The Melbourne Mavericks have secured their first win of the 2025 Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) season with a 71-56 victory against the Giants at home on Easter Sunday.
Mavs Assistant Coach, Nicole Richardson, said goaler, Shimona Jok, was a “freak in the air”, which is exactly what she was during her milestone game, earning Player of the Match and celebrating her 100th national league game to boot.
Q1: Mavericks 17 – Giants 12
The Mavs led the charge early with their relentless defensive pressure. Jok set the tone early, securing the first goal of the game and being a target under the post. With the starting seven having slight changes from the previous two rounds, Captain Amy Parmenter went back to her more familiar position of WD, with Molly Jovic starting in C. The two had hands everywhere picking up three intercepts early on and backing each other up down the court. Uneeq Palavi made her first start in the GA position, showing her fierce feeds into Jok. The defensive acts were a full court effort with Olivia Lewis, Kim Brown and Tayla Fraser all making clear intercepts.
Q2 Mavericks 31 - 27 Giants
The Mavericks took flight in the first term and continued in the second, with Brown having an intercept off the first centre pass. Palavi played smart, utilising the space outside the circle to leave it open for the feed to Jok. The Giants capitalised on a few turnovers not letting the Mavs get too far ahead with Jo Harten sinking a Super Shot heading into the break, resulting in the visitors winning the quarter by one.
Q3: Mavericks 52 – Giants 41
The midcourt came out firing. Fraser and Jovic dominating on circle edge and Jovic’s connection with Jok evident with clean passes. To disrupt the flow the Giants brought Matilda McDonnell into GD, shifting Jodi Ann Ward’s one-on-one defence into WD. This change instantly caused congestion for the Mavs, forcing them to make their only change for the game, bringing Maisie Nankivell into WA. Nankivell brought speed onto the circle and the Mavs had another shift in momentum entering the Power 5. Brown finished the quarter with a critical intercept, leading it into Palavi to score a two-point shot on the siren.
Q4: Mavericks 71 – Giants 56
The Mavs needed to keep their intensity heading into the last term – and they delivered. They went from strength-to-strength, showcasing their growing connection. Jok proved that all seven players on court can indeed defend, sealing an intercept in her milestone game. Lewis and Brown remained trustworthy as they continued to get their hands onto many balls. Heading into the Power Five, you couldn’t look past the Giants’ Matisse Leatherbarrow, who dominated the two pointers, sinking three. However, the Mavs remained calm, kept the intensity and pushed the lead out even further.
Post-match, Mavs’ Head Coach, Tracey Neville, praised the team’s defensive efforts.
“Our defensive pressure, 15 turnovers in the first half is such a great outcome – it is remarkable from them.”
She also acknowledged Jok’s performance and the excitement of the win.
“Shimona’s career is getting better and better, and she is getting stronger and stronger…it was so lovely to get the win for her as well. I think it also felt good getting an early win – last season it took us a long time to get one and winning obviously helps.”
Brown, after a dominant personal performance, spoke on the team’s confidence and the strength of the competition.
“It was such a strong game plan that was executed today so I think that gives us more confidence, but it also shows how tight the season is and that we have to keep getting those wins so that we stay up in that top four.”
After a week’s break, the Mavericks are back home at John Cain Arena in the first Melbourne Derby of the season, when they take on the Vixens on Sunday 4 May.
Tickets for the blockbuster match are already available via Ticketek.
