Latest news with #JhanieleFowlerNembhard
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Hannah Petty's career-best performance headlines the Super Netball Team of the Week
A career-best showing from Hannah Petty has led to the Adelaide Thunderbirds captain snaring a spot in the team of the week but there's little doubt the dual-premiership winner would hand that back for a win. The Thunderbirds and NSW Swifts played out the match of the season at Sydney's Ken Rosewall Arena, with the Swifts staging a spirited fightback to keep their unbeaten record alive. Petty was outstanding at centre, with 19 goal assists, 31 feeds and two crucial gains and while her team were pegged back after holding a double-digit lead at one stage in the third term, they showed they remain premiership threats, even without star defender Shamera Sterling-Humphrey. Check out Emma Greenwood's Super Netball team of the week below, and use our team picker tool to select your team of the week for Round 8. Just two Swifts are among nominees for the team of the week though, a reflection of the fact they were well down for much of the night and won the moments – rather than the contest overall – to help their team fight back into the match. Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard was back doing Fowler-Nembhard things in becoming the first player to sink 6500 Super Netball goals, her only miss coming from a super shot attempt in the final seconds with the game won. Check out Emma Greenwood's Super Netball team of the week below, and use our team picker tool to select your team of the week for Round 8. Kiera Austin and Hannah Mundy sneak into CODE Sports' team of the week after leading the Vixens to a hard-fought win, although they had plenty to contend with from a fighting Giants outfit including young defender Erin O'Brien. Sunday Aryang continues to impress in the west, whether defending in the circle or out at wing defence, where she starred on Sunday, while Courtney Bruce made a return to full form to help the Lightning maintain their place in the top four.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Super Netball round-up: Nweke vs Bruce, Giants desperately need change and we're down to one Indigenous athlete
We've reached the midway point of the Super Netball season and what a way to celebrate. First Nations Round held across the weekend was a massive hit. Positioned on the calendar ahead of National Reconciliation Week, it aims to start a conversation about how Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can work together in the sport. In a top of the ladder clash the NSW Swifts continued their unbeaten streak and have now defeated all seven teams, downing the Sunshine Coast Lightning 70-62. The West Coast Fever beat the Giants 75-66 as Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard claimed her fourth player of the match award this season and became the first shooter to reach 9,000 goals. The Melbourne Vixens handed the Queensland Firebirds their fifth straight loss, 70-52, and the Adelaide Thunderbirds got back on track with a 66-59 victory over the Melbourne Mavericks. The Thunderbirds were also the first Super Netball club to follow the AFL's lead and take on an Indigenous name for the round. They were known as Tarntanya Karntu after working with Uncle Mickey O'Brien to translate their name into Kaurna language. If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball Round-Up. When the Swifts secured the signature of Silver Ferns target Grace Nweke, our first thought was 'how good'. Now we get to see our favourite Constellation Cup battle happen on a regular basis. Nweke has previously complained about the physicality she is subjected to against the Diamonds and getting used to this would have been one of the driving forces that led her to sacrifice national selection to sign with a Super Netball team in order to grow her game. We didn't see the pair meet during the pre-season as Bruce was being managed in her return from injury. We've had to wait seven rounds into the official competition and even then, Lightning head coach Belinda Reynolds made us wait another 10 minutes, when she started Ash Ervin (192cm) at goal keeper before injecting Bruce (189cm) later as a rolling sub. Perhaps Reynolds wanted to see what the extra height could do? Maybe it was mind games? What we do know is that once Bruce was on court the fireworks started and we couldn't look away. There was some serious tension in that goal circle between Nweke and all three of the Lightning's defenders — Bruce, Ervin and Tara Hinchliffe. Shoving, grabbing, and jostling for space. Bruce and Nweke lined up front-on at points, face-to-face, and neither took a backward step. The game is supposed to have eradicated the tussle for ball after a goal to get it back faster for the next centre pass, but these two couldn't help themselves. It was on. There were also a few flops as the athletes played up the contact to try and gain an advantage. Overall, Nweke won this round. She was named player of the match for her 50 goals at 89 per cent. Bruce registered zero gains and stood out of play nine times. She only lasted 10 minutes at goal keeper in her direct match-up against Nweke before she was shifted to goal defence, when Reynolds re-introduced Ervin. This allowed the Lightning to incorporate more height and for Bruce to float forward and then drop back as she continued to ruffle Nweke's feathers. But in an interview afterwards, Nweke looked as if she could cry. It was not the kind of emotion expected from a winning player. It appears the physicality got to her and she was frustrated she'd let Bruce get in her head. Nweke missed six goals and had four general play turnovers, as errors crept into her game as the match wore on. But this is what she's here to do. Learn how to deal with that physicality. Nweke is the ticket to a Swifts premiership and if she can continue to cop that kind of attention and deliver, she'll be much stronger for it. It feels like Groundhog Day as the Giants and Firebirds sit in the same ladder positions they finished last season. The Firebirds have at least had some change in personnel. Although at the midway point they are no better off results wise than they were when they parted with Bec Bulley after two wins from nine rounds in 2024. For the Giants, this is now their worst season to date. With just one victory in seven rounds, they've stooped lower than the two wins they had midway through season 2023 and 2024. They have gone backwards over the last three years and as a result, there are people at the club who will now be fighting for a contract. Jamie-Lee Price, Sophie Dwyer, Erin O'Brien and Jamaican import Jodi-Ann Ward are safe, as their only players locked in for 2026. Julie Fitzgerald is the most experienced coach in the league and is in the last year of her current deal. Is it time for fresh ideas? How much longer will Jo Harten play? Has Matisse Letherbarrow done enough to take over the starting GS bib? The Giants have played two grand finals in their nine-year existence. They know what it takes to be successful, but they have become complacent and are no longer up to scratch. It won't help that co-captain Price has openly indicated she wants to move to Melbourne to be with her partner and AFL footballer Harry Perryman who plays for Collingwood. If inaugural figures Price, Harten and Fitzgerald all go in a short period, who carries on the legacy of the Giants? At a time where Welcome to Countries are such a hot topic, we saw four engaging and unique ceremonies held before the games. The dresses featuring First Nations artwork were some of the best designs we've seen in the history of the league. The elephant in the room, though, was that we are back to championing a single Indigenous player in Australia's top-flight competition. Leesa Mi Mi (Wakka Wakka) is the only Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander across eight teams — just as her sister Jemma was years earlier. For the past two seasons there was also Donnell Wallam (Noongar), but she left to play in the New Zealand Premiership. During Jemma Mi Mi's career she was one of 80 athletes. Now each team has an option to sign 11 players and the Firebirds were the only club not to take up that offer in 2025. That means the size of the playing group has increased, but its Indigenous representation has decreased. From the outside it looks like one step forward and three steps back. However, Netball Australia First Nations engagement lead Ali Tucker-Munro (Kamilaroi) says there is progress under the surface. Tucker-Munro started in her role last year and implemented three programs that have highlighted the existing talent in the pathways: the Black Swans team, a First Nations tournament and a First Nations coaching course. At the national netball championships last month, Tia Molo (Waanyi) won the under-19 MVP award representing Queensland. There were also three Indigenous coaches at the helm of state teams, including Vanessa Dempsey (Narungga, Ngarrindjeri and Jingili) who guided South Australia to the under-17 title. Meanwhile, there are Indigenous players taking part in Super Netball Reserves. This talent will pop its head up in the coming years as the sport plays the long game and ensures the representation is organic and sustainable. "Representation is really important to our community and it is going to take time to create that pipeline," Tucker-Munro told ABC Sport. "We're building on what we began last year and look, Vanessa became the first Aboriginal coach to win a national underage title, so there's little pieces of the puzzle coming together. "We're planting seeds, and the shoots are sprouting, but it's about giving the sport time to see these programs bear fruit in the near future."
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.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fever on fire, cut down Giants for fifth-straight win
West Coast Fever have rocketed to second place on the Super Netball table after defeating the Giants 75-66 at Ken Rosewall Arena. The Fever got off to a flyer on Saturday night, before being challenged by the Sydney-siders mid-match, then sprinted to the finish line. After starting the season by copping back-to-back hammerings, West Coast are now riding a five-game winning streak and trail only the undefeated NSW Swifts on the ladder. Superstar shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard nailed 63 goals from 66 attempts, linking beautifully with goal attack Alice Teague-Neeld, who racked up 23 assists and 38 feeds. View this post on Instagram A post shared by West Coast Fever 💚 (@westcoastfeverofficial) "Giants are a really good team - we know that - and we cannot underestimate what they can bring on any day," Fowler-Nembhard said. "The sport keeps growing every year, so I have to keep growing with it if I want to keep playing. "I threw away some silly balls today, but did OK. Fowler-Nembhard hit 18 shots from as many attempts in the opening frame as the Fever went at 100 per cent to use a 7-1 headstart as the foundation for a 22-14 quarter-time lead. The Giants had six turnovers for the term, only co-captain Jamie-Lee Price remotely impressing. The margin blew out to 29-19 in the second quarter before the last-placed Giants flipped the script and closed the gap to 40-36 at halftime. A new record for Fowler-Nembhard 😮💨9000 national league goals and counting 🐐Watch every game live on Kayo Sports, Foxtel and Binge. — Suncorp Super Netball (@SuperNetball) May 24, 2025 Price continued to wreak havoc in the middle, while Matisse Letherbarrow shrugged off a slow start to knock down 15 goals for the term. Sniffing a boilover, the Giants' defensive pressure was up and their offence flowing nicely as they levelled the scores at 52-all in third. Giants goal defence Jodi-Ann Ward produced a superb intercept but hurt her left knee while landing and hobbled off the court, joining shooter Jo Harten, who came off early, and defender Maddie Hay, who exited with illness midway through the second. The Fever regained the momentum with a 6-1 run, before Sophie Dwyer bobbled in a super shot on the three-quarter time bell for the Giants to reduce the gap to 60-55. Sunday Aryang had five deflections in the fourth term as West Coast dominated defensively to stretch their advantage to 13 before a pair of two-pointers to Letherbarrow at the death minimised some of the damage.
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.
