The Melbourne Mavericks were defeated by the Adelaide Thunderbirds – known as Tarntanya Karntu whilst wearing their First Nations dresses – in their penultimate game of the 2025 Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) season, as the Thunderbirds fought for their finals position.
The game featured an honourable level of fight and grit from our Mighty Mavs, who – when connected as a team – let their play fly unstoppably. The Thunderbirds’ backline proved too strong against the Mavs, yet the loss was sweetened by the Mavs debut of Lauren Parkinson, who finally gained her wings to become Maverick #18.
Q1: Mavs 12 – Thunderbirds 17
The Thunderbirds opened fiercely, quickly securing the first two goals of the match through seamless play. With an early injury to the hand for Thunderbirds' Georgie Horjus, the Mavs swooped, reorganising their play to cause havoc for their opponents. Latanya Wilson’s precise footwork saw her out hunting for the ball, proving a key match-up against Shimona Jok’s 95.9% shooting accuracy for the season thus far. The Mavs gained and held the lead through fast ball movement, however, the Thunderbirds' defensive efforts proved difficult to break through, as they fought to regain control of the ball. Despite the takeover from the birds, Mavs’ defensive work confused the court space perfectly, with Liv Lewis complicating every ball for dominant opponent, Romelda Aiken-George. In the final minutes, Thunderbirds turned on the jets, surging in front to close out the first term with a five-point lead.
Q2: Mavs 19 - Thunderbirds 33
It was a strong Maverick start to the second term, with a fierce centre pass led by Molly Jovic. However, the Mavs failed to maintain their momentum, with the Thunderbirds’ defensive prowess continually finding space, and confusing play. Wilson proved tough competition for the Mavs, disrupting play and producing a hesitant Mavs line-up. Hitting a League record of seven intercepts already in the second quarter, Wilson’s performance, backed by the defensive goliaths Matilda Garrett and Sophie Casey, negated the Mavs impact on the ball.
The Mavs responded, attempting to shake up the Thunderbirds defensive wall with a moving goal circle, changing over the shooting team with multiple subs of Sasha Glasgow and Uneeq Palavi, allowing Palavi to flourish in what she does best, gaining a Super Shot. Away from the ball, the Mavs celebrated an incredible milestone, with Lauren Parkison coming onto the court for her first SSN game in 755 days. The Thunderbirds’ sharp play proved dominant again, extending their lead by 14 goals at the end of the first half.
Q3: Mavs 36 – Thunderbirds 47
The Mavs’ performance picked up in the third quarter, producing turnovers aplenty, and confusing the Thunderbirds’ attack and defensive line-ups alike. Jovic provided excellent feeds, with the midcourt team beautifully delivering to Jok, who was able to get up over fellow Jamaican teammate, Wilson. The Mavs soared in the term, with growing confidence creating safe air space and a focus on short, sharp passes proving the key to their play. A Super Shot from Glasgow bought the score back within 10 goals, allowing the Mavs to stay hot within the competition, charging their fight back. Mav’s defenders proved too powerful for the Thunderbirds, with two beautiful intercepts from Kim Brown and Lewis allowing seamless feeds straight into the hands of Jok. The Mavs lessened the score difference to 11 points, winning the quarter by three goals.
Q4: Mavs 49 – Thunderbirds 60
The Thunderbirds responded to the Mavs’ gaining momentum, coming out blazing in the fourth term. Wilson continued to interrupt the Mavs’ play, with their composure proving too much pressure on our girls. The Mavs energy and fight never diminished, keeping the Thunderbirds guessing, headed by Palavi nailing three epic Super Shots, tightening the margin. Bringing the game to a close with a final score of 60-49, the Thunderbirds’ grit and determination continuing their winning streak against the Mighty Mavs.
Despite the loss, post-match Lauren Parkinson spoke of being absolutely thrilled to find her feet back on the court, making her playing debut as a Maverick.
“I am absolutely elated to be back - it just feels so good to be out here,” she said. “I think we are all looking forward to next week, we all really need to dig in, but it’ll be a great opportunity to play with freedom and have fun with it.”
The Mavs take the court for the final time this season in Round 14, when they take on the Giants next Saturday, 12 July at Ken Rosewall Arena.
