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Netball Grand Final - Queensland Firebirds vs Northern Mystics (courtesy of Trans-Tasman Netball League Ltd)
Guest column: The Queensland Firebirds is set to face-off against New Zealand’s Northern Mystics in today’s ANZ Championship Grand Final on home soil in Brisbane. The Firebirds have romped home a spot in the big event following a record 14-game undefeated pathway to the decider, which sold out in less than 20 minutes.
To the avid netball fan a lightning fast sell-out for a game like this is of no surprise, but to the average Rugby Union, League or AFL fan the reaction to a sell-out netball game could be along the lines of “You’re kidding?”. What’s all this ANZ Championship fuss about?
Netball’s popularity is nothing new. The participation of girls playing the game is above and beyond the total number for each of the football codes. What’s changed?
The truth is that Netball really has come a long, long way.
Netball in Australia and New Zealand is paving the way and giving hope for amateur female sports to turn from not only playing for love, but also now playing for love and money. The days when top-level netballers would sell raffle tickets to get petty cash together for strapping tape or travel expenses for national championships are gone.
Since the inception of a semi-professional league in 2008, clubs have a salary cap in 2011 of $270,000 to throw amongst their squads. This income has opened the door for players to start to entertain the idea of a professional netball career.
Most players work or study as their salary is not still comparable to a full-time wage. Minimum wage is around $12,000, but is still much more than the zero dollars our national and international stars were earning only a few years ago.
So a minimum wage, to a netballer, is nothing to turn one’s nose up at, but rather be very grateful for.
Netball ‘Mums’ and fans can now watch netball in the comfort of their own home with ONE’s coverage, giving viewers the choice of more than one game each week, as was the case when the ABC had coverage rights.
This evolvement of netball’s continued resurgence is now becoming an example to other female sports such as soccer’s W-League, while netball is fast learning from male counter-parts in Rugby, League and AFL who were at Netball’s current stage some 50-100 years ago!
This Grand Final in particular has become a fairy-tale story where the unbeaten and hot favorite side is coming in to play the absolute underdog.
While the undefeated Queensland Firebirds have improved each week getting fitter, faster, stronger and molding a combination with or without the injured captain and Australian representative Lauren Nourse, the fourth-placed Northern Mystics have scrapped the barrel a number of times to hurdle teams and peak at this right end of the season.
The Mystics had to overcome the NSW Swifts in their minor semi, winning by a mere 4 goals 49-44, before toppling New Zealand’s reigning top team last week – Irene Van Dyk’s Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic – a feat they had never done before. The Mystics got through by just one goal, 43-42.
Neither the Firebirds nor the Mystics have played in an ANZ Championship Grand Final and both are conquering a number of firsts this season.
More excitement surrounding this title battle is the match-ups between the teams. Firebirds’ GS Jamaican import Romelda Aiken is perhaps ‘most improved’ player with an ability to receive and hold for balls perfectly.
Combine Aiken in the Firebirds’ shooting circle with this year’s joint MVP player and Australian representative, GA Natalie Medhurst and you’ve got an unbeatable shooting circle.
But put those two against Mystic’s and NZ Silverfern GK Anna Scarlett with this year’s best young player of the year, GD Kayla Cullen, and you’ve got a super-hot match-up.
In the mid-court it will be young and in-form Chelsea Pitman (WA) with Elissa Macleod (C) and Keirra Trompf for the Firebirds versus the older and more experienced Megan Dehn (WA), Temepara George (C) and Joline Henry (WD) who have the ability to play wise and composed netball in crucial moments.
Both George and Henry are experienced NZ Silverfern representatives and will be sure to try and out-smart their younger opponents who fight for every ball.
Then undoubtedly the best match-up will be Firebirds’ strong circle defenders Laura Geitz (GK) and Clare McMeniman (GD) against in-form shooters Maria Tutaia (GA) and Catherine Latu (GS). Latu has been Mystic’s top shooter for most of this season; however, Tutaia has stepped up and delivered when teams have put too much focus on containing Latu.
So that’s that – this afternoon’s ANZ Championship Grand Final is absolutely the hottest ticket in town, so any Rugby, League or AFL fan not yet convinced?
Turn the game on at 2.30pm and have a look at what all the fuss is about!
The 2011 ANZ Championship Grand Final will be shown Live on TEN and ONE HD, from 2pm AEST Sunday 22 May.