17-05-2025
Super Netball, round 6 news, scores: Jok stars in Mavericks' win over Firebirds
In a Super Netball match that featured a good old fashioned shootout, the Melbourne Mavericks banked just their second win of the season, by seven points against the Queensland Firebirds.
Both teams featured towering shooters and defenders working overtime to make a dent in their volumes.
It was the Mavericks who had the best of the deal, with a pumped up Shimona Jok rock solid under the post with perfect stats of 61/61 in an MVP performance.
Goal keeper Liv Lewis was also having her best game of the season showing incredible athleticism to force four blocked shots against opponent Mary Cholhok.
Despite giving away a 17 centimetre height difference, Lewis' aerial display restricted passes into Cholhok and her confidence to go to the post.
Her volume of just 33/44, despite a supportive cameo from Emily Moore, just wasn't enough to threaten Mavericks on the scoreboard.
After watching from the sidelines last week with an ankle injury, Mavericks captain Amy Parmenter made a spectacular return to the game. Her physicality forced numerous errors by the Firebirds as she finished with two gains and four deflections.
A heavy head collision between Firebird Ruby Bakewell-Doran and Maverick Sasha Glasgow in the third quarter saw them both leave the court.
Both were forced to temporarily leave the court under the league's concussion protocols, with Bakewell-Doran visibly distressed on the sidelines.
Earlier this week, Firebirds goal attack Tippah Dwan decided to step away from the game to continue rehabbing her knee.
Dwan's departure presents a prime opportunity for Emily Moore to show why she deserves a full 60-minutes which, coach Kiri Wills said is something she would like to see from Moore. While she didn't quite hit those minutes today, her contribution of 17/22 is heading in the right direction.
Samoan goal attack Abigail Latu-Meafou has been filling the vacant goal attack role for the Firebirds over the last two rounds.
Latu-Meafou's connection with Cholhok is on point and her efforts at post also helped the Firebirds make a comeback attempt, however her nine from ten including four supershots were not enough.
MISSING MAVS
Today's match marks 20 outings for the Melbourne Mavericks.
Yet since their inception 18 months ago, the team has not once taken the court with their full 10 contracted athletes.
In 2024 Sasha Glasgow and Lauren Parkinson (nee Moore) missed the full season.
So far in 2025 Parkinson is yet to make her Mavericks debut, and English international Eleanor Cardwell is unlikely to return to play until Round 12, as she rehabs from knee surgery.
WILL THEY SWAP DWAN FOR A DIAMOND?
Mere hours before the news dropped that Dwan was taking a break, former Firebird and Diamond's goal attack Gretel Bueta posted a netball training session to social media.
The Liz Ellis Diamond winner hasn't played netball in well over two years, after having stepped away to expand her family with husband Nico.
And while it could be a great coincidence and pure speculation that she is making a return to the game, the timing could be the saving grace for the Firebirds.
