Thunderbirds make big statement as ‘game-changing’ move stuns for Firebirds: Super Netball Wrap

The Adelaide Thunderbirds have sent shockwaves through Super Netball as they dished up a 24 goal hiding (66-42) to ladder leaders Sunshine Coast Lightning.

The match between last year’s two cellar-dwellers was one of the most anticipated of Round 3, but quickly turned into a Thunderbird defensive masterclass as they outshone their opponents in nearly every area on court.

Thunderbirds opted for a mobile and defensive starting line, while Lightning featured the wile of a Karla Pretorius and Kadie-Ann Dehaney defence at the other end. The result was a fast and furious encounter from the first whistle, as the two best defensive sides in the league went head-to-head.

With the game moving at frenetic speed, an attempt by Steph Wood to slow the ball during a penalty earned her a caution before the first quarter break.

With momentum on the side of the visitors, Lightning turned to their newest squad member, Shannon Eagland, in the hopes her height could win ball at wing defence. But her debut did little to disrupt Adelaide’s flow as they powered out to a 13 goal lead by the half time break, including a 9 out of 10 goal run.

During the main break, Thunderbird centre Tayla Williams credited a change in focus to her side’s blistering start.

“There was a focus on coming out strong, sticking to what we know right from the start, rather than waiting to half time to get our s*** together.”

Lightning’s woes continued in the second half as they struggled to find fluidity in attack. Their centre pass to goal rate dropped to less than 50 per cent, as the Thunderbirds continued to push out their lead.

Jamaican goal keeper Shamera Sterling’s ability to shut down Australian shooter Cara Koenen will be a cause for concern for Australia’s head coach, Stacey Marinkovich, who was watching from the stands.

Lightning feeders, including fellow national team member Steph Wood, struggled to get the ball past Sterling who snaffled any misplaced passes. Across a multitude of substitutions, Lightning continued to unravel, while the Thunderbirds monstered on.

English import and match MVP, Eleanor Cardwell, or ‘The Claw’ as she is affectionately known by fans, had another impressive outing shooting 51 from 54 including 4 super shots as her side won every quarter.

Close contests? No thanks

Heading into this match, and setting aside last week’s draw debacle, both Lightning and Thunderbirds were the only two sides to register double digit wins this season. This stat bodes well for the competition and these likely finals’ contenders.

The cardwell connection

There’s a fresh new vibe in the Thunderbirds this year with Eleanor Cardwell adding joy as well as precision and experience to the Adelaide front end. The English import has made no secret of her love for the supershot but it’s her ‘silly’ prematch games which she says have helped the Thunderbirds connect before each match.

‘Game-changing move’ in swifts win

NSW Swifts goal shooter Romelda Aiken-George sent a defiant message to her former teammates the Queensland Firebirds on Saturday night, celebrating her 200th game with a 74-71 win at her new home in Sydney.

After revealing her return to court in 2023 felt “way too early” on Fox Netball’s The 4th Quarter this week, the 34-year-old new mum showed she still has it netting 39 goals for the Swifts.

She set the tone within the first 30 seconds, scoring the first point in a frenetic match that saw multiple lead changes and momentum swings.

The teams went toe-to-toe across the mid-court but it was Aiken-George who comprehensively outplayed the youngsters of the Firebirds’ new guard, holding space and out-manoeuvring rookie goal keeper Remi Kamo.

The veteran Jamaican national player was controversially dropped by the Firebirds after she fell pregnant in 2022, having played 14 seasons and winning three premierships in the purple dress.

Wallam magic returns

A no-look fingertip lay-up while falling out of court was the highlight of a record individual performance by Firebirds goal shooter Donnell Wallam at the other end of the court.

“I can’t say I have ever seen anything quite like that. What a game-changing move from Donnell Wallam. She’s falling out of court, doesn’t even sight the goalposts,” former Swifts and Diamonds player Catherine Cox AM said on the broadcast.

In a match that will have plenty of Hollywood-worthy replays for both team’s shooters, Wallam scored 59 from 64 attempts.

She was just seven points from equalling the record individual score in a Super Netball match of 66 from 68, held by West Coast Fever’s Jhaniele Fowler.

Scoreboard missing in action

After copping the Adelaide court surface and lighting debacle that forced their match to be abandoned last week, this week, the Swifts had to deal with an unexplained scoreboard issue at home.

The stadium screen at Ken Rosewall Arena did not display scores for the majority of the first half. Dismayed fans had to squint at a small digital counter courtside that was only viewable for one side of the stadium.

It’s poor timing for the league in a week that heaped criticism on Super Netball infrastructure including the “cursed” Netball SA stadium in Adelaide.