Giants Netball will play in their first home final since 2018 this Sunday afternoon when they host Collingwood at Ken Rosewall Arena at Sydney Olympic Park.
The 2021 Super Netball runners-up qualified for back-to-back Finals campaigns after defeating the Sunshine Coast Lightning 68-65 last Saturday to lock up third spot.
The Giants built a comfortable 14-goal advantage in the second quarter then withstood a late challenge from the last-placed Lightning to secure yet another post-season appearance.
Looking to go one better following their four-goal loss to arch rivals the NSW Swifts in last season’s decider, Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald praised the way her squad bounced back from COVID outbreaks and three losses in their opening four games to return to the Finals.
“It has been a really big season and I think we’ve been through a lot in this season, so to finish third, we’re very, very happy with… it means the world to us,” she said.
After the Swifts surprisingly missed out on a spot in this year’s Finals due to percentage points, a new Super Netball champion will be crowned on Sunday, July 3.
The 2022 Super Netball Finals get underway on Saturday evening when the Melbourne Vixens battle West Coast Fever for a spot in the Grand Final. The Giants and Magpies will go to war on Sunday afternoon for the right to play the loser out of the Vixens and Fever.
Tickets for Sunday’s showdown at Ken Rosewall Arena are available through Ticketek and a big crowd is expected.
Meanwhile, Penrith Netball junior and Swifts vice-captain Paige Hadley has been named in the 12-strong Australian Diamonds Netball Team for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, with Giants vice-captain Jamie-Lee Price to travel as a reserve player.
Diamonds head coach Stacey Marinkovich is excited for the squad to start working towards the Birmingham Games.
“Selection for any international series – especially the Commonwealth Games – is never easy,” she said.
“We have such great depth of talent in Australian netball, across every position on the court, and I congratulate the 12 athletes who have been selected to compete at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“I’m incredibly excited to work with this group of athletes and build on our connection both on and off the court, starting with a training camp in Perth next month.”
The Diamonds, who are ranked number one in the world, will complete training camps in Perth and Manchester prior to the Birmingham Games starting next month.
The Super Netball Finals will be broadcast on Fox Sports.
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender’s Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.
