Giants Netball have pulled off the biggest upset of the 2025 Super Netball season to date by overthrowing the 2024 premiers, Adelaide Thunderbirds by one point.
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After leading by as much as eight points in the second quarter, Giants kept their composure as the Thunderbirds mounted a last-ditch comeback. Erin O’Brien, one of Giants’ rising stars, pulled off a match-winning intercept at the 57-minute mark, giving her side a small buffer which put the match just out of reach for the visitors.
Earlier in the week Thunderbirds star defender Shamera Sterling-Humphrey announced she’d be missing the remainder of the season while pregnant with her first child, and the previously winless, eighth placed Giants pounced on this disruption to claim the morale-boosting 64 to 63 point victory.
With Sterling-Humphrey sidelined, the Thunderbirds elevated South African Sanmarie Visser into the starting seven as a replacement player. Visser finished the match with two intercepts and five deflections on debut, although her hefty 24 penalties will likely be a ‘work-on’ for matches to follow.
Giants capitalised on the new look Thunderbirds defensive end to get out to a 3-0 lead within the first 90 seconds of play. They continued to ride momentum as they pushed the lead to as much as eight points at various points throughout the match.
Young defensive duo, Erin O’Brien and Amy Sligar had their best games of the season. Both showed tenacity and maturity beyond their years and collectively contributed five gains for the home side.
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Co-Captain Jo Harten won MVP honours, saying post match, “I loved being out there in the second half. With a four week old newborn at home coming here is just … I love playing netball and letting go. It is such a privilege.”
Goal attack Sophie Dwyer silenced the negative commentary surrounding her recent form as she returned to her best for the Giants. The 24-year-old put up 23 from 28 and also contributed 21 centre pass receives and two pickups in her 60 minutes of play.
WHO IS SANMARIE VISSER?
The Thunderbirds’ newest recruit might not be a household name yet, but her signing was a coup. The 21-year-old made her debut for the South African Proteas in January against Jamaica before collecting Player of the Match accolades in the Nations Cup. At the 2024 Fast5 World Tournament she was one of the competition’s leading defenders, collecting nine rebounds, and 13 deflections across the six 30-minute matches, showing her readiness to step onto a Super Netball court.
HOW TO REPLACE A LEGEND
Pregame, Thunderbirds coach Tania Obst spoke to commentary about the loss of Sterling-Humphrey, who has now returned to Jamaica, and the introduction of Visser. “We have known for a little while [about Shamera’s pregnancy] but it was great that she was able to go for as long as she did. She [Visser] has been around the group for a little while and we have integrated her in different moments in our preseason and the last three weeks. She is very athletic. Her ability to back up and go again with efforts is sensational.”
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