NSW Swifts coach Rob Wright expects their sizzling rivalry with the Queensland Firebirds will rise to yet another level when a new eight-team Australian netball competition begins next year.
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“Today’s victory in double extra time – after their epic victory past year – shows just how outstanding the Firebirds are and how tough the NSW Swifts have been”, she said.
“At the end of the day, they would say the same – the best team deserves to win, and that’s just what grand finals are, they’re won on absolute heart, courage and the Firebirds goals showed that tonight”.
A Swifts goal with just seven seconds left on the clock allowed them to take the game into extra time.
Green earned 17 goal assists, which was the second highest tally on her side and only one less than centre Laura Langman.
Aiken – who made 63 of her 89 attempts on goal at an uncharacteristic 70 per cent – drained the winning shot under the ring, prompting a huge roar from the sold-out crowd at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
The dead-lock necessitated a double extra-time period, with the first team to register a two goal advantage declared the victor. We didn’t want it to go to double extra time.
“I definitely had my doubts in that last quarter, not knowing if we were going to be able to get back when we were five down”, said Swifts defender Sharni Layton.
Few words were spoken at the same venue a year ago after a 57-56 defeat when they were sunk by a late Gretel Tippett goal, but Green said emotions were different this time around.
“I thought we might play for a good two, three hours by the end”.
“It was also wonderful to see so numerous Swifts Family here”.
“I thought last year’s grand final was the greatest game I’d seen but today was just awesome”, he said. “In that extra-time we just needed to get one more turnover from them and then we were in with a chance but over the course of the game it was a real tussle up and down”.
Thwaites (34/41) and Pettitt (30/39) were more accurate than Aiken and assist queen Gretel Tippett (6/11) but it mattered little given Aiken was able to make a crucial 20 rebounds from the 26 shots she missed.
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“He’s a smart man, he’s done his research on us”, Geitz said.
