Sunshine Coast Lightning underlined their Super Netball premiership credentials, delivering a slick 16-goal win against last season’s runners-up, the NSW Swifts.
And in the second match of the day, the Vixens claimed their inaugural Melbourne derby against new cross-town rivals the Mavericks by seven goals.
But it was the Lightning who are the Round One talking point after such a dominant display against a Swifts side many tipped to be premiers in 2024.
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It was a clinical performance by the home side, who clung to a slim lead for much of the match before hitting the accelerator in the final term to win 79-63.
The Lightning’s victory was built on the back of superior ball handling, giving up just 10 turnovers as all eyes were on new recruits Liz Watson and Courtney Bruce.
Watson contributed 44 feeds and one intercept, while Bruce finished with four intercepts and made life difficult for Swifts’ shooter Sam Wallace-Joseph.
Returning from a serious knee injury after a two-year absence, Wallace-Joseph struggled to find her groove, and returned just 24 from 26 after a controversial lead up to Round One.
While her shooting partner Helen Housby had a hot hand and contributed eight supershots, it was moments of ill-discipline that cost the Swifts dearly. Co-captain Paige Hadley was clearly frustrated at times, questioning some of the umpires’ calls.
After the match, Swifts co-captain Maddy Proud addressed the physicality of the match.
“They have a tough intensity, and we sort of felt like they were riding us like a backpack for most of the game,” she said.
“That really wears you down toward the end of a game. I thought it was very well done by them, and they still managed to stay in play.”
The battle between Housby and Lightning’s Bruce was mouth-watering in the third term with plenty of niggle behind play which led to a heated exchange just before the end of the quarter.
The circle wasn’t the only place play got overly physical, with young Lightning wing defence Ava Black and Swifts co-captain Paige Hadley colliding.
While the league’s revamped concussion protocol wasn’t enacted in this circumstance, it did give a moment of pause for fans.
After the match, Black addressed the physical nature of play, saying that she sometimes “walks into moments like that”.
“I feel like that’s sort of the best part of SSN. When you walk out on the court, you never know what is coming. As a wing defence, I have to be a bit of a pest. That is my role at times,” she said.
Swifts’ goal keeper Sarah Klau was best for her side, finishing with five gains, but it was Lightning’s Cara Koenen who took out MVP honours with a mammoth 50/53 points.
“We weathered the storm; Swifts don’t give up a lot of ball so we had to make sure we scored anytime we got the opportunity,” she said post-match.
VIXENS EARN MELBOURNE BRAGGING RIGHTS
The Melbourne Mavericks’ introduction to Suncorp Super Netball was bold and loud, but the Melbourne Vixens claimed bragging rights in Melbourne’s newest rivalry with a 68-61 win in front of 8,250 fans at John Cain Arena.
The Mavericks, who are the newest team to join the competition after securing the licence left vacant by Collingwood, declared their intentions early when they took the court to the sound of Rihanna, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s hit Run This Town.
The Vixens put new combinations to work while missing injured pair Jo Weston and Hannah Mundy, and stamped their authority early with star showings from shooter Sophie Garbin (42/46 goals) alongside mid courters Zara Walters and Kate Moloney.
“So amazing, so good to get the win. I said at the start of that last quarter going out that I’ve been on the other side of one of these and how hard the Vixens come out,” Garbin said.
“Super excited to be a Vixen.”
Garbin’s connection with Walters and fellow shooter Kiera Austin (18 goals from 22 attempts) was a standout, while centre Moloney was the highest rated player on the court as she controlled the game nicely.
For the Mavericks, Molly Jovic impressed in centre and was the main feeder for England shooter Eleanor Cardwell who shot 32 goals from 41 attempts including taking advantage of the super shot in the final five minutes of every quarter with seven two-point goals.
While Mavericks fans were regularly encouraged to get up on their feet, cheer and applaud to the sounds of a DJ set featuring the likes of Calvin Harris and Daft Punk, the loudest cheers were reserved for Vixens’ goals while jade, crimson and navy outnumbered sky blue in the stands.
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