THE Swifts timed their run to perfection in the final match of Round 8, coming from behind in the dying minutes to beat a confident GIANTS outfit, 59-56.

It was an even start to the match, with the sides unable to be split at quarter time to sit even at 13 goals apiece, with only one shot missed in the first term. Neither side could take control for more than a few minutes, with the Swifts unable to find their regular form without the likes of captain, Maddy Proud running hard through the midcourt. Youngster, Sophie Halpin got the start in centre, and despite putting on some good defensive pressure she was unable to provide the attacking pressure needed to get the ball into Sam Wallace. Paige Hadley had issues finding space in attack with the energy and speed of Amy Parmenter sticking right to her on every lead. Helen Housby was pivotal early, ruling from goal attack as she acted as playmaker, putting up only three shots but being a valuable ball mover. The GIANTS have found their attacking form in recent weeks and were quick to put it on show this round, with the pairing of Caitlin Bassett and Jo Harten shooting at 100 per cent in the first quarter.

The second and third quarters were much the same, with defensive pressure from both sides impeccable as they denied space and access to the goal circle. The second quarter saw Elle Bennetts take the court in wing attack for the Swifts in her debut, while Halpin went to the bench as Hadley took the centre bib. Though a clever switch to change the momentum, the GIANTS took advantage of the Swifts’ changes to cause confusion across the court and start to capitalise on their accurate first term. It was the GIANTS’ seven deflections that won them the second quarter and first bonus point of the match, with Parmenter putting her speed and flair to the test, picking up three alone compared to the Swifts’ two. GIANTS goal keeper, Sam Poolman kept Housby away from the post well, using her clever footwork to cause confusion for feeders and going up for every ball in the circle.

The third quarter saw the Swifts begin to mount their comeback, drawing even midway through the term before the GIANTS were able to pull back the margin once more. Harten and Housby’s defensive prowess through the centre third saw the England Roses pair force turnovers – albeit for opposing sides, in a frantic 15 minutes. Poolman came alive in the third term, picking up three gains as the Swifts struggled to feed the ball in, though somehow still finding Wallace at the post, shooting 14 goals to Housby’s one. The smothering defence of Maddy Turner and Sarah Klau saw Bassett and Harten’s composure in the circle begin to falter, combining for 13 from 16 as the Swifts ran away with the bonus point – but still down by one at three quarter time.

The last quarter saw the Swifts finally take back the control they had been challenging for all match, keeping the GIANTS to only 12 goals in the final term to steal a win. The Swifts built up their comeback early, stealing back momentum in patches before drawing level with less than four minutes of play remaining. The GIANTS called a tactical timeout, unintentionally gifting the Swifts the momentum with NSW having the following centre pass. A six goal burst from the Swifts saw the side take the lead for the equal-biggest margin of the match, shooting 17 final quarter goals at 100 per cent to win the match.

It was the Swifts’ patience that got them the win, cleanly chipping the ball around to create space and feed into the circle. Housby put up only 11 from 12 for the match but took the lead for assists with 23 from 35 feeds, while the GIANTS shared the load better as Kim Green finished with 21 assists from 26 feeds, while Jamie-Lee Price was not far behind with 16 from 30. Parmenter put up another fantastic performance, managing 13 deflections and two intercepts to put doubt in the minds of Swifts feeders, while Swifts defenders, Klau and Turner picked up a combined eight gains and six intercepts to turn the game around. Of the four goalers, Wallace was the top scorer with 48 goals from 50 attempts, while the combined efforts of Bassett (34 from 36) and Harten (21 from 24) was simply not enough this time.

STARTING LINE-UP:

NSW Swifts:

GS |Sam Wallace
GA |Helen Housby
WA |Paige Hadley
C |Sophie Halpin
WD |Kate Eddy
GD |Maddy Turner
GK |Sarah Klau

GWS GIANTS:

GS |Caitlin Bassett
GA |Jo Harten
WA |Kim Green
C |Jamie-Lee Price
WD |Amy Parmenter
GD |Kristiana Manu’a
GK |Sam Poolman