A western Sydney battle of the ages will take place at Ken Rosewall Arena this Sunday afternoon when Panthers Netball take on GWS Fury in the Netball NSW U23 Premier League Grand Final.
The two sides, who finished first and second on the ladder after the 18-round regular season, will go head-to-head for the second time in two weeks after the Fury pipped the Minor Premiership-winning Panthers by a point in the Qualifying Final.
The shock result saw the Panthers fight for their lives last Saturday when they played and ultimately beat the UTS Randwick Sparks to earn themselves a place in this weekend’s decider.
Speaking with the Weekender, U23 Panthers Netball coach Jenny Barsby said the agonising loss to the Fury in week one of the playoffs spurred the side to victory in last Saturday night’s must-win Preliminary Final.
“The loss on Wednesday against the Fury definitely fuelled the girls,” she said.
“That game on Saturday night against the Sparks was the best game they’ve played in a month. They just really ripped in; there was no way they were letting that game go. The determination the girls had… they knew what was on the line… they knew they had to get it done and they just did it.”
It’s been a dominant 2025 for the Panthers U23s, who finished Minor Premiers following a spectacular 15 win, one draw and two loss season.
Despite a shaky finish to the regular season, where they dropped two games back-to-back, the Panthers were virtually unstoppable for much of the year.
“After working extremely hard all season, we lost two games in a row due to a bit of fatigue and sickness,” Barsby said.
“They ended up being very close games but we just couldn’t put them away.
“To come back like they have is a testament to the team they are at the moment, it’s definitely a very special group.”
The Panthers will go into this Sunday’s Grand Final at the home of the Swifts and Giants as slight favourites, with Barsby declaring her side have unfinished business against the Fury.
“They don’t want to lose to them again,” she said.
“If they go into this game the way they went into last Saturday’s Prelim, there’s no way they are going to lose it. If they can bring that same energy and determination, Fury better watch out!”
If the Panthers do manage to get past the Fury this weekend, it will be the franchise’s first Premier League title since the inaugural season back in 2016.
Nathan Taylor
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.