The Question of Skill

It is an age old question that sparks debate in schoolyards, office buildings and on building sites all over the world. One simple question that brings out the most passionate of arguments between close friends and bitter rivals, but no matter how well or poorly argued a specific case may be, the question of skill still remains. 

There is absolutely no doubt that most sports require a great deal of personal skill when those involved step out onto whichever field a particular sport is played on. And, it is not just the physical skill involved that makes different sports tough. The ability to think of the next piece of movement on the sports field or the mental ability to get into or shut out your opposition are also key factors when considering what makes a sport skilful.

Adding into the mix of individual physical and mental skill is the ability to be part of a team. We have all seen those brilliant individuals who stand-out amongst their peers but they are not always on their own. Most of the time it is the support of their teammates that allow the individual success.  On other occasions it is simply the perfect mix of skill amongst the team that enables it's success.

So which sport requires the most skill?

The question is simple. Answering it is not. When considering which sport requires the most skill, several factors need to be taken into consideration: rules, team or individual, playing surface, location, speed, physical and mental requirements and consistency. All of these are key components in any sport and may determine the success of the individual or team in any given competition.

It is probably too hard to pick one sport that rules over all others in regards to skill, so rather then picking just one, I will look at a few that I think fit well into the debate. 


Soccer:

Better known as football around the globe 'the beautiful game' certainly requires plenty of skill. Adding to the difficulty of not being able to use one's hands (goalkeepers excepted), is the pressure these players face being part of the most popular sport in the world. Composure is often the key to victory as teams carefully shift the round ball around the field, attempting to find the tiniest space available to gain an advantage. 

It also helps if you have someone like Lionel Messi on your roster. Messi is on track to be the greatest individual the football world has seen and it is not hard to see why. Messi not only has speedy feet but a speedy mind, he knows when there is an opportunity and gets into position quickly to take advantage. Balance, poise and the ability to use both feet are also crucial in 'the world game'. 

Ice Hockey:

Unless you live in Europe or North America the chances are you haven't seen too much of this sport. Not helping it's popularity are the off-ice issues that hamper the National Hockey League, the sport's most well known competition. In the last decade the NHL has had two 'lockouts' due to Labour disagreements between players and owners of NHL clubs. However, season 2012-13 (which was almost lost entirely) will 'face-off' later this month enabling the sports best players to show off their slick skills. 

The most obvious obstacle to overcome is the playing surface, an ice rink. It's a surface that most people would have difficulty walking on, yet Hockey players make it skating on it look easy. One thing to take into account here, is the size of the athletes. Hockey players aren't small and most could easily look the part on any football team. This makes it all the more impressive at the speed in which they move, all the while trying to control the puck and weave between opposing players who are willing to level an attacking player at their earliest opportunity. Then there is scoring. The ability to put the puck past the goaltender and into the back of the goal is no mean feat, considering that goaltenders literally leave little room for error. Reflexes like a steel trap? Yep, these guys have those too.

Aussie Rules:

One choice that will certainly provide debate, but in my opinion the game requires plenty of skill. Rule changes in recent times have taken some of the physicality out of the game, however, this places much more emphasis on players having to run more, meaning fitness is very important. Aussie Rules can look clumsy at times but that is direct reflection of how the game is played. At its best the game moves very quickly putting pressure on players and the decisions they make. One bad kick or poor option is all it takes for the momentum of a match to shift to the opposing side. 

Played on a large, oval shaped field, long drop-punts are often the preferred method of moving the ball around the field and it is kicking based skill that players use to score. Accuracy in windy conditions is one test players have to face, particularly in larger stadiums where the wind tends to swirl around the large grandstands. It is these conditions that can leave even the most prominent players red-faced as they watch an attempted shot at goal sail wide of the mark. Hand skills are also used frequently, both catching and passing. 'Hand-balls' are the other method of passing between players and may seem easy to the eye but attempting a long distance hand-ball requires accuracy and strength. Aussie Rules also contains one of the more pleasing sights in sport, spectacular, high-flying marks affectionately known as... 'the specky'. Don't forget, there is no offside in this, so players need to have a 360 degree awareness.

The Bob Skeleton:

Skilful or just plain crazy? It may look simple to lie on a sled and go head first down a tunnel of ice but there is a bit more to it than that. Participants can travel at speeds of around 130 kp/h (approximately 80 mp/h), that is some serious pace with nothing more than a helmet and aerodynamic skin suit for protection. Getting a turn wrong can have serious implications, it is not hard to imagine what that might mean. Not only do riders require nerves of steel, they need to be in top physical condition due to the force that is implied on their body. Bob Skeleton riders can pull upto 5Gs while on track demonstrating just how tough this sport is on the body.

Speed for the take off, steady nerves, sharp reactions and technical ability are all required each time a competitor makes a run down the ice. In order to turn the 'toboggan' small movements with the shoulders are needed, too much or too little pressure can mean big difference in time and worst, life threatening injury. The strength and discipline to keep the body in a position to enhance unnerving speeds would be unbelievably tough when travelling at such speeds and the pressure exerted on the rider, particularly as their head is just inches off the ice. An incredible sport that requires plenty of skill.

As you can see it is hard to choose just one sport when answering the question of skill. It is a debate that will always remain due to the passion that sport fans have for their favourite game and the athletes that display these skills best. I don't think there is any one sport that is more skilful than the others, purely because different sports require different skills and skill sets. 


Got some more examples? Feel free to make your case in the comments below, just click on the comments link (where it says "no comments")

Phoenix move into Grand Final after 10-goal defeat of Matrics

Health and Life Phoenix will have the hardest task of the 2012 Subway Cup after they defeated Contours Matrics, 62-52, in the preliminary final last Friday night at Netball SA Stadium.

The task of defeating the ETSA Contax is a task no team has been able to achieve all season and Phoenix coach LeeAnne Cummins is certainly aware of what it will take to steal the 2012 premiership.

“We need to bring that same intensity we brought tonight, we need to force them into making errors whilst making good decisions for ourselves, and just valuing the ball every time we’ve got it, because they’re not going to give it to you very often.” Cummins said.

The last three matches have been very close for the Phoenix but those close matches have put them on the right path for finals netball. A disappointed Matrics coach, Jacqui Illman, suggested Phoenix were peaking at the right time.

“I think Phoenix played exceptionally well tonight, that’s the best that I’ve seen them play all year and they were obviously better than us on the night.”  Illman said.

It was a highly anticipated match-up for the preliminary final and Phoenix had not beaten the Matrics during the minor rounds. It was looking like the same result may occur with Matrics getting a good start early in the first quarter.

Matrics GS Cody Lange was looking in good form scoring three quick goals for her side and benefitting from some sharp Matrics attack. But, the Phoenix attackers soon settled into a nice rhythm and with GS Kylie Jarrett looking particularly strong soon evened the scores, then took the lead late in the quarter.

Phoenix began to control the pace of the match in the second quarter, often slowing the play down and restoring their composure. These tactics were working for the side as they moved out to a 5-goal lead mid-quarter.

Some good late play from the Matrics saw them cut the Phoenix lead down to 1 goal at half time and with a few more seconds may have even leveled the scores, but the half-time whistle kept the Phoenix in front.

The Matrics needed to match the consistency of the Phoenix if they were to have any chance of taking the lead and they started well with the first goal of the quarter. This leveled the scores but costly mistakes were hurting the Matrics.

Phoenix stole back momentum after a Matrics centre pass break, and quickly moved out to a 4-goal lead just 3 minutes into the quarter. Excellent work in defence from Phoenix GK Dalice Kennedy and GD Nadia Mapunda was starting to takes its toll, as Phoenix went to the final break with a 7-goal lead.

After trailing by 9 goals early in the final quarter Matrics managed a mini comeback to cut the lead to 5 goals with 9 minutes remaining. After some good transitional play it looked like the match was headed for an intense finish.

However, the Phoenix regained composure to establish a 10-goal lead with just 4 minutes remaining, ultimately ending any chance of a Matrics win.

It was a strong performance from the Phoenix who dominated key areas of play to help them reach the 2012 Subway Cup Grand Final. Their rebounding was superb at both ends of the court and their work ethic through the middle of the court forced turnovers from the Matrics.

The combination between shooters, Kylie Jarrett and Mel Rowland, has also grown and has been a noticeable asset to the side as coach LeeAnne Cummins discussed.

“Obviously it’s been hard with Mel Rowland being in and out throughout the year and also she’s been able to train with us since the Thunderbirds finished so just that consistency of being able to work together is seeing the benefit out on the court.” She said.

“Tonight the girls were really focused on what they had to do and really determined to make sure that they made every post a winner and right from that first whistle their heads were in the game.

“I thought that it looked like they (Matrics) were under more pressure than they had been all year so therefore their decision making was sort of questionable and we forced them into errors which was great work.”

After a strong season wrapping up second place on the ladder, the Matrics were understandably disappointed. But after a tough loss, Coach Jacqui Illman was still proud of her side’s effort throughout the year.

“We targeted a grand final spot and we thought that on our day we could win it but obviously Phoenix were better than us today.”

“Extremely proud of the girls, I mean we won it last year and we lost an enormous amount of defenders in particular after that win. We did struggle for depth in that area and we did have a few injuries in that area again throughout the year. I thought we really responded well and I was pleased with a lot of the netball that we put out on the park this year.”

Health and Life Phoenix defeat The Royal Cougars, 60-58 in extra-time thriller

It was a match that showcased everything the sport of Netball has to offer and a match that only two teams desperate to keep their premiership hopes alive could provide.

Health and Life Phoenix eventually came out the winners defeating The Royal Cougars in the second half of extra time, 60-58, at Netball SA Stadium on Thursday night but it was a match neither side deserved to lose.

A relieved Phoenix coach, Lee-Anne Cummins paid tribute to both sides after such an intense encounter.

“It’s an awesome way to win but it’s a really horrible way to lose, so it’s always good if you’re the winning end of that.” Cummins said.

“All fourteen girls on the court gave everything they had and it was a great spectacle.”

The nerves were obvious as both sides tried to work into the game through steady game play and both sides took advantage of turnover ball. The lead changed throughout the first quarter as the two teams took risks, throwing long searching passes down the court.

However, turnovers in the goal circle were hurting the Cougars. With a much easier passage, Phoenix took a 3-goal advantage into the quarter time break.

After some good defensive work from GD Nadia Mapunda, the Phoenix got a much better start in the second quarter. They dominated the early minutes to take a 5-goal lead. But just when it looked as though they would break away, the Cougars fought back to cut the lead to 2 goals.

This pattern continued for much of the quarter with the Phoenix leading by 6 goals at one stage but through determination the Cougars ensured the lead would be a slender one. At halftime the Phoenix led by 2.

As the third quarter began, the intensity on the court lifted and the crowd could sense the closeness of the match. They were right. Once again the lead changed throughout the third quarter as neither side could dominate the other.

The Cougars movement around the attacking third had improved allowing GS Jess Roberts more space in the circle. In an exciting quarter the Cougars led into a break for the first time in the match. The lead was just 1-goal heading into the final quarter.

The Cougars kept up their moment to stat the final quarter moving out to a 5-goal lead, their biggest of the match, and looked reasonably comfortable with 10 minutes to go. However, one missed shot was all it took for the Phoenix to get back in the game.

With 5 minutes to go the Phoenix leveled the scores through Mel Rowland. The deadlock could not be broken until Jess Roberts looked to have won the game for Cougars on the final whistle. The shot was ruled to be too late, however, and so after four quarters the scores were all square at 50 a piece.

Although there had been three draws during the minor rounds this match produced the first extra-time of the season, testing the players nerves and composure even further.

Once again, the first seven minutes of extra-time was extremely intense as the two teams went goal for goal on centre pass.  Experience counted for everything and this showed with Phoenix GK Dalice Kennedy and Mapunda looking to force turnovers.

Leigh Waddington was also dangerous in the mid-court for the Cougars and steadied the Cougars. Nothing could separate the two sides after the first seven minutes of extra-time. The scores 54 all.

With scores again going on centre pass to start the final 7 minutes of extra-time it seemed that the match could still be going into the early hours of Friday morning.

Phoenix finally broke the centre pass scoring to take a 2-goal lead with only a few minutes remaining. The Cougars were not giving up but when they lost possession with less then a minute remaining the task became too large. Phoenix holding on to win by 2-goals in an exhilarating performance from both teams.

Phoenix coach Lee-Anne Cummins will again be looking for a good start from her side when they take on Contours Matrics in the preliminary final.

“We really focused during the week about getting off to a good start. Cougars would have been on a high after beating Woods last week to secure that final spot, so we knew we had to get on top early to try and snuff their confidence.” She said.

“The game last week (a draw against Spring Gully Newton Jaguars), whilst we would’ve liked to win, was actually a good one because should we be in that situation again we’d had that bit of pressure so I think it did work in our favour.

“The experience of some of our senior players, Dalice and Ed (Edwina Gosse) really helped steady the ship.”

In the major semi-final ETSA Contax became the first team through to the 2012 Subway Cup Grand Final in a comprehensive victory over Contours Matrics. A result that not many people would have picked, the undefeated Contax won by 23 goals.

Minor Semi-Final Preview: Health and Life Phoenix v The Royal Cougars

Netball SA Stadium, 8:30pm Thursday, Court 3

While the winner of this match continues through to week 2 of the 2012 Subway Cup finals series, the defeated sides’ season will end.

These two teams will be desperate to continue their finals campaign. Health and Life Phoenix were only just reinstated into premier league netball at the start of the 2012 season. The Royal Cougars have been finals netball outcasts for over a decade.

This sets up what should be an entertaining match and if both sides play to their full potential, it should also be a very close match.

Inconsistency is the word that perfectly describes each of these sides’ 2012 season. Both teams ended the season with 8 wins with the Phoenix finishing with a draw against Spring Gully Newton Jaguars to give them a point more then the Cougars.

The Phoenix will be looking to turn some recent bad form around after finishing the minor round season with two losses and a draw.  However, they will be comforted by their season results against the Cougars. The Phoenix are undefeated against the cougars the season and won each of their matches with apparent ease. The lowest margin being 8 goals in their round 11 match.

Although results show an inconsistent side, the Phoenix can take stock knowing their defensive end is in good hands. Co-captains Dalice Kennedy and Luka Thompson, along with Nadia Mapunda and Edwina Gosse manufacture excellent defensive pressure. The outcome is often a hesitant opposition attack, forcing loose, searching passes that either go over the sideline or into intercepting hands.

The Cougars boast a defence of formidable height that will serve them well in the circle against the Phoenix shooting trio comprising Kylie Jarrett, Mel Rowland and Mel Gibb. The return of Amehlia Schmidt from Thunderbirds duties is timely for the side adding greater flexibility to a defence that includes Tamsin Petzer, Sarah Klau and Ashton Hurn. Their height closes space and forces opposing sides into hesitant decision making, with Hurn deadly at picking up loose passes.

The mid-court battle will feature some determined competitors and are closely matched. However, the key for both sides in the mid-court comes down to one player, Leigh Waddington.

Waddington has been superb during the Subway Cup this year and her good form warranted a call up to the Thunderbirds bench late in their season. Waddington’s combinations with Hurn and goal attack/wing attack Jo Nixon have become stronger throughout the season.

The Phoenix have a hard working mid-court with Gosse, Kate Kilpatrick and Erin Scheepens. Kilpatrick provides good drive up the court while Scheepens and Gosse are good at working their way into space to provide a receiving option, often getting their side out of trouble.

The Phoenix main shooting target is Kylie Jarrett. She scored 473 goals in the minor rounds, second to Laura Packard. After suffering a bout of injury late in the season, Jarrett was back to her best in their round 22 match against Jags scoring 39 from 42 attempts. Joining her in the circle will either be Thunderbird squad member Mel Rowland or Mel Gibb, both are likely to feature during the match. The Phoenix GA usually goes looking for the ball outside the circle to give Jarrett a one-on-one contest where she can use her strength.

When it comes to shooting flexibility no team is better served than the Cougars. Coach Scott Waddington used four shooters in their round 22 win against Woods Panthers and while injury cut their stocks throughout the season, they seem to be back their full compliment. Jessica Roberts has been their main goal scorer with 413 goals this season. However, the Cougars are likely to explore all their options consisting of Laura Marslen, Sarah Carver and Caroline Davey.

The importance of this match is obvious, winner stays in the hunt for premiership glory while the loser is eliminated.

The fans of these two teams could be in for an intense experience on Thursday night as both sides have the ability to play entertaining netball with plenty of momentum swings. It just depends on if they can play consistently for 4 quarters of netball.

Previous Results:

Round 4:   Phoenix 58 d Cougars 44

Round 11:   Phoenix 52 d Cougars 44

Round 18:   Phoenix 58 d Cougars 43

Last 5 Matches:

Phoenix:   W L L B D

Cougars:   L W B B W

Major Semi-Final Preview: ETSA Contax v Contours Matrics

Netball SA Stadium, 8:30pm Thursday, Court 1

The Contax and Matrics have definitely been the two dominant sides of the 2012 Subway Cup season so far and once again they will come together to produce what should be another tense encounter.

After finishing the minor rounds undefeated the Contax definitely have the momentum going into the finals and have beaten the Matrics three times throughout the season.

However, the Matrics have reduced the gap as the season has progressed and only lost by four goals the last time these sides played in round 19.

Defence will play a big part in this match and both sides have formidable defensive ends. The Contax goal circle defensive combination of Jane Fitzgerald and Bianca Reddy have been outstanding all season and are part of the reason the Contax have conceded just 678 goals, 168 less then second ranked Woods Panthers.

The Contax defend really well as a unit and use constant pressure to force turnovers from the opposing team. Once they gain possession quick ball movement is the key, particularly through their speedy mid-courters Lauren Hyde, Madeleine Proud and Georgia Beaton.

The Matrics, on the other hand, have been a side good at absorbing attacking pressure when not in possession, forcing sides to make errors moving across the defensive third line.

A big loss for the Matrics is goal defence Sarah Kennedy. Kennedy was in excellent form before a broken wrist ended her season. Her ability to come out of the circle and intercept searching passes into the defensive third were a standout feature of the Matrics game. Adjusting to her absence will prove crucial for the Matrics but they are fortunate to have plenty of depth in their defensive end.

The mid-court battle will be an entertaining as the sides use different tactics through this area of the court. Both sides use speed but there is a difference in execution.

The Matrics combination of Kyra Brown at centre and Sheree Wingard has been strong throughout the season. Wingard’s speed and drive into the attacking third compliments Brown’s composed circle feeding.

The Contax look for an up-tempo game speed through snappy player movement and quick passing down the court. The Matrics may look to slow the game down on transitional play so their defenders don’t get caught out of position.

When it comes to the attacking end, the Matrics shooting trio of Laura Packard, Stephanie Hentschel and Cody Lange have scored more goals then any other team in the competition combining for 1031 goals.

The standout here is Packard who has scored an incredible 518 goals, the only player to reach that milestone in the minor rounds.

It is not only total goals scored where the Matrics have it over their major-semi counterparts, they are also more accurate. The experience of Amanda Martin will be vital for the Contax in such an important match. She has guided young shooters Chelsea Lemke and Casey Gregory extremely well all season and will need to be at her best on Thursday.

This game is sure to be intense with the winner moving straight through to the Grand Final with a vital weeks rest to prepare. The loser will play either Health and Life Phoenix or The Royal Cougars depending on the result of the minor semi-final.

Previous Results:

Round 5:   Contax 59 d Matrics 49

Round 12:   Contax 57 d Matrics 49

Round 19:   Contax 49 d Matrics 45

Last 5 Matches:

Contax:   W W W W W

Matrics:   W L D B B

ETSA Contax send ominous warning with dominant final round win

It may have been a top versus bottom clash in the final round but ETSA Contax displayed no mercy in defeating Stellar Homes Garville 62-35 at Netball SA Stadium on Friday night.

As the two teams celebrated their 60 year rivalry the Contax showed that the occasion and their last placed opposition would not distract them into complacency, as they continued on to complete a perfect season in the minor rounds.

But if the dominant Contax display and final margin were not warning enough, than the thought of Contax coach Leanne Eichler saying that her side still had improvement in them definitely is.

“We always say that you’ve got to be better than you were in your last performance.” She said.

“We could still value the ball a lot more and it is probably just our finesse in passes, we sometimes do miss the target or give the defender a bit of a sniff, so we have to improve on that.”

Their major semi-final opponents, the Contours Matrics, watched on in the stands and would have struggled to identify any weaknesses as the Contax demolished Garville by 27 goals.

The Contax clicked into gear right from the opening whistle scoring the opening 6 goals of the match. Garville struggled to penetrate the Contax defence but soon scored 3 of their own to reduce the lead to 3 goals.

The Contax ball movement and speed down the court wasn’t allowing the Garville defenders time to get into good defensive position giving their shooters, Casey Gregory and Chelsea Lemke plenty of freedom in the circle. At quarter time they had amassed 18 goals to Garville’s 8.

Play was a bit scrappy to start the second quarter with only 2 goals going down in the first 3 minutes. Garville WA Hannah Horlin-Smith was busy for her side but Garville couldn’t convert turnover opportunities.

Once again the ladder leaders hit their stride continuing their quick game play. While Garville put in their best efforts, Contax continued to dominate across the court taking a 15 goal lead into halftime.

The third quarter was looking all too familiar as Contax increased their lead to 21 goals mid-way through the quarter.

The Contax defensive trio of Georgia Beaton, Jane Fitzgerald and Bianca Reddy were showing no mercy and combined well with C Lauren Hyde and WA Madeleine Proud to get the ball moving on transitional play. At the final break their lead was 24 goals.

The two sides went goal for goal for much of the last quarter as fatigue began to set in. However, Contax continued their excellent team performance to stretch their lead to 26 goals with a few minutes remaining.

Garville would not give in, though, and continued to make Contax work right up until the final whistle. At fulltime the margin was 27 goals.

The Contax clearly had finals in mind and were looking to gain as much as they could out of their final round match.

“Tonight was all about sticking to a game plan and doing what we do because it was an important game for our finals preparation,” coach Leanne Eichler said.

“Matrics had the week off, so we needed to make sure we tried to stay one step ahead of them and use this game as a purpose.

“Probably our first and third quarters were our best on turnover rates. We did make the most it and that’s what you’ve got to do when it comes to finals because you won’t get as many.”

One feature of Garville’s play throughout their season had been their never say die attitude and although trailing by such a large margin continued their commitment to the final whistle. A facet of their game they should all be very proud of.

Coach Jackie Blyth said that along with her side’s commitment she saw them improve as the season went on.

“As the season has progressed we’ve got better and better and I think if there were more games to go we would improve,” she said.

“To me it’s about trying to put some knowledge and unity amongst the side for next year.

“We’ve re-signed everybody for next year and I’m really pleased about that because the youth coming through, long-term, is going to help us. The core of the team we’ve got this year will really be super-competitive next year.”

In the other final round matches, The Royal Cougars prevailed in their match against Woods Panthers to consolidate fourth spot on the ladder and move into to the finals winning, 53-46. Health and Life Phoenix and Spring Gully Newton Jaguars played out the third draw for the season with the final result 50-50.

The semi-finals will be played at Netball SA Stadium on Thursday the 26^th of July at 8:30pm. Court 1 will feature the major semi-final between ETSA Contax and Contours Matrics while the minor semi final between The Royal Cougars and Health and Life Phoenix will be held at the same time on court 3.

Quarter-by-quarter scores:

Q1:   Contax  18 – 8  Garville

Q2:   Contax  33 – 18  Garville

Q3:   Contax  48 – 24  Garville

Q4:   Contax  62 – 35  Garville

Match Shooting Stats:

Contax   62/81   76.54%

C. Gregory:   30/36   83.33%

C. Lemke:   32/45   71.11%

Garville   35/41   85.37%

G. Virgo:   21/24   87.50%

C. Drogemuller:   6/6   100%

H. Edge:   8/11   72.73%

Subway Cup final round full of showdowns

The last of the minor rounds of the 2012 Subway Cup will be held tonight and Saturday at Netball SA Stadium and all three matches are vital to the teams taking part.

Two of the matches will decide the make-up of the 2012 Subway Cup final series and the other involves a rivalry that has lasted 6 decades.

With three teams still able to grab fourth spot to and feature in the finals there is sure to be some tense moments coming up on both Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

Stellar Homes Garville and ETSA Contax will celebrate 60 years of rivalry with a ‘Rival Revival’ legends match to kick off the round at 6:30pm this evening. The match will feature past greats from both clubs and will be sure to provide plenty of entertainment.

Then the serious stuff begins.

Following the legends match on court 1 at 7:30pm is the Subway Cup Premier League match between Stellar Homes Garville and ETSA Contax.

Garville will be looking to end their season with back-to-back wins and show the rest of the competition that the currently undefeated ETSA Contax can be beaten going into the finals.  Contax will be trying to do the opposite and a big win against their long time rivals could boost the sides intimidation factor, as they look to complete a perfect season.

Lots of attention will be focused towards court 2, also at 7:30pm, as The Royal Cougars take on Woods Panthers.

The equation is simple for the Cougars. Win and they will go through to play finals netball, lose and they won’t. Woods also need to win to go through, they trail the Cougars, who currently sit in fourth, by a single point on the ladder. However, if Woods win then they will have an anxious wait to see whether they will be in the finals. 

At 2pm on Saturday afternoon Spring Gully Newton Jaguars will be up against Health and Life Phoenix.

A remarkable win for Garville in round 20 against Woods gave the Jaguars a second chance at the finals, along with their draw against Contours Matrics. The Jaguars will be desperate for a big win in this game as percentage could play a big part in final ladder positions, but first and foremost for the side is a victory. Phoenix will be looking to regain momentum, as the outcome of this match will determine if they finish third or fourth, having already sealed a finals berth.

Jaguars will be buoyed by their excellent performance against Matrics in round 20, a match they probably deserved to win after leading for the entire match.

Although resting a little easy, Contours Matrics will be watching on with interest to see who they will play in the first week of the finals. They will finish at second on the ladder and currently have a 10-point gap to third placed Phoenix.

With so much importance on the final round matches there is sure to be some great netball being played so get down and support your team this weekend at Netball SA Stadium.

For further information on the ‘Rival Revival’ legends match and final round match times, go to www.subwaycup.com.au

Woods Panthers use first quarter to propel them closer to Subway Cup finals

The Woods Panthers have defeated Health and Life Phoenix 48-35 on Tuesday night after a dominant first quarter performance set up the win at Netball SA Stadium.

The win propels Woods to fifth on the Subway Cup ladder and they trail Spring Gully Newton Jaguars by just one spot as the race to the finals continues to intensify.

Woods coach Trudy Barker was unsurprisingly positive after defeating third placed Phoenix and falling one goal short of second placed Contours Matrics last Saturday.

“If we can stick to that momentum, we will challenge any team above us and that’s what we’re hoping for and you never know who’s going to lift to the occasion.”

“Finals are finals, it’s anyone game.” 

Woods dominated the start and finish of the first quarter to grab the lead and their consistent effort kept the Phoenix at arms length for the following three quarters.

Woods GS Kim Walker was strong under the net making some wayward feeds look very good and WA Alice Murt displayed her usual speed around the mid-court. Woods took an 8-goal lead into the first break.

After a slow start to the match Phoenix found some of their recent good form to convert some extra possession into goals, scoring 3 in a row to narrow the margin. After trailing by 10 goals mid-way through the second, things seemingly couldn’t get any worse for Phoenix.

But then they did. GS Kylie Jarrett was forced from the court with an injury complaint, which allowed Steph Ventrice an opportunity in the Premier League. Her extra mobility around the circle seemed to help though and Phoenix cut the margin back to 7 ad half time.

Quick work was needed from the Phoenix attack to try and move Woods’ GD Fiona Crowe and GK Sally Fuller around the circle in the third. Although they were successful early in the third quarter cutting the lead to 5, the Woods defence regained control.

A nice intercept from WD Claire Alvino stopped crucial Phoenix momentum. Woods were executing much better then Phoenix and led by 8 goals at the last change.

Once again Phoenix tried to fight their way back into the game but Woods remained focussed throughout the final quarter. Any chance of a comeback was controlled and with time running down, Woods extended their lead to win by 13 goals.

Barker acknowledged the importance of the match and credited her side with a wonderful team effort saying that finding a best player would be difficult.

“It was an important win, more so for our confidence and our playing style, to get it right. To win every quarter was a great effort by all the girls defensively and in attack, so yeah it was good,” Barker said.

“That first quarter our start was amazing so credit to the girls, they’ve learnt their lessons, they can push on they just believed in themselves.

“It was a good team effort from every single one of them, it’s going to be hard to pick a best player.”

Phoenix coach Lee Anne Cummins while disappointed with the loss was able to find some positives from the match. And while finals would be in the back of her sides’ minds the focus will be on their round 20 encounter with competition front-runners ETSA Contax.

“It’s obviously disappointing, we’ve beaten them the previous two times so you sort of want to finish off in that minor round clean sweep,” she said.

“Woods certainly put a lot of physical pressure on which made it hard for us to adjust and made us hesitate with giving that first ball, which obviously then made us second guess and set some opportunities up for them as well. So we just need to make sure that we’ve got the confidence to give it to our teammates.

“Training tomorrow night will just to be re-group and focus on Contax.”

In the other matches played, The Royal Cougars defeated Stellar Homes Garville 61-46 to keep their finals hopes alive. ETSA Contax survived a close encounter with Contours Matrics winning 49-45 in a match that featured multiple lead changes.

Quarter-by-quarter

Q1:   Woods  16 – 8  Phoenix

Q2:   Woods  25 – 18  Phoenix

Q3:   Woods  33 – 25  Phoenix

Q4:   Woods  48 – 35  Phoenix

Match Shooting Stats

Woods   48/65   73.85%

K. Walker:   37/45   82.22%

E. Thomas:   11/20   55%

Phoenix   35/45   77.78%

K. Jarrett:   8/10   80%

M. Gibb:   21/25   84%

S. Ventrice:   6/10   60%

Consistent Health and Life Phoenix create third spot buffer with defeat of The Royal Cougars

Health and Life Phoenix have created a 4-point buffer for themselves, in third spot, after defeating The Royal Cougars 58-43 at Netball SA Stadium on Friday night.

Assisting their cause was ETSA Contax who thrashed Spring Gully Newton Jaguars by 22 goals, also on Friday night.

Phoenix coach Lee Anne Cummins said that while the points buffer is nice, her side couldn’t look to far ahead.

“It puts us two games clear so it does take a little bit of the pressure off, it doesn’t mean we can relax though too. We’ve got to face up against Contax yet and Jags got thumped by them tonight,” Cummins said.

The same cannot be said for the Cougars with the loss adding a little more pressure on the side. 


Captain Leigh Waddington says they must address the importance of their remaining matches if they are to feature in finals netball.

“They’re very important games and I don’t think we should shy away from that, we have to look at that and they are hard games. Positivity and, forget that game, now move on to next week.”

The opening quarter was fairly even between the two sides as a regular pattern formed in the play. Phoenix continually gained a 2-goal advantage only for the Cougars to level scores with back-to-back goals each time.

Phoenix were displaying good pressure in defence early and a sound attacking line with GS Mel Gibb and GA Mel Rowland looking in good touch. Gibb in particular was in nice touch considering her being bed ridden for 3 days prior to the match. Phoenix led at quarter time by two goals.

The second quarter saw a small adjustment to the Cougars attack with Jo Nixon shifting to GA and Leigh Waddington to WA, which was a good move with them combining well. The Cougars settled mid-quarter after trailing by 4-goals.

However, the Phoenix defence continued their good pressure not allowing the Cougars any momentum and the Phoenix attacking line was proving efficient as they went to the half-time break leading by 2.

Phoenix co-captain Dalice Kennedy came on at GK in the third quarter, shifting the Phoenix players one position up court with WA Erin Scheepens coming off. This move did not unsettle the side at as the Phoenix continued their consistent performance from the first half.

Kennedy’s direction was proving extremely useful for her side as the Cougars lacked execution with the ball. The lead stretched to 6 goals early in the third, Mel Rowland proving unstoppable as she continually shot from mid-range. Phoenix extended their lead at the final break to 7 goals.

The Cougars faced an uphill battle in the final quarter, even though they trailed by just 7 goals going into it. The Phoenix defence was not letting up and on the back of their good work they moved out to a 13 goal lead with just six and a half minutes remaining.

It was a disappointing finish for the Cougars who just lacked a bit of experience in the closing quarter of an important match. The Phoenix were continued on realising that percentage was important with such a tight competition ladder, going on to win by 15 goals.

Cummins happy with her side’s four-quarter performance particularly after sickness had affected them.

“Happy with the effort probably over the four quarters, still some lapses in each quarter but also too we had quite a bit of illness in the team, Mel Gibb had been in bed for three days and Dalice has been crook so to be able to run the game out was a bonus.”

“I thought that Kate gave us a little bit more drive at WA which helped and Dalice’s talk and direction from the back is always a bonus.”

Cougars captain Leigh Waddington identified that her side need to put in a stronger effort over four quarters, especially against sides like Phoenix.

“They can play hard one-on-one [defence] or they are very good at offline and coming out at the ball but it’s not even that, they were very accurate tonight, they had Mel Rowland and she doesn’t miss a goal.”

“It’s tight, but you know what, it makes it exciting and hopefully it makes the girls want it more for these last two games. We just need to put in an effort for four quarters, we seem to slump, we can go with teams for three quarters and then we drift off.

In other results, the ETSA Contax kept their perfect season thus far intact defeating the Spring Gully Newton Jaguars 56-34. Contours Matrics held off a determined Woods Panthers side but just one goal in an entertaining match, the final score 41-40.

Quarter-by-quarter score:

Q1:   Phoenix  11 – 9  Cougars

Q2:   Phoenix  28 – 26  Cougars

Q3:   Phoenix  43 – 36  Cougars

Q4:   Phoenix  58 – 43  Cougars

Match Shooting Stats:

Phoenix   58/70   82.8%

M. Gibb:   27/31   87.1%

M. Rowland:   31/39   79.5

Cougars   43/58   74.1%

J. Roberts:   29/38   76.3%

S. Carver:   3/5   60%

J. Nixon:   11/15   73.3%

Matrics defeat Phoenix to consolidate second spot on Subway Cup ladder

Contours Matrics have defeated Health and Life Phoenix 50-45 in their entertaining round 15 match at Netball SA Stadium on Friday night.

Both sides were at full strength and demonstrated the kind of match spectators will see come finals time.

The Matrics victory keeps them 7 points clear of third placed Spring Gully Newton Jaguars, while the loss for the Phoenix dropped them to fourth on percentage.

The Phoenix, while losing, should not be too disappointed as their recent good form continues to build at the right time of the season after pushing a strong Matrics side right to the final whistle.

The Matrics got the better start moving out to a 5 goal lead after 6 minutes, combining good pressure in defence with good ball movement in attack to create shooting opportunities.

Some good defensive work from Phoenix co-captain and GK Dalice Kennedy starting paying dividends as her side settled through the mid-court. After a well-fought quarter, the Phoenix took a 1-goal lead at quarter time after Kylie Jarrett scored on the whistle.

The second quarter started with a battle of defence as both sides forced turn over after turn over in an entertaining patch of the match. Dalice Kennedy continued her good work from the first quarter as her namesake Sarah Kennedy led the Matrics defence from GD.

After a scoreless 4 minutes of play Matrics GA Laura Packard got the opening goal of the quarter. It took 7½ minutes for the Phoenix to score through GA Mel Rowland and by that time Matrics held a 5-goal advantage. But, once again the Phoenix fought back to reduce the lead to 1 at halftime.

The third quarter could possibly have been the difference as the Matrics once again got the better start moving out to a 6-goal lead mid way through the quarter.

Matrics WA Sheree Wingard was having a very good match on the edge of the circle and combined well with C Kyra Brown to control the mid-court and keep their lead in tact. At the final break the Matrics led 4 goals.

Phoenix continued to challenge a composed Matrics side throughout the final quarter getting the lead down to 3 goals. Good defence again from Sarah Kennedy and WD Melissa Apthorpe along the defensive third line kept the Phoenix at bay.

Matrics coach Jacqui Illman while happy with an important victory noted that there was still improvement in her side particularly after letting a good side like the Phoenix back into the match.

“We did start well in each quarter which was pleasing, it’s something we need to work on though for the quarter, to finish off the quarter much better because we did let them back in almost every quarter.

“We had some good drive out of defence and I thought Sheree came up the middle really nicely which opened it up for us going into attack.

“It was an important one because Phoenix are third on the ladder and have been really good form, they had a bit of shaky patch but the last few weeks they’ve looked really good so it was an important win for us.” She said. 

Phoenix coach Lee-Anne Cummin said that while disappointed with the loss, her side could take plenty of positives away from the match, particularly continually coming back at Matrics.

“You can’t afford to give teams like Matrics a start like that at the start of every quarter but pleasing signs were that we were able to pull it back, we didn’t let it blow out.

“Whilst your never happy with a loss and you’ll never say a loss is a good thing, there are plenty of positives to take away from the game.

“I thought our defensive end was awesome, they gave our attack end plenty of ball, I thought our decision making under pressure tonight was good, it was actually our decision making when we weren’t under pressure that was more poorly executed.” She said.

In other round 15 matches, ETSA Contax had another big win against The Royal Cougars defeating them by 22 goals, 69-47. Spring Gully Newton Jaguars came through an incredibly tense encounter with Stellar Homes Garville winning 52-51 moving them back into the top 4. 

The battle for the finals is heating up in the middle of the table with four teams separated by just 3 points. every match will be vital in the run to the finals.

Quarter-by-quarter Scores:

Q1:   Matrics  12 – 13  Phoenix

Q2:   Matrics  22 – 21  Phoenix

Q3:   Matrics  37 – 33  Phoenix

Q4:   Matrics  50 – 45  Phoenix

Shooting Match Statistics:

Matrics   50/64   78.12%

C. Lange:   33/40   82.5%

L. Packard:   10/13   76.92%

S. Hentschel:   7/11   63.64%

Phoenix   45/58   77.59%

K. Jarrett:   33/39   84.62%

M. Rowland:   8/12   66.67%

M. Gibb:   4/7   57. 14%