Record-setting Fever topple Giants to secure top spot
Unbeaten since round two, the Fever became the first team in competition history to claim 11 consecutive victories at RAC Arena on Sunday.
They have lost just twice all season and will head into the finals as hot premiership favourites with home-court advantage.
The achievement follows consecutive one-goal preliminary final heartbreaks for the Fever since their breakthrough title three years ago.
But goal defence Sunday Aryang noted the job wasn't finished yet, with a premiership there for the taking.
'I think we'll probably sit in it until after this game,' Aryang told Fox Sports when asked about the Fever's first minor premiership.
'Then we'll probably go back to focusing on the next game and just staying locked in for that as well.'
West Coast, who led 37-33 after a tight first half, put a match-winning gap on the Giants with a dominant 20-11 third term and won every quarter.

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West Australian
15 hours ago
- West Australian
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter sees similarities in Greater Western Sydney style to Eagles'
If you enjoyed the brand of footy the Giants employed to wash the young Eagles away in an orange tsunami on Friday night, then with a bit of patience, that's what West Coast fans could come to expect from their team. For the second time in season 2025, the Eagles were given a 'smack in the face' by the eighth-place Greater Western Sydney, beaten to the tune of 59 points in front of their frustrated home fans. And while Eagles coach Andrew McQualter admitted the poor showing was a step back from pushing league-leaders Collingwood for four quarters at Marvel Stadium, he said the Giants were a more 'advanced' version of his squad. 'There's parts of their game that's very similar to what we are trying to do,' he told 7NEWS on Monday. 'Obviously, (Adam) Kingsley and I came from the same system working at Richmond together, so there's some similarities we're trying to do. 'They're just a little bit more advanced than us at the moment, but there are some lessons we'll learn. And we've learnt both times we've played them about their sharpness and reaction time that we're trying to emulate.' The Eagles were beaten at the source, losing the clearances by eight, but were also unable to work hard enough to shut down the Giants' running game as the visitors turned their clearance advantage into 21 extra inside 50s. Even when West Coast had the ball, their 93 turnovers shot them in the foot; the rebuilding side only able to register eight majors. The Giants kicked 16, despite missing reigning Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan and silky winger Lachie Whitfield. 'It probably was a step back from our last six weeks or ten weeks or so to be honest,' McQualter said. 'We've had little periods in games where we've been down, but pretty much for the whole four quarters, we didn't get the game on our terms. 'Giants smacked us in the face and we were on the back foot the whole game.' Greater Western Sydney also smacked the Eagles in the reverse fixture in round four, winning by 81 points.


Perth Now
15 hours ago
- Perth Now
McQualter sees similarities to Giants' style in young Eagles
If you enjoyed the brand of footy the Giants employed to wash the young Eagles away in an orange tsunami on Friday night, then with a bit of patience, that's what West Coast fans could come to expect from their team. For the second time in season 2025, the Eagles were given a 'smack in the face' by the eighth-place Greater Western Sydney, beaten to the tune of 59 points in front of their frustrated home fans. And while Eagles coach Andrew McQualter admitted the poor showing was a step back from pushing league-leaders Collingwood for four quarters at Marvel Stadium, he said the Giants were a more 'advanced' version of his squad. 'There's parts of their game that's very similar to what we are trying to do,' he told 7NEWS on Monday. 'Obviously, (Adam) Kingsley and I came from the same system working at Richmond together, so there's some similarities we're trying to do. 'They're just a little bit more advanced than us at the moment, but there are some lessons we'll learn. And we've learnt both times we've played them about their sharpness and reaction time that we're trying to emulate.' The Eagles were beaten at the source, losing the clearances by eight, but were also unable to work hard enough to shut down the Giants' running game as the visitors turned their clearance advantage into 21 extra inside 50s. Even when West Coast had the ball, their 93 turnovers shot them in the foot; the rebuilding side only able to register eight majors. The Giants kicked 16, despite missing reigning Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan and silky winger Lachie Whitfield. 'It probably was a step back from our last six weeks or ten weeks or so to be honest,' McQualter said. 'We've had little periods in games where we've been down, but pretty much for the whole four quarters, we didn't get the game on our terms. 'Giants smacked us in the face and we were on the back foot the whole game.' Greater Western Sydney also smacked the Eagles in the reverse fixture in round four, winning by 81 points.

ABC News
17 hours ago
- ABC News
Super Netball Round-Up: Giants' future looks uncertain, Fever win minor premiership and will Fadoju move to Australia?
The penultimate round of the 2025 season is done and we've got three finalists locked in: the West Coast Fever, NSW Swifts and Melbourne Vixens. All that's left is for the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Sunshine Coast Lightning to fight it out for the number four spot. Super Netball also set a new attendance record, with a total 39,394 people turning out across Round 13. There were sellouts in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, but it's the Fever who continue to raise the bar — setting a new game attendance record with 11,899. The Fever celebrated Kadie-Ann Dehaney's 100th game in style, beating the Giants, 73-56. Although it was a rough night in Perth for the AFL-branded team, they seem to have much bigger problems to address off the court, as serious claims circulate about the club's future. The Swifts lost an absolute thriller at home, 71-70, as Lightning captain Steph Fretwell sunk a super shot on the buzzer. Once the favourites to win the title, the second-placed Swifts have found themselves in a rut at the worst possible time — conceding four of their last five matches. The Thunderbirds — known as Tarntanya Karntu during NAIDOC Week — hammered the Melbourne Mavericks, 60-49. Here, Latanya Wilson's 12 individual gains were further proof that she should be this season's MVP. And lastly, the Vixens survived a scare against the bottom-placed Queensland Firebirds to cement their place in the finals, 64-62. If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball Round-Up. Rumours have been rife throughout the netball community about the uncertain future of the Giants and the club's financial stability. If true, this would be the second AFL-branded Super Netball side to fold within two years; following Collingwood's exit in 2023. Many thought the long-standing duo of Julie Fitzgerald and Jo Harten might retire from their respective roles as head coach and captain at the end of this season, with Harten taking on the coaching reins. Now ABC Sport understands no matter what shape or form the Giants take in 2026, Fitzgerald is expected to continue. Both figures were crucial in the establishment of the Giants back in 2017. As the Netball NSW-owned team made its debut in the brand new all-Australian league it experienced early success, winning two minor premierships and featuring in two grand finals. It's also provided a second pathway for players in the state. Unfortunately, it has now missed finals for the past three seasons and without much change to its leadership, roster or playing tactics, has struggled to keep up with the rest of the league. In 2024, the Giants finished with the wooden spoon. Even then, they carried on with Fitzgerald and Harten at the helm and most of the same personnel. One vital change this year was to be the signing of New Zealand midcourter Gina Crampton — but she fell pregnant in the pre-season. Several Giants fans told ABC Sport this year that the Super Netball side's reluctance to evolve meant they didn't want to renew their membership. Things were looking gloomy once again midway through this season, when they'd won just one of their eight games. Then there was the loss of Jamaican defender Jodi-Ann Ward to an ACL injury. This was expected to make matters worse, before Fitzgerald had the masterstroke idea to call up 40-year-old retired Silver Ferns legend Casey Kopua to bolster their experience. Since Kopua joined the mix, they've won three of their past five games and seen a small boost in crowd numbers. Kopua has made it clear that she wouldn't have come out of her six-year retirement for anyone else but Fitzgerald. The most experienced coach to ever grace the national netball league. However, reports suggest they are still struggling financially and other potential owners are hovering. A representative from Mounties Group confirmed with ABC Sport that they've held discussions with Netball NSW about their interest in trying to acquire a Super Netball licence. It is not clear yet whether they would take the Giants' spot or aim for a separate licence of their own. Mounties Group already sponsor a range of sports, while Mounties Care is a joint owner of the South West Magic franchise participating in Netball NSW's Premier League. Last year they won the Opens title in their inaugural season with Crampton on their roster. Netball NSW and the Giants were contacted but chose not to comment on the matter on Monday. If the Giants are to fold without someone else to carry on the licence of a second NSW team, it would be a massive loss for the state pathways and a huge blow to Fitzgerald and Harten's efforts over the past nine years. All in one hit on Sunday, the Fever sealed their first minor premiership, locked in home advantage for the major semifinal and became the first team to win 11 straight matches in the competition. They haven't dropped a game since goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard returned to the line-up in round three, but their success is being generated by players right across the court. Against the Giants, the Fever led at every break on Sunday and the scary thing is they weren't at full strength. Jordan Cransberg was a late scratching due to illness and her twin sister Zoe did not return to the game after passing a concussion test following a heavy collision midway through the third quarter. The woman of the moment — Jamaican defender Kadie-Ann Dehaney — also wasn't at 100 per cent in her 100th game, as she'd missed training throughout the week battling a cold. As a result, Fever head coach Dan Ryan had to look to his bench. Every one of their game-day squad of 10 got on court and made an impact when given the nod. That includes replacement player Caitlyn Brown, who managed to snatch two big rebounds in her eight-minute debut. Right now, it's hard to see anyone else winning the Super Netball trophy and makes you wonder how many Fever players might get a call-up for the 2025/26 national squad, with Diamonds selection imminent. Sunday Aryang is the only member of the Fever currently in the Australian set-up, and she put on a fantastic player of the match performance in Round 13 with seven gains, three intercepts, four deflections and four rebounds. Could it be time to have another look at midcourters Alice Teague-Neeld and Jess Anstiss? Does Jordan Cransberg deserve a spot in camp as an invitee? Last week Netball Australia announced it will host South Africa and New Zealand for separate bi-lateral series throughout the off-season as it prepares for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. These might be the right place to blood some new talent ahead of Glasgow. Ever since she broke onto the international scene in 2022, fans have been speculating when England's Funmi Fadoju might pop up in Super Netball. In the past 24 hours, that chatter has now hit fever pitch after Fadoju was crowned player of the match in the UK Super League grand final, helping steer the London Pulse to their first ever title with a win over the Loughborough Lightning 53-45. Fadoju also topped the regular season stats for intercepts (31), deflections (120) and gains (77). She was second for pick-ups (27). But Pulse head coach Sam Bird told the Off the Court podcast there was a lot to consider regarding the 22-year-old's next steps and that she's keen to continue working alongside Roses teammates ahead of netball's next major tournaments. "I think everyone forgets how young Funmi still is, so she's still got a lot of growth," Bird said. "With the professionalisation [of our league] this year … I would suggest we're nearly operating at the same level as a Super Netball side. "Everybody's journey is different and that's not to say that Funmi won't go to Super Netball, but she's still got studies … she's already regarded as one of the best goal defences, so you don't necessarily need to move to the other side of the world to prove anything. "That's not to say she's not thinking about those things or doesn't have a desire to go, but I'm sure she'll go when she's ready. "You also want to find the right team and unit that is going to help you thrive and certainly the Pulse defensive unit is built to help Funmi thrive." So will we see Funmi Down Under next year? The 2026 contracting window for the UK Super League is now open, while Super Netball's won't begin until August.