In the opening match of Suncorp Super Netball (SSN)’s Round 14 - the final round of the regular season - the Melbourne Mavericks and Giants met at Ken Rosewall Arena for both teams' final match of the season.
Coming into the game with momentum over the Giants after defeating the team in their last two encounters, both teams had plenty to play for, battling to the final siren to secure sixth place standing for the 2025 SSN season - however, unfortunately our Mavs were unable to end the season on a win.
Q1: Mavs 18 – Giants 17
The Mavs begun the first term with strength, with Sasha Glasgow sinking the first score of the game. With a beginning goal-for-goal exchange between the teams, the Mavs consistently played with expert patience, seamlessly working the ball from centre pass to net. A beautifully executed intercept from Glasgow was only the beginning of her impact for the game, tallying a total of 10 turnovers over the 60 minutes. The Mavs held majority ball possession for 74% of the first quarter, with the team playing out wide and defensively isolating the ball carrier, making the game look easy, with flat, hard balls flying into the goal circle. Molly Jovic led the term, putting pressure out front, allowing the Mavs to fly in their controlled chaos. A tactical time out allowed the Giants to quickly pick up speed, breaking through the Mavs lead and closing the margin. A quick succession of Super Shots - two from Glasgow and another from Giants dynamic duo of Jo Harten and Sophie Dwyer - brought the quarter to a close with a one-point lead for the Mavs.
Q2: Mavs 31 - Giants 31
The Mavs hit the court for the second quarter with two immediate goal scores. An impressive series of intercepts thrown by Liv Lewis and Kim Brown showcased the defensive brilliance of our Mighty Mavs, hunting down the ball and feeding it directly to star shooter, Shimona Jok. Jok’s confidence and hunger was fuelled by a hot contest with Giants' veteran, Casey Kopua, who’s competition lowered Jok’s 60 goal dominance over Giants in their last meeting to 40. In a consistent goal-for-goal exchange-based play quarter, a momentum swing for the Giants - including another two Super Shots from Harten - saw the Giants begin to take control of the play. The Mavs continued to fight, responding to the Giants speed by clogging key areas of the Giants play, limiting their court-wide movement. The game reached half time with an even score of 31 across the board.
Q3: Mavs 45 – Giants 49
The third term began with a strong Maverick start with a goal from Glasgow, who had a total scoring contribution of 13 - including an amazing tally of five Super Shots - for the match. Another seamlessly executed intercept from Brown prompted a Giants’ responsive goal, subsequently leading into another series of back-to-back goals, allowing the margin to remain tight. The Mavs remained fit and fighting, with a strategic defensive creation of chaos for the Giants line-up. Our girls continued to respond, working the ball to create seamless transitions through play. With scores remaining level at the 10-minute mark, Harten’s career finale was proving worthy of an encore, securing another two Super Shorts to secure the end of the quarter with a three-point lead.
Q4: Mavs 59 – Giants 59
In the final term of the Mavs season, the Giants broke free from the game's so-far tight margin, with Harten, Dwyer and Jamie-Lee Price proving too strong a force for our Mavs. A fighting set of Super Shots from shooting super-duo of Uneeq Palavi and Glasgow were not enough to dampen the goliath domination of the Giants. The Mavs continued to fight to the end, however, struggled to maintain their fierce start, conceding the win to the opposition, with a final score line of 74 - 59.
In a milestone moment for the entirety of the league, Giants' veteran Jo Harten hung up her bib after 20 seasons of netball at the highest level, with her final play a Super Shot on the final buzzer, making the Giants victory all the sweeter.
The Mavs concluded their season with a powerful start, however, were unable to defend a shift in game momentum, concluding their season performance on the back foot. However, across the 2025 SSN our Mavericks demonstrated absolute hunger, drive and wide-sweeping improvements, with their performance this year setting the tone for an exciting 2026 Mavericks season to come.
