2015 ANZ Championship Round 9 Preview
2015 ANZ Championship Round 9 Preview
Round 9 Fixtures:
Mojo Pulse v NSW
Swifts
Saturday 25 April, 4.10pm
TSB Bank
Arena, Wellington
West Coast Fever v Kia
Magic
Sunday 26 April, 10.18pm
HBF Stadium,
Perth
Melbourne Vixens v Mainland
Tactix
Sunday 26 April, 2.18pm
Hisense Arena,
Melbourne
SKYCITY Mystics v Mission Queensland
Firebirds
Sunday 26 April, 7.10pm
The Trusts
Arena, Auckland
Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel v
Adelaide Thunderbirds
Monday 27 April,
7.40pm
More FM Arena,
Dunedin
________________________________________
Game
Talking Points:
Mojo Pulse v NSW
Swifts
Saturday 25 April, 4.10pm
TSB Bank
Arena, Wellington
Media Contacts:
Pulse - Catherine
Rossiter-Stead
M: +64 21 047 1723
E: Catherine@pulse.org.nz
Swifts -
Rebecca Trbojevich
M: +61 448 160 778
E: rtbojevich@netballnsw.com
Swifts -
Victoria Bain
M: +61 449 903 405
E: vbain@netballnsw.com
Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 2 (AUS); SKY SPORT 1 (NZ)
Umpires: Yvonne
Morgan, Danielle Maulder
Reserve: Liz Boon
Head to Head:
Pulse | Swifts | |
Games Played | 7 | 7 |
Win / Loss | 2 / 5 | 5 / 2 |
Highest Score | 55 | 63 |
Lowest Score | 30 | 39 |
Greatest Winning Margin | 6 | 29 |
The
Facts: LAST MEETING:
• The Swifts leads the Pulse 5-2 in
seven previous meetings.
• Both of the Pulse’s wins
over the Swifts have been in New Zealand.
• The
Pulse’s Round 13, 2009 win over the Swifts in Porirua was
their first ever ANZ Championship victory.
• The Pulse
sits 4th on the New Zealand conference ladder with just two
wins from their opening seven matches.
• The Swifts are
in 4th place on the Australian conference ladder with three
wins, two draws and two losses.
• The Swifts have the
3rd best attacking record in the ANZ Championship with 54.86
goals per match while they are ranked 7th defensively with
52.57 goals per match being scored against them.
• The
Pulse have the 3rd best defensive record with 48.86 goals
per match being scored against them.
• The Swifts have
the 3rd best shooting accuracy in the ANZ Championship with
84.8 per cent while the Pulse have the 3rd worst record with
77.9 per cent.
• Pulse coach Robyn Broughton coached
her 100th ANZ Championship match in Round 8 when the Pulse
took on the Fever in Wellington. Broughton coached the Steel
in 54 matches between 2008 and 2011 before joining the Pulse
in 2012. Broughton is the second ANZ Championship coach to
notch 100 matches behind Jane Woodlands-Thompson who has led
the Thunderbirds in 109 matches.
• Swifts shooter
Caitlin Thwaites played her 100th ANZ Championship match in
Round 8 against the Mystics.
The Pulse has two players
who are yet to take the court yet in 2015; Hannah Poff and
Jessica Bourke.
________________________________________
West
Coast Fever v Kia Magic
Sunday 26 April,
10.18pm
HBF Stadium, Perth
Media Contacts:
Fever -
Sasha Jones
M: +61 408 468 678
E: bluedogcommunications@bigpond.com
Magic
- Greg Palmer
M: +64 21 687 184
E: Greg.Palmer@netballwbop.co.nz
Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 2 (AUS); ONE (AUS); SKY SPORT 1 (NZ)
Umpires: Rachael Ayre & Michelle Phippard
Reserve:
Tara Warner
Head to Head:
Fever | Magic | |
Games Played | 7 | 7 |
Win / Loss | 1 / 6 | 6 / 1 |
Highest Score | 57 | 65 |
Lowest Score | 38 | 42 |
Greatest Winning Margin | 6 | 17 |
Challenge
Trophy:
Successful defences: 4
Round 2 2015 -
West Coast Fever (67) def SKYCITY Mystics (51)
Round 3
2015 - West Coast Fever (67) def Ascot Park Hotel Southern
Steel (60)
Round 5 2015 - West Coast Fever (55) def
Adelaide Thunderbirds (50)
Round 6 2015 - West Coast
Fever (53) def Melbourne Vixens (47)
The
Facts: LAST MEETING:
• West Coast Fever will defend the
Challenge Trophy for the fifth time this season. They have
successfully defended the Challenge Trophy in Round 2
(defeated SKYCITY Mystics 67-51), Round 3 (defeated Ascot
Park Hotel Southern Steel 67-60), Round 5 (defeated Adelaide
Thunderbirds 55-50) and Round 6 (defeated Melbourne Vixens
53-47).
• Fever has equalled the club’s best ever
winning streak of four matches between Round 14, 2014 and
Round 3 of this season. In Round 4 Fever played a draw with
the NSW Swifts. Fever is yet to be defeated in
2015.
• Fever’s Round 6 victory against the Vixens
set a new club record of five consecutive victories on their
home court in Perth.
• Sunday’s match will be West
Coast Fever’s 100th game overall in the ANZ Championship.
They are the last of the five Australian teams to reach the
milestone. Before this season Fever had an overall winning
percentage of 28 per cent. That has now improved to 33 per
cent following their unbeaten start to the
season.
• Fever coach Stacey Rosman was the team’s
inaugural captain when the ANZ Championship began in
2008.
• Sunday’s match will also be West Coast’s
50th home game overall. They have a 45 per cent winning
record in Perth with one draw against the Mojo Pulse back in
2008.
• Fever goal shooter Caitlin Bassett is also set
to become the first West Coast player to reach the 100-game
milestone. Bassett is the second most prolific goalscorer
all-time in the ANZ Championship with 3600 goals and one of
the side’s two foundation players still in its
squad.
• Bassett is the second highest goalscorer from
long-range in the competition after eight rounds behind
Romelda Aiken. Bassett has scored 112 of her 358 goals from
long-range at 86 per cent accuracy.
• Fever goal attack
Natalie Medhurst is one of three players in the competition
to be shooting at an accuracy of 90 per cent or better after
eight rounds along with SKYCITY Mystics’ Cathrine Latu
(94.3 per cent) and Mwai Kumwenda (90.9). Medhurst’s 117
goals have come at 90 per cent accuracy
• Kia Magic’s
total of 42 goals in their loss to the Mission Queensland
Firebirds in Brisbane was the lowest score of any side in
Round 8.
• Magic was one of three sides in Round 8 to
lead at quarter time but not go on and win their match.
Fever were one of three sides that trailed at quarter time
but went onto win their respective match.
• The Magic
is the second lowest scoring side on average in the
competition after eight rounds with 47 goals per match.
Fever is the second highest scoring team, averaging 59.3
goals per match.
• Magic averages 55.4 goals a match
from their seven encounters against the Fever with three
totals of more than 60 goals. West Coast averages 47.1 goals
per game against the Magic.
• The Magic have won four
of their past seven matches played in Australia. The Magic
is the most successful New Zealand side in Australia,
winning nine of their 27 matches played on the opposite side
of the Tasman.
• Magic has an average winning margin of
10.7 goals from their six victories against the Fever have
won two of their three previous visits to Perth by an
average of six goals.
• Fever’s only victory against
the Magic came in Round 6, 2013, when they won 57-51 in
Perth.
Magic goal shooter Jo Harten needs 11 goals to
reach 1500 career goals in her ANZ Championship career in
only her fourth season in the competition. She scored 800
goals in two seasons for the Mainland Tactix (2012-2013) and
689 goals for the Magic since joining them in
2014.
• Stand-in Magic captain Leana de Bruin is ranked
No.1 in the competition for defensive rebounds with
16.
• Fever’s New Zealand import Erena Mikaere is the
No.1 player in the competition for blocks (4) with teammate
April Letton equal second along with Phoenix Karaka (3). De
Bruin is next best with two. Fever defender Josie
Janz-Dawson is also inside the top 10 for blocks.Magic
defender Kristiana Manu’a is ranked No.3 in the
competition for intercepts (16) with Fever captain Ashleigh
Brazill the leading midcourter in that category on
14.
________________________________________
Melbourne
Vixens v Mainland Tactix
Sunday 26 April,
2.18pm
Hisense Arena, Melbourne
Media
Contacts:
Vixens - Briony Carlyon
M: +61 417 183 277
E: briony.carlyon@netballvic.com.au
Tactix
- Leanne Harris
M: +64 275 526 876
E: Leanne.Harris@netballmainland.co.nz
Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 2 (AUS); SKY SPORT 1 (NZ)
Umpires: Josh
Bowring & Sharon Kelly
Reserve: Helen George
Head to Head:
Vixens | Tactix | |
Games Played | 7 | 7 |
Win / Loss | 7 / 0 | 0 / 7 |
Highest Score | 67 | 50 |
Lowest Score | 58 | 35 |
Greatest Winning Margin | 28 | - |
The
Facts: LAST MEETING:
• Melbourne Vixens captain
Bianca Chatfield has announced she will retire at the
conclusion of the 2015 ANZ Championship season. The
33-year-old has been captain or co-captain of the Vixens
every season since the competition began in 2008 and led
them to titles in 2009 – along with Sharelle McMahon –
and 2014. Chatfield is the only athlete to have played 100
matches for the Vixens (105). Her departure will leave Madi
Robinson as the sole foundation player still with the team
next season.
• The Vixens have an average winning
margin overall of 19.1 goals a match against the Tactix from
their seven previous encounters. In Melbourne that average
is 21 goals with the closest result being 15 goals (65-50)
in Round 7, 2011.
• The Vixens have scored 60 goals or
more in six of their seven encounters against the Tactix
with 58 goals in their inaugural meeting in Round 4, 2008
their lowest tally. The Tactix have scored 50 goals twice
against the Vixens – in Round 4, 2008 and Round 7,
2011.
• The Tactix have lost their past 16 matches by
an average of 11.9 goals. Their last victory came in Round
4, 2014 when they defeated the Mojo Pulse in
Napier.
• Vixens shooter Karyn Bailey shot 40 goals in
a match for the fourth time in her career in their nine-goal
win over the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel last round in
what was also her 50th ANZ Championship appearance. Her 41
goals was her best performance since shooting a career-high
43 goals in Round 5 last season.
• Tactix import Mwai
Kumwenda is the second most accurate shooter in the
competition after eight rounds behind SKYCITY Mystics’
Cathrine Latu. Kumwenda’s 252 goals have come at 90.9 per
cent accuracy. She is one of three players to be averaging
90 per cent or better.
• Bailey Mes produced her best
performance since joining the Tactix in the side’s 12-goal
defeat against the Adelaide Thunderbirds last round. Mes
shot 25 goals at 74 per cent accuracy in her best return
since she shot 38 goals (88 per cent accuracy) while playing
for the SKYCITY Mystics against the Thunderbirds in Round
13, 2013.
• The Vixens are the No.2 ranked defensive
side in the competition, conceding an average of 48 goals a
match.
• The Mission Queensland Firebirds is the best
defensive side, conceding an average of 47.6 goals a
match.
• The Tactix is conceding an average of 62.7
goals per game.
• The Vixens have conceded 50 goals in
a match for the first time since Rounds 6-8 in the 2011
season
• The Vixens have the fourth best attacking
record in the competition, scoring an average of 52.7 goals
a match.
• The Tactix is the sixth best with an average
of 51 goals a game.
• The Vixens 21-goal second term
against the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel was the highest
scoring quarter of Round 8. They were also one of three
teams that trailed at quarter-time but went onto win the
match.
• Tactix defender Jess Moulds is ranked inside
the top 10 in the competition for deflections (28) and gains
(23).Captain Anna Thompson has the most goal assists of any
Tactix player so far this season with 64 after seven
matches. Liz Watson is the leading Vixens player for goal
assists with 82.
________________________________________
SKYCITY
Mystics v Mission Queensland Firebirds
Sunday 26
April, 7.10pm
The Trusts Arena, Auckland
Media
Contacts:
Mystics - Caley Wilson
M: +64 21 804 004
E: caley@mynewfavourite.com
Firebirds -
Toni Caldwell
M: +61 439 779 069
E: toni.caldwell@netballq.org.au
Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 5 (AUS); SKY SPORT 4 (NZ)
Umpires: Jono
Bredin & Liz Boon
Reserve: Fay Meiklejohn
Head to Head:
Mystics | Firebirds | |
Games Played | 8 | 8 |
Win / Loss / Draw | 0 / 8 | 8 / 0 |
Highest Score | 57 | 72 |
Lowest Score | 40 | 46 |
Greatest Winning Margin | - | 21 |
The
Facts: LAST MEETING:
• The Mystics are yet to
defeat the Firebirds in seven previous meetings.
• The
Firebirds have an average winning margin of 12-goals in
seven meetings between the sides.
• The Firebirds sit
in 2nd place on the Australian conference ladder with five
wins, a draw and a loss.
• The Mystics are the New
Zealand conference leaders with four wins, two draws and two
losses.
• The Mystics are coming of a 50-66 loss to the
Swifts in Sydney in Round 8. This was the Mystics biggest
loss of the season and they didn’t win a quarter but drew
the second.
• The Firebirds are coming off a 50-42 win
over the Magic in Brisbane in Round 8. The Firebirds trailed
20-23 at half time against Magic but won the second half
30-19 to take the win.
• The Firebirds have the best
record of any Australian side on New Zealand soil with 15
wins from their 19 ANZ Championship matches. The Firebirds
have won their past seven matches in New Zealand with their
last loss in 2012 against the Firebirds.
• The
Firebirds have won their past nine matches against New
Zealand teams, their last loss against a New Zealand side
was in Round 10, 2013 against the Magic.
• The Mystics
have the 5th best attacking record in the ANZ Championship
with 51.13 goals per match.
• The Firebirds have the
5th best attacking record with 50.43 goals per match while
they have the best defensive record with just 47.57 goals
per match being scored against them.
• The Mystics have
the 2nd best shooting accuracy with 85.9 per cent while the
Firebirds have the 2nd worst accuracy with 77.8 per
cent.
• Mystics captain Maria Tutaia has shot 182 goals
at 81.3 per cent at an average of 22.8 goals per match well
up on her 76.6 per cent accuracy from 2014.
• All 12
members of the Mystics team have had court time during the
2015 season.
• Mahalia Cassidy (Firebirds) made her ANZ
Championship debut against the Magic in Round 8. Cassidy
replaced Caitlyn Nevins at wing attack at quarter time and
played out the rest of the
match.
________________________________________
Ascot
Park Hotel Southern Steel v Adelaide
Thunderbirds
Monday 27 April, 7.40pm
More FM
Arena, Dunedin
Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 2 (AUS); SKY SPORT 1 (NZ)
Umpires: Kristie Simpson, Marise Stuart
Reserve: Jono Bredin
Head to Head:
Steel | Thunderbirds | |
Games Played | 8 | 8 |
Win / Loss | 3 / 5 | 5 / 3 |
Highest Score | 61 | 60 |
Lowest Score | 36 | 48 |
Greatest Winning Margin | 9 | 17 |
The
Facts: LAST MEETING:
• The Thunderbirds lead the
Steel 5-3 in seven previous meetings.
• The Steel’s
61-59 win over the Thunderbirds in Adelaide was their first
ever win on Australian soil.
• The Thunderbirds sit on
the bottom of the Australian conference ladder after eight
rounds. The Thunderbirds have a record of three wins, one
draw and four losses. The Thunderbirds would be in 2nd place
in the New Zealand conference with seven points and their
goal percentage of 100.8 per cent.
• The Steel sits in
3rd place on the New Zealand conference ladder with two wins
and five losses.
• The Thunderbirds are coming off a
63-51 victory over the Tactix in Christchurch in Round 8.
Thunderbirds maintained their unbeaten record over the
Tactix to extend their winning run to eight consecutive
matches with their 63-51 win in Round 8.
• The
Thunderbirds returned to Adelaide in between their Round 8
and 9 matches in New Zealand and will arrive in Dunedin on
Saturday for their clash against the Steel on Monday
night.
• The Thunderbirds have the 4th best defensive
record with 49 goals per match being scored against
them.
• The Steel has the best attacking record in the
ANZ Championship after eight rounds with 62.43 goals per
match while they are the 2nd worst defensive side with 61.43
goals per match scored against them.
• The Thunderbirds
are ranked 7th for shooting accuracy with 78 per cent across
the opening eight rounds while the Steel is the 4th most
accurate side with 83.4 per cent.
• The Thunderbirds
despite having only won three matches this season have been
close in every match expect their Round 2, 9-goal loss to
the Vixens; Lost by 1-goal to Magic 44-45; Lost by 9-goals
to Vixens 39-48; Drew with Mystics 51-51; Won by 2-goals
over Vixens 47-45; Lost by 5-goals to Fever 50-55; Lost by
2-goals to Firebirds 46-48; Won by 7-goals over the Swifts
56-49; Won by 12-goals over the Tactix 63-51.
• Amy
Steel (Thunderbirds) played her 50th ANZ Championship match
against the Tactix in Round 8. Steel has played for three
ANZ Championship sides, Vixens, Firebirds and
Thunderbirds.
• The Thunderbirds have played 22 matches
on New Zealand soil; this is the most of any Australian side
and they have a record of 11 wins and 11 losses. The
Thunderbirds have never had a 100 per cent success in a
season in New Zealand, always having lost at least one of
their matches in New Zealand.
• The Thunderbirds and
Steel have met on New Zealand soil on three occasions with
the Steel holding a 3-1 record over the
Thunderbirds.
• The Steel and Thunderbirds have
previously met in Dunedin twice with the sides winning one
match
each.
________________________________________
Recent/Upcoming
Birthdays:
19 April 1990 - April Letton
(Fever)
20 April 1993 - Storm Purvis (Steel)
30 April
1987 - Erin Bell (Thunderbirds)
30 April 1994 - Liz
Watson (Vixens)
Upcoming milestones:
100 Games (ANZ
Championship):
NAME (TEAM) -
GAMES
Caitlin Bassett (Fever) – 99
Anna Thompson
(Tactix) – 97
Joline Henry (Pulse) -
96
50 Games (ANZ
Championship):
Jo Harten (Magic) - 48
Daneka
Wipiiti (Steel) – 48
Keirra Trompf (Firebirds) -
48
Eboni Beckford-Chambers (Thunderbirds) -
47
4000 career goals:
Romelda Aiken
(Firebirds) – 3926
3000 career
goals:
Caitlin Thwaites (Swifts) –
2989
2500 career goals:
Carla Borrego
(Thunderbirds) – 2487
1500 career
goals:
Jo Harten (Magic) – 1489
Paula
Griffin (Mystics) –
1447
END