New South Wales Swifts

New South Wales Swifts are an Australian netball team based in Sydney, New South Wales. Since 2017 they have represented Netball New South Wales in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. The team was formed in 2007 when Netball New South Wales merged its two former Commonwealth Bank Trophy league teams, Sydney Swifts and Hunter Jaegers. In 2008, Swifts were the inaugural ANZ Championship winners. Swifts were also grand finalists in 2015 and 2016 before winning their second premiership when they won the 2019 Suncorp Super Netball title.

New South Wales Swifts
Founded2007
Based inSydney
RegionsNew South Wales
Home venueKen Rosewall Arena
Head coachBriony Akle
Asst coachAnita Keelan
CaptainMaddy Proud
Vice-captainPaige Hadley
Premierships2 (2008, 2019)
LeagueSuncorp Super Netball
ANZ Championship
2020 placing4th
Websitenswswifts.com.au

Uniform

History

ANZ Championship

Between 2008 and 2016, Swifts played in the ANZ Championship. [1][2][3][4] Swifts were formed in late 2007 when Netball New South Wales merged its two former Commonwealth Bank Trophy league teams, Sydney Swifts and Hunter Jaegers, in order to enter a single team in the 2008 ANZ Championship.[5][6][7][8] During the 2008 regular season Swifts won 10 of their 13 matches and finished second behind Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. With a team coached by Julie Fitzgerald and captained by Catherine Cox, Swifts subsequently defeated Magic in both the major semi–final and the grand final to become the inaugural ANZ Championship winners.[2][9] Swifts went through the entire 2010 regular season home and away undefeated, winning 13 consecutive matches and finishing as minor premiers. They were the first team in the history of the ANZ Championship to do this. However they subsequently lost both the major semi-final and the preliminary final to Adelaide Thunderbirds and Magic respectively and finished the season in third place.[10][11][12]

The 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons proved to be a turbulent time for Swifts. After fifteen seasons as Sydney Swifts/New South Wales Swifts head coach, 2011 was the last season that Julie Fitzgerald served as head coach. Following a controversial "internal review", Fitzgerald was replaced as head coach by Lisa Beehag. The review was conducted during the 2011 season. Catherine Cox and Liz Ellis publicly criticized Netball New South Wales for distracting players with the review and even alleged that it was responsible for Swifts losing the 2011 minor semi-final. Beehag subsequently informed Cox that she would not be needed as a captain or player the following season. Cox subsequently departed for West Coast Fever. Other senior and emerging players including Rebecca Bulley, Courtney Tairi and Ashleigh Brazill also left. It was also alleged that the controversy led to some emerging New South Wales players, including Verity Simmons, Gabi Simpson and Kim Ravaillion, taking up contracts with rival teams. Under the leadership of Fitzgerald and Fox, New South Wales Swifts had been champions in 2008 and had reached the final series/play-offs in 2010 and 2011. Under Beehag's two-year reign, the team failed to make the finals. In 2013, the Swifts finished eighth. At the end of 2013 Beehag's contract was not renewed.[13][14][15][16][17][18]

Beehag was subsequently replaced by Rob Wright.[18][19][20] Wright guided Swifts to two successive grand finals in 2015 and 2016. However, on both occasions they lost out to Queensland Firebirds.[3][4][21][22]

Regular season statistics
Season Position Won Drawn Lost
2008 [2]2nd1003
2009 [23][24]9th2011
2010 [10][11]1st1300
2011 [25][26]3rd904
2012 [27][28]5th805
2013 [29][30]8th409
2014 [31][32]3rd904
2015 [21][22]2nd832
2016 [3][4]3rd1021

  Premierships
  Runners Up
  Minor Premierships

Suncorp Super Netball

Since 2017, Swifts have played in Suncorp Super Netball. [1][33][34] In addition to Swifts, the new league featured a second Netball New South Wales team, Giants Netball. Two veteran members of the 2016 Swifts roster, Kimberlee Green and Susan Pettitt, subsequently switched to the Giants, who were coached by former Swifts head coach, Julie Fitzgerald.[35][36] The 2018 season saw Rob Wright replaced by Briony Akle.[37][38] In 2019, Akle guided Swifts to their second premiership when they won the Suncorp Super Netball title. Despite losing their new captain, Maddy Proud, to injury early in the season, Swifts finished the regular season in second place. In the major semi-final, they lost to Sunshine Coast Lightning. However, they then defeated Melbourne Vixens in the preliminary final. In the grand final they faced Lightning again but time defeated them 64–47 to emerge as champions.[39][40][41][42][43][44]

Regular season statistics
Season Position Won Drawn Lost
2017 [33][34]6th3110
2018 [45][46]6th617
2019 [39][40]2nd1013
2020 [47]4th815

  Premierships

Grand finals
ANZ Championship
Season Winners Score Runners Up Venue
2008 [48][49][50][51][52]New South Wales Swifts65–56Waikato Bay of Plenty MagicAcer Arena
2015 [53][54][55] Queensland Firebirds57–56New South Wales SwiftsBrisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
2016 [56][57][58]Queensland Firebirds69–67New South Wales SwiftsBrisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Suncorp Super Netball
Season Winners Score Runners Up Venue
2019 [43][44]New South Wales Swifts64–47Sunshine Coast LightningBrisbane Entertainment Centre

Home venues

Between 2008 and 2019, Swifts played the majority of their home games at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre. In 2020, together with Giants Netball, Swifts were due to start to playing their home games at the Ken Rosewall Arena.[59] However these plans were put on hold until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[60][61]

Years
Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre (Note 1) [62]2008–2019
Sydney Super Dome (Note 2) [62]2008–
Newcastle Entertainment Centre [63]2008–
AIS Arena2014
Ken Rosewall Arena [59]2021–
Notes

Notable players

2021 squad
2021 New South Wales Swifts roster
PlayersCoaching staff
Nat. Name Position(s) DoB Height
Tayla Fraser WA, C (1999-06-13) 13 June 1999 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Sophie Garbin GS, GA (1997-04-06) 6 April 1997 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Paige Hadley (vc) C, WA, WD (1992-08-26) 26 August 1992 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Natalie Haythornthwaite WA, GA (1992-12-09) 9 December 1992 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Helen Housby GA, GS (1995-01-19) 19 January 1995 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Sarah Klau GK, GD (1994-09-30) 30 September 1994 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Lauren Moore GD, WD, GK (1998-01-30) 30 January 1998 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Maddy Proud (c) C, WA (1993-12-04) 4 December 1993 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Maddy Turner GD, GK, WD (1995-12-17) 17 December 1995 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Samantha Wallace GS (1994-01-16) 16 January 1994 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Head coach
  • Briony Akle
Assistant coach
  • Anita Keelan


Notes
  • (c) – Captain
  • (cc) – Co-captain
  • (vc) – Vice-captain
  • – Injury / maternity leave
  • (TRP) – Temporary Replacement Player
Player profiles: Team website Last updated: 18 December 2020

Internationals
 Australia
 Australia Fast5
 England
 New Zealand
 Trinidad and Tobago

Source:[64]

Captains
Years
Catherine Cox [2][10][11][23][65]2008–2011
Mo'onia Gerrard [27][28][29][30]2012–2013
Kimberlee Green [3][4][27][28]2012–2016
Abbey McCulloch [33][34][45][46][66]2017–2018
Maddy Proud [67][41][42][68][69]2019–

Award winners
ANZ Championship MVP
Season Player
2014 [70]Kimberlee Green (Note 1)
Notes
ANZ Championship Player of the Year
Season Player
2008 [9]Catherine Cox
ANZ Finals Series MVP
Season Player
2015 [22][71]Sharni Layton
Australian ANZ Championship Player of the Year ?
Season Player
2016 [72]Sharni Layton
Holden Cruze ANZ Championship Player of the Year
Season Player
2010 [10][11][73]Rebecca Bulley
QBE NSW Swifts Most Valued Player
Season Player
2008Catherine Cox
2009Catherine Cox
2010 [10][11]Rebecca Bulley
2011 [26]Catherine Cox
2012 [28]Susan Pettitt
2013 [30][74]Kimberlee Green
2014 [32]Kimberlee Green
2015 [22][75][76]Caitlin Thwaites
2016 [4]Laura Langman
2017 [34]Maddy Proud
2018 [46]Samantha Wallace
2019 [40]Samantha Wallace
2020 [77]Sarah Klau

Source:[78]

NSW Swifts Members' Player of the Year
Season Player
2008Catherine Cox
2009Susan Pratley
2010 [10][11]Rebecca Bulley
2011 [26]Kimberlee Green
2012 [28]Kimberlee Green
2013 [30][74]Kimberlee Green
2014 [32]Kimberlee Green
2015 [22]Sharni Layton
2016 [4]Sharni Layton
2017 [34]Maddy Proud
2018 [46]Sarah Klau
2019 [40]Paige Hadley
2020 [77]Paige Hadley

Source:[78]

NSW Swifts Players' Player of the Year
Season Player
2008Emma Koster
2009Kimberley Smith
2010 [10][11]Kimberlee Green
2011 [26]Kimberley Smith
2012 [28]April Letton
2013 [30][79]Sonia Mkoloma
2014 [32]Sharni Layton
2015 [22]Sharni Layton
2016 [4]Amy Sommerville
2017 [34]Claire O’Brien
2018 [46]Abbey McCulloch
2019 [40]Sophie Garbin/Maddy Turner
2020 [77]Sophie Garbin

Source:[78]

NSW Swifts Coaches' Award
Season Player
2013 [30][80]Paige Hadley
2014 [32]Sarah Wall
2015 [22]Susan Pettitt
2016 [4]Paige Hadley/Stephanie Wood
2017 [34]Maddy Turner
2018 [46]Maddy Turner
2019 [40]Paige Hadley
2020 [77]Samantha Wallace/Paige Hadley

Source:[78]

AFLW players

Several Swifts player have also played women's Australian rules football in the AFLW

Coaches
Head Coaches
Years
Julie Fitzgerald [13][18]2008–2011
Lisa Beehag [81]2012–2013
Rob Wright [19][20][35][36]2013–2017
Briony Akle [37][38][82][83]2017–

Main sponsors
Years
QBE Insurance [84][85]2007–        

Premierships

NNSW Waratahs
Main article: Netball New South Wales Waratahs

Netball New South Wales Waratahs are the reserve team of New South Wales Swifts. They play in the Australian Netball League. In 2011 Waratahs became the first team other than Victorian Fury to win the ANL title. In the grand final they defeated Fury 55–46.[26]

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