. They may be the only team left undefeated, but the Swifts have developed a bad habit, conceding the first quarter of a match for the last three rounds. Facing old foes, the Vixens, in a grinding battle that was all about defence, they started slowly and gave away possession in the midcourt. The signing of 1.93m New Zealand shooter Grace Nweke has given them a licence to test how far and high they can fire the ball into their circle. What's gone missing, however, is the discipline we've become accustomed to in their attack. Perhaps the pendulum needs to swing back a bit so that they can find a happy medium? In this match they struggled on the second phase of the centre pass. The team tried three different wing attacks before settling on the best combination, with Paige Hadley donning the WA bib and Allie Smith at centre. The lead changed four times in the opening half before this duo was locked in and then Swifts led the rest of the game. English import Helen Housby was caught in a tough tussle with Vixens goal defence Jo Weston. Although the goal attack managed three vital super shots, she only converted six regular goals. Housby's work in previous weeks to drive into the circle, create space, help with the shooting load and keep the defenders guessing has been one of the keys to the Swifts' success. For two teams that usually deliver such a clinical style of play, both were dragged into a really scrappy affair where they equalled each other's 23 turnovers. The Swifts will be thanking their lucky stars that goalkeeper Sarah Klau was able to win them so much ball back. The Player of the Match tallied nine gains, five intercepts, 13 deflections, two rebounds and three pick-ups . "Really proud of the girls to keep pushing, it wasn't pretty netball and I'm sure we'll learn lots from that," Klau said after the game. The Swifts haven't won all four quarters in any of their five victories. Still, they'll take confidence in the fact that they're still getting the results and can build on their form heading into the back-half of the season.
ABC News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Thunderbirds star Shamera Sterling-Humphrey to miss season after announcing pregnancy
Star Adelaide Thunderbirds defender Shamera Sterling-Humphrey will miss the remainder of the national netball season as she prepares to welcome her first child. The club announced her pregnancy in a statement on Friday, confirming who would replace the back-to-back premiership player during her absence from the league. South African Sanmarie Visser, who originally joined the club in the pre-season as a temporary replacement to shooter Romelda Alken-George, will join the squad. Visser will travel with the side to Sydney to take on the Giants on Saturday. Shamera Sterling-Humphrey (left) has helped the Adelaide Thunderbirds win back-to-back premierships. ( AAP: Matt Turner ) Sterling-Humphrey said she was excited to embark on this next chapter. "I'm so excited to be having a little one and getting the opportunity to be back with my husband [Andrew] for this special moment — I know I'll be a great mum," she said "I'll miss being out on court this season, but I'll continue supporting the team while I prepare for the arrival of our new family member." The then-22-year-old Sterling-Humphrey was She finished her debut game in April the following year with 10 gains — five intercepts, 12 deflections and three rebounds. Sterling-Humphrey has since been a major factor in the club's back-to-back titles, with her critical intercepts and athleticism helping shut down opposition defences. Shamera Sterling-Humphrey is so quick to come out for a flyer, she can barely be contained to court. ( Getty: Sarah Reed ) Coach Tania Obst said the whole team was thrilled for both Sterling-Humphrey and Visser. "They're very excited for Shamera and Andrew, and they're also really excited for Visser and some of the other opportunities that'll present for other athletes," she said. "[Visser's] shown some great versatility that she can bring to our team and we're really excited for her to have this opportunity." Thunderbirds general manager of high performance Jace Bode echoed the club's excitement. "We know how much this means to Shamera and Andrew and we're so excited for them to grow their family," Bode said. Sterling-Humphrey will rejoin the squad in 2026.
