The Melbourne Mavericks were narrowly defeated by the NSW Swifts, 62–68, in Round 2 of the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) season on Saturday night. Hosted at Ken Rosewall Arena, the match marked the Mavs' first away game of the season.
It was a full 60-minute contest where every moment mattered. The Swifts took control in the opening and final quarters, while the Mavericks claimed the second and third.
Q1: Mavericks 12 – 18 Swifts
The first quarter saw the Swifts take the lead early on. Grace Nweke proved hard to beat under the post, which allowed the midcourt to feed from distance. The Mavs began to settle when they passed onto the circle edge, then consistently fed into Shimona Jok, who was dominant in GS, being a key difference in last night’s game for the Mavs. Kim Brown caused a turnover with tight pressure and Amy Parmenter secured an intercept in the last five minutes.
Q2: Mavericks 30 – 34 Swifts
The Swifts stretched out the lead to nine before the Mavs came back with a big response. Jessie Grenvold entered as the Mavs’ first substitution for the match, creating a switch in game for Nweke. After a rebound under the Swift’s post, the Mavs broke their opposition’s pressure and had a lift in composure and intensity. Maisie Nankivell was an important aspect in closing the gap, causing excellent pressure by being involved in two turnovers for the Mavs.
Q3: Mavericks 48 – 51 Swifts
Heading into the third term Mavs’ Head Coach, Tracey Neville, urged her players “to treasure the ball”, which was evidently applied. Grenvold took an early intercept on Nweke, followed by a tip, which made a big difference to the back end. Jok was determined for the win, shooting at 100% accuracy, playing a strong and confident game.
The Mavs continued to create opportunity, with Grenvold and Brown utilising each other to defend Nweke from all angles. The Mavs took the lead for the first time in the match, but the Swifts responded quickly, with Helen Housby landing a Super Shot to level things out. After a back-and-forth battle in the third, the Swifts just nudged ahead with a three-point lead heading into the final term.
Q4: Mavericks 62 – 68 Swifts
After taking the win in the middle two quarters of the game, the momentum in the final term began with the Mavs, who levelled the scores early. Parmenter kept getting tips onto balls and chasing them up, whilst Tayla Fraser was driving onto the circle edge, demonstrating her side’s eagerness and teamwork in this last quarter. With several flying intercepts from Brown and Teigan O’Shannassy, the momentum was constantly shifting between the two teams.
For only the second personnel change of the game, Uneeq Palavi came into GA for the final Power Five of the match, seeing a new combination with Palavi and Jok in the circle together.
Despite the Mavs’ fight back, the Swifts combination of their defensive pressure, movement through the court and experienced goaling circle, secured them the win.
The Mavs will now return home and re-group ahead of their next home game at John Cain Arena on Easter Sunday. They’ll take on the Giants from 2pm on Sunday 20 April, in what will be shooter, Shimona Jok’s 100th national league game. Ticket are available to purchase via Ticketek.
