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Perth Now
4 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Vixens strike late to end Thunderbirds' title reign
Adelaide's bid for a three-peat of Super Netball titles is over after they suffered a heartbreaking 58-56 loss to the Melbourne Vixens in a pulsating minor semi-final. The Vixens led by four goals with three minutes remaining in Sunday's match at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre before the Thunderbirds launched a frenzied late comeback. Thunderbirds youngster Kayla Graham snared a vital intercept to spark the run, with two Super Shots from Georgie Horjus catapulting Adelaide to the lead with two minutes remaining. But there were a couple more twists to come. Vixens sharpshooter Kiera Austin nailed a Super Shot to grab back the lead, before Horjus missed a long-range shot to give possession back to Melbourne. The Vixens wound down the clock for the final minute with a series of slick passes before nailing a goal with just seconds remaining to secure the two-goal win. The result was sweet revenge for the Vixens, beaten by Adelaide in last season's grand final. It also ensured the reign of Vixens coach Simone McKinnis, who will step down at the end of the season, will last at least one more week. The Vixens will take on either the ladder-leading West Coast Fever or second-placed NSW Swifts in an away preliminary final. The grand final will be held in Melbourne on August 2, meaning the fourth-placed Vixens will have home-court advantage if they are able to make the decider. Austin played a key role in the Vixens' victory, nailing all five of her Super Shot attempts. "I think just a bit of positive self talk, just telling yourself you can do it," Austin told Fox Sports about her hot shooting display. "I've got great teammates around me that were making me feel really calm and made me feel like I could take the shot. "It's probably the most relaxed I've felt in a way. I just wanted to go moment by moment. It's really hard to do in a big game like that." Vixens goal shooter Sophie Garbin finished with 39 goals from 42 attempts, while Kate Eddy finished with three intercepts and three gains. For Adelaide, goal attack Horjus nailed six Super Shots from nine attempts, while goal shooter Romelda Aiken-George (37 goals from 42 attempts) was fumbly at times. There was drama even before the match began, with Vixens goalkeeper Rudi Ellis left with a cut eye during the warm-up after copping an accidental elbow from a teammate. Eddy was the standout player of the opening quarter, tallying two intercepts and two gains to help turn an early 1-4 deficit into a 13-11 lead by the first break. The second quarter was a goal-to-goal affair before the five-minute Super Shot period arrived. Austin nailed consecutive long bombs as the visitors extended their lead to five goals, but Horjus hit back with two of her own to close the gap to three goals by halftime. Adelaide snatched the lead with six of the first eight goals of the third quarter, but a crucial Eddy intercept helped turn the momentum back the Vixens' way. Two Austin Super Shots gave the Vixens a 46-42 lead at the final change, and they were able to recover from Adelaide's frenzied late comeback to secure victory.
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Netball revels in game-changing moment as fans pack O2 for thrilling final
After Commonwealth Games glory on the Gold Coast in 2018, the sport experienced lift-off on Sunday with 9,326 fans inside the O2 Arena in London to see London Pulse defeat Loughborough Lightning 53-45. Netball had its big stage moment seven years late with a record crowd for the 2025 Netball Super League Grand Final. After Commonwealth Games glory on the Gold Coast in 2018, the sport experienced lift-off on Sunday with 9,326 fans inside the O2 Arena in London to see London Pulse defeat Loughborough Lightning 53-45. It was fitting that the new era of the Netball Super League, dubbed NSL 2.0, had a first-time winner as the youngest team in the league beat the defending champions for victory. The figure of almost 10,000 fans makes it the largest ever NSL event and the biggest crowd at a netball match in the UK since 2002. 'There has been a lot of talk around the professionalisation of the league, we felt it this year but we really felt it here,' said losing finalist and Commonwealth gold medallist Jodie Gibson. 'This was the first time where I have felt there was a true change in this league. There was so much talk before the game about playing at the O2, but until I actually stepped in the venue I didn't truly believe that it would feel like that. 'There was an opportunity for netball to catapult off the success of 2018, I think they missed that. But netball is definitely back, it has arrived, and I look forward to seeing what's next.' The record crowd also meant that the gamble for the Netball Super League to move to a bigger Grand Final venue and push forward with professionalisation paid off. The season began with the league cut to eight teams as four of the old guard were removed. In their place, Nottingham Forest Netball, a side associated with the football club, and Birmingham Panthers, who are now part owned by Tom Brady's investment group, joined the league. Other changes had seen all matches broadcast on Sky Sports and the BBC for the first time, team sizes cut to 10 and an increase in player pay, although the league is not yet close to full professionalism. The arrival of the Super Shot, where teams can shoot from the edge of the circle and earn two points in the final five minutes of each quarter, meant that the Grand Final on Sunday was always close even if Pulse held the advantage from the first 10 minutes onwards. The London side have perfectly combined the old with the new – several of their key players have come through the pathway with one of them, Funmi Fadoju, winning Player of the Match. The 'new' came in the form of Gracie Smith, who at just 16 is the youngest-ever player in the NSL and whose raw style disrupted Lightning as they aimed to become the first side to win three titles in a row. Pulse captain Zara Everitt, who is also working as a trainee lawyer, said: 'It is great that we have done it this year in the first year of NSL 2.0. 'We are really well positioned commercially as a team to pull in loads of fans and sponsors. We are really blessed to come from the capital and have such a passionate fanbase. It is a great start, and I can't wait to do it again next year.' Head coach Sam Bird has been with the team for five years and has built a side that she had no doubt would win in their second Grand Final appearance. Bird has also helped propel Pulse to be one of the best-supported teams in the league and they had the lion's share of a partisan crowd. 'It was absolutely amazing to be playing here,' she said. 'It was so loud. When you are getting chants of 'defence' it felt like a home crowd. 'This is what we want, we want this more and more. It was a very special occasion for everybody.'
South Wales Guardian
29-06-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Burgess urging consistency as Lightning aim for Grand Final
Burgess has been head coach of Loughborough Lightning for their last two title wins (Image: Ben Lumley) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Consistency can be hard to come by but it is exactly what Vic Burgess wants her Loughborough Lightning side to produce when they face Manchester Thunder in the Netball Super League Preliminary Final on Sunday. Lightning narrowly lost 50-49 to London Pulse in the major semi-final, with the reigning champions pushing the regular season table toppers all the way at the Copper Box. It will give Burgess plenty of cause for encouragement heading into Sunday's winner-takes-all contest, following a season that has been chequered by some surprise defeats. 'You learn a lot by losing but it also gives the players that drive to show what they are capable of,' she said. 'Those games [we lost] have been against teams that we should have been beating. It gives the players drive to want to be better and perform more consistently. 'Hopefully we are in a good position this week where we can take accountability and learn how we didn't execute as consistently as we wanted to or needed to.' Lightning lost twice to neighbours Nottingham Forest during the regular season and closed out their league campaign with defeat to Birmingham Panthers. It look their tally of defeats up to four, following an early humbling at home to London Pulse, before Burgess' side exacted some revenge with a win at the Copper Box in May. The one-point deficit in the major semi-final showed there was little between the sides, and the fine margins that are at play in knockout netball. For Burgess, it comes down to one word. 'Losing to Forest the first time around was a definite shift for us into a more winning ways focus,' she reflected. 'Facing them the second time, we probably found it more frustrating in that it came with a similar result but it was about consistency across all four quarters for us. "When we found out the Grand Final was at @TheO2 Arena, it gave us that extra bit of fight." 💗 🏟️ @Pulse_Netball captain @ZaraJaelE talks about what it means to have the opportunity to play at the 2025 Grand Final in her 'home' city on Sunday 6 July. Buy your tickets now ⬇️ — Netball Super League (@NetballSL) June 22, 2025 'Finding that consistency across the season has been more of a challenge compared to previous years, with the new rules, the Super Shot. 'There has definitely been a journey of navigating to get consistent performances and making sure we stick to the gameplan in all of our fixtures.' Lightning are targeting history this season and victory in the Grand Final at the O2 Arena on 6 July would make them the first team to win the Netball Super League three years in a row. With an unprecedented hat-trick of titles within reach, Burgess hopes her side's know-how can come to the fore. 'We have got key players who can really draw on their experience from their journeys before coming here,' she said. 'They can share that with the rest of the squad and keep people focussed. We can look after each other and keep everybody focussed on the task in hand.' Leading the way will be Nat Panagarry, who has captained Lightning to their past two Grand Final triumphs. She is part of a core group alongside Beth Cobden, Hannah Joseph, and Ella Clark who have been present at Lightning for all three of the club's Super League titles. 'This season we have really tried to ignore the outside noise and trust our process,' said Panagarry. 'At the start of the season we knew it was going to be a bit of a gradual build; we had quite a few new players and only the midcourt stayed the same and had that familiarity. 'You are beginning to see the shooting circle click now with Sammy [Wallace-Joseph], Ella, and Berri [Neil].' While Burgess spotlighted the defeats to Forest, Panagarry believes the early 77-51 defeat to Pulse in March was a seminal result in ensuring Lightning got back on the right track. 'We discussed at the start of the season that you have got to win when it matters,' she added. Panagarry is part of a core squad that have been with Loughborough Lightning for several seasons. (Image: Ben Lumley) 'Sometimes those losses really give you a kick and a bit of an education. It makes you have honest chats about how you want to play and what the team looks like. 'The Pulse loss in that second game was huge, it shook a lot of us up. There are four or five of us that haven't lost by that sort of scoreline in a long, long time. 'That was definitely a reality check and what we needed. It is about peaking at the right time and winning the final when it matters.' Victory against Thunder would book a rematch with Pulse in the first Grand Final to be held at the O2 Arena. For Panagarry, reaching such an iconic venue would bring home just how far the sport has come since she started playing in the Netball Super League. 'There were points where I played Super League and there were 100 people in the crowd,' she recalled. 'To be going to some now that have 3-4,000 is a huge show. That doesn't go unnoticed, I appreciate every time I step out in these big moments. 'The O2 this season has been on everyone's minds, to say you have done it and been there for the first time. It is definitely a motivator for me. We would love to be there, we will give everything we can." The NSL Grand Final will be held at The O2 on 6 July for the first time ever. Get your tickets to experience live elite netball
Rhyl Journal
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Burgess urging consistency as Lightning aim for Grand Final
Burgess has been head coach of Loughborough Lightning for their last two title wins (Image: Ben Lumley) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Consistency can be hard to come by but it is exactly what Vic Burgess wants her Loughborough Lightning side to produce when they face Manchester Thunder in the Netball Super League Preliminary Final on Sunday. Lightning narrowly lost 50-49 to London Pulse in the major semi-final, with the reigning champions pushing the regular season table toppers all the way at the Copper Box. It will give Burgess plenty of cause for encouragement heading into Sunday's winner-takes-all contest, following a season that has been chequered by some surprise defeats. 'You learn a lot by losing but it also gives the players that drive to show what they are capable of,' she said. 'Those games [we lost] have been against teams that we should have been beating. It gives the players drive to want to be better and perform more consistently. 'Hopefully we are in a good position this week where we can take accountability and learn how we didn't execute as consistently as we wanted to or needed to.' Lightning lost twice to neighbours Nottingham Forest during the regular season and closed out their league campaign with defeat to Birmingham Panthers. It look their tally of defeats up to four, following an early humbling at home to London Pulse, before Burgess' side exacted some revenge with a win at the Copper Box in May. The one-point deficit in the major semi-final showed there was little between the sides, and the fine margins that are at play in knockout netball. For Burgess, it comes down to one word. 'Losing to Forest the first time around was a definite shift for us into a more winning ways focus,' she reflected. 'Facing them the second time, we probably found it more frustrating in that it came with a similar result but it was about consistency across all four quarters for us. "When we found out the Grand Final was at @TheO2 Arena, it gave us that extra bit of fight." 💗 🏟️ @Pulse_Netball captain @ZaraJaelE talks about what it means to have the opportunity to play at the 2025 Grand Final in her 'home' city on Sunday 6 July. Buy your tickets now ⬇️ — Netball Super League (@NetballSL) June 22, 2025 'Finding that consistency across the season has been more of a challenge compared to previous years, with the new rules, the Super Shot. 'There has definitely been a journey of navigating to get consistent performances and making sure we stick to the gameplan in all of our fixtures.' Lightning are targeting history this season and victory in the Grand Final at the O2 Arena on 6 July would make them the first team to win the Netball Super League three years in a row. With an unprecedented hat-trick of titles within reach, Burgess hopes her side's know-how can come to the fore. 'We have got key players who can really draw on their experience from their journeys before coming here,' she said. 'They can share that with the rest of the squad and keep people focussed. We can look after each other and keep everybody focussed on the task in hand.' Leading the way will be Nat Panagarry, who has captained Lightning to their past two Grand Final triumphs. She is part of a core group alongside Beth Cobden, Hannah Joseph, and Ella Clark who have been present at Lightning for all three of the club's Super League titles. 'This season we have really tried to ignore the outside noise and trust our process,' said Panagarry. 'At the start of the season we knew it was going to be a bit of a gradual build; we had quite a few new players and only the midcourt stayed the same and had that familiarity. 'You are beginning to see the shooting circle click now with Sammy [Wallace-Joseph], Ella, and Berri [Neil].' While Burgess spotlighted the defeats to Forest, Panagarry believes the early 77-51 defeat to Pulse in March was a seminal result in ensuring Lightning got back on the right track. 'We discussed at the start of the season that you have got to win when it matters,' she added. Panagarry is part of a core squad that have been with Loughborough Lightning for several seasons. (Image: Ben Lumley) 'Sometimes those losses really give you a kick and a bit of an education. It makes you have honest chats about how you want to play and what the team looks like. 'The Pulse loss in that second game was huge, it shook a lot of us up. There are four or five of us that haven't lost by that sort of scoreline in a long, long time. 'That was definitely a reality check and what we needed. It is about peaking at the right time and winning the final when it matters.' Victory against Thunder would book a rematch with Pulse in the first Grand Final to be held at the O2 Arena. For Panagarry, reaching such an iconic venue would bring home just how far the sport has come since she started playing in the Netball Super League. 'There were points where I played Super League and there were 100 people in the crowd,' she recalled. 'To be going to some now that have 3-4,000 is a huge show. That doesn't go unnoticed, I appreciate every time I step out in these big moments. 'The O2 this season has been on everyone's minds, to say you have done it and been there for the first time. It is definitely a motivator for me. We would love to be there, we will give everything we can." The NSL Grand Final will be held at The O2 on 6 July for the first time ever. Get your tickets to experience live elite netball
South Wales Argus
29-06-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Burgess urging consistency as Lightning aim for Grand Final
Consistency can be hard to come by but it is exactly what Vic Burgess wants her Loughborough Lightning side to produce when they face Manchester Thunder in the Netball Super League Preliminary Final on Sunday. Lightning narrowly lost 50-49 to London Pulse in the major semi-final, with the reigning champions pushing the regular season table toppers all the way at the Copper Box. It will give Burgess plenty of cause for encouragement heading into Sunday's winner-takes-all contest, following a season that has been chequered by some surprise defeats. 'You learn a lot by losing but it also gives the players that drive to show what they are capable of,' she said. 'Those games [we lost] have been against teams that we should have been beating. It gives the players drive to want to be better and perform more consistently. 'Hopefully we are in a good position this week where we can take accountability and learn how we didn't execute as consistently as we wanted to or needed to.' Lightning lost twice to neighbours Nottingham Forest during the regular season and closed out their league campaign with defeat to Birmingham Panthers. It look their tally of defeats up to four, following an early humbling at home to London Pulse, before Burgess' side exacted some revenge with a win at the Copper Box in May. The one-point deficit in the major semi-final showed there was little between the sides, and the fine margins that are at play in knockout netball. For Burgess, it comes down to one word. 'Losing to Forest the first time around was a definite shift for us into a more winning ways focus,' she reflected. 'Facing them the second time, we probably found it more frustrating in that it came with a similar result but it was about consistency across all four quarters for us. "When we found out the Grand Final was at @TheO2 Arena, it gave us that extra bit of fight." 💗 🏟️ @Pulse_Netball captain @ZaraJaelE talks about what it means to have the opportunity to play at the 2025 Grand Final in her 'home' city on Sunday 6 July. Buy your tickets now ⬇️ — Netball Super League (@NetballSL) June 22, 2025 'Finding that consistency across the season has been more of a challenge compared to previous years, with the new rules, the Super Shot. 'There has definitely been a journey of navigating to get consistent performances and making sure we stick to the gameplan in all of our fixtures.' Lightning are targeting history this season and victory in the Grand Final at the O2 Arena on 6 July would make them the first team to win the Netball Super League three years in a row. With an unprecedented hat-trick of titles within reach, Burgess hopes her side's know-how can come to the fore. 'We have got key players who can really draw on their experience from their journeys before coming here,' she said. 'They can share that with the rest of the squad and keep people focussed. We can look after each other and keep everybody focussed on the task in hand.' Leading the way will be Nat Panagarry, who has captained Lightning to their past two Grand Final triumphs. She is part of a core group alongside Beth Cobden, Hannah Joseph, and Ella Clark who have been present at Lightning for all three of the club's Super League titles. 'This season we have really tried to ignore the outside noise and trust our process,' said Panagarry. 'At the start of the season we knew it was going to be a bit of a gradual build; we had quite a few new players and only the midcourt stayed the same and had that familiarity. 'You are beginning to see the shooting circle click now with Sammy [Wallace-Joseph], Ella, and Berri [Neil].' While Burgess spotlighted the defeats to Forest, Panagarry believes the early 77-51 defeat to Pulse in March was a seminal result in ensuring Lightning got back on the right track. 'We discussed at the start of the season that you have got to win when it matters,' she added. Panagarry is part of a core squad that have been with Loughborough Lightning for several seasons. (Image: Ben Lumley) 'Sometimes those losses really give you a kick and a bit of an education. It makes you have honest chats about how you want to play and what the team looks like. 'The Pulse loss in that second game was huge, it shook a lot of us up. There are four or five of us that haven't lost by that sort of scoreline in a long, long time. 'That was definitely a reality check and what we needed. It is about peaking at the right time and winning the final when it matters.' Victory against Thunder would book a rematch with Pulse in the first Grand Final to be held at the O2 Arena. For Panagarry, reaching such an iconic venue would bring home just how far the sport has come since she started playing in the Netball Super League. 'There were points where I played Super League and there were 100 people in the crowd,' she recalled. 'To be going to some now that have 3-4,000 is a huge show. That doesn't go unnoticed, I appreciate every time I step out in these big moments. 'The O2 this season has been on everyone's minds, to say you have done it and been there for the first time. It is definitely a motivator for me. We would love to be there, we will give everything we can."
