In a bruising round of Super Netball which featured a busted nose and perceptible on-court trash talking, it was two goal defenders who stood out – for vastly different reasons.
The Sunshine Coast Lightning’s Karla Pretorius shone in a remarkable match-winning performance against injury-hit ladder leaders the NSW Swifts, while young Firebird Kim Jenner will be under the microscope for less auspicious reasons – namely a season-high 32 penalties in her side’s 63-57 loss to the Giants.
The contrast between Pretorius, the player of the tournament at last month’s World Cup, and 21-year-old Jenner, who had 19 contacts and 13 obstructions, could not have been more stark.
Pretorius fired with a round-high six intercepts and five deflections to earn the MVP award, but Jenner let herself down with ill-discipline in a spiteful match, which also saw her teammate Gretel Tippett leave the court five minutes into the first quarter after catching an elbow from Kristiana Manu’a.
Tippett left a trail of claret as she went to the bench, but returned, patched-up in the second. With her face rapidly swelling and clearly feeling the effects of the knock, the Diamonds player still managed 23 from 23 – the third time this season she has shot 100%. She also had 19 feeds and 22 centre pass receives, the most of any Firebird on both counts.
But it was Jenner’s at-times reckless play – often matched by her opposite number, Jo Harten, who was named MVP despite drawing whistle herself – that, along with the umpiring which allowed it, provided the biggest talking points.
As well as a dizzying number of player-on-player penalties, the Queensland GD also had two breaks, three general play turnovers and one “bad hand” stat.
Jenner’s usual defensive partner, Tara Hinchliffe, was ruled out just a few hours before the match with an ankle injury, meaning third-choice defender Laura Clemesha went to goal keeper. It also meant when things turned ugly, Firebirds coach Roselee Jencke had no option to bench Jenner, who simply did not respond to repeated instructions to “stay in play”.
The lack of control was not confined to Jenner though, with players on both sides guilty of ugly and late challenges – and of mouthing off, something which is reasonably uncommon in Super Netball.
The fact more cautions were not given by officials – which would have brought the match swiftly under control – is something the game’s bosses surely have to look into.
In comparison to the bash and crash in Canberra, Pretorius was penalised just eight times for contact against the Swifts and did not once obstruct, a rare feat for a player whose job it is to defend.
She wore down Sophie Garbin, who replaced the injured Helen Housby at goal attack for the Swifts, restricting her to just 12 goals from 15 attempts.
Behind by four goals at three-quarter time, the only way Lightning could prevail was to win ball, and that is exactly what Pretorius did in partnership with her Proteas teammate, Phumza Maweni. Combined, Pretorius and Maweni had one intercept and five deflections in the last and turned the game.
Pundits are fast running out of superlatives for Pretorius, one of the first South Africans to play professionally, but “best goal defence in the world right now” is a moniker few would argue with, with three home-and-away rounds to play.
The loss leaves the once-mighty Firebirds winless after 11 rounds and holding up the ladder, while pre-season favourites Collingwood face a mountain to climb if they want to figure in finals following another physical encounter over the weekend.
The Pies, sitting just outside the top four and desperate to keep their finals hopes alive, took on the Thunderbirds, but could only manage a draw. Four points behind the fourth-placed Giants, the Pies now face the Fever, Swifts and Vixens in the last three rounds.
The Melbourne Vixens got the job done against the West Coast Fever on Saturday afternoon, winning 64-52 thanks to a spectacular defensive effort from MVP Emily Mannix and Jo Weston on Caribbean colossus Jhaniele Fowler.
Simone McKinnis’ well-drilled charges, sitting third, take on the Swifts in Sydney next Saturday and the other top two sides, Lightning and Giants, also face off, in clashes that will be instructive for the business end of the season.
As the season builds towards the finals, it is clear the netball maxim that defence wins championships may well prove, once again, to be true.
