Despite spirited efforts, Jamaica’s players Latanya Wilson, Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, Romelda Aiken-George and Jodi-Ann Ward were on the losing end in second round action of the Suncorp Super Netball League at John Cain Arena, on Saturday.

Aiken-George scored 28 goals from 30 attempts, while Wilson and Sterling-Humphrey were resolute in defence, but it wasn’t enough to stop Adelaide Thunderbirds going down 53-54 to Melbourne Vixens in a nail-biting encounter.

Georgie Horjus, with 16 goals from 17 attempts was the next best scorer for the Thunderbirds, while Keira Austin (31 goals from 33 attempts) and Sophie Garbin (23 goals from 24 attempts) got the job done for the Vixens.

It was an intense battle from the opening whistle, with both teams gunning for their second win of the season. The Adelaide Thunderbirds’ defence caused havoc for the Vixens, as Wilson forced the first turnover of the match with her quick closing speed. Alongside compatriot Sterling-Humphrey, the defensive duo brought immense pressure early into the Vixens’ attacking front. 

However, Austin signalled fearlessness to take aim from anywhere, as she scored two consecutive super shots to put Vixens 14-11 up at the end of the first quarter.

Thunderbirds used the full prowess of their bench in the second quarter, with wing attack Laura Scherian and goal attack Horjus adding impetus to their charge, but the Vixens kept their noses in front at 27-25 at the half-time break. 

Both sides showed more urgency in the third quarter where they matched each other goal-for-goal, before the electrifying Sterling-Humphrey made some crucial interceptions that saw Thunderbirds opening a three-goal lead at 34-34. But a string of super shots off the hot hands of Garbin and Austin, ensured the teams headed into the final quarter locked at 40-40.

From there, the Vixens displayed their clinical experience to not only surge ahead, but also expertly ran down the clock before handing off the ball to Austin who sunk the winning goal in the final seconds of the hard-fought match.

Meanwhile, Ward and her GIANTS team suffered a 62-65 loss to Queensland Firebirds in another thrilling contest at Ken Rosewall Arena.

Donnell Wallam, with 55 goals from 60 attempts, and Tippah Dwan, with 10 goals from 12 attempts, led the way for the Firebirds. GIANTS got their goals from Jo Harten (33 goals from 35 attempts) and Sophie Dwyer (29 goals from 29 attempts).

From the opening whistle, the Firebirds displayed masterful finesse, leaving the GIANTS struggling to keep pace with their savvy and patient play. Firebirds came out firing on all cylinders, as Wallam's prolific scoring spree put them firmly in control 21-11 at the end of the first quarter.

Ward came out worse in a collision with Lara Dunkley, which caused more problems for the GIANTS as they struggled to regain their stride in the match.

Though the GIANTS clawed their way back with the introduction of Sam Winders into the fray, they were still four goals down at 36-32 at half-time.

However, a fired-up GIANTS took the game to the Firebirds, some crucial defensive efforts from Winders and Ward brought the team to life with flashes of brilliance, but consistency eluded them and, as such, Firebirds, ended the third quarter seven points ahead at 51-44.

Despite the GIANTS' resilience and Ward's pivotal turnover and subsequent conversion by Harten, the Firebirds remained composed under pressure and secured their maiden triumph in the 2024 campaign.

It has been a challenging couple of years for Samantha Wallace, after a serious injury threatened her career to the point where she was left questioning her future in the sport.

The Trinidad and Tobago native, who represents New South Wales Swifts in the Suncorp Super Netball League, was delivered news that any athlete dreads, especially during the high point of their career.  

“The surgeon said, 'I don't think you'll be returning to netball,'” Wallace revealed.

That news from the surgeon was as a result of a knee injury Wallace picked up in Round one of the 2022 season, when she damaged her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and meniscus. At that point, Wallace was the Swifts' leading goal scorer with a tally of 585 goals at 93 per cent accuracy for the 2021 season in which they were crowned champions.

It has now been more than 700 days since Wallace last paraded her skills in a competitive netball game, but that will change when the 2024 season gets under way in April, as the 30-year-old is out to not only prove the surgeon wrong, but more importantly, to defy the odds in a demonstration of stubborn determination and sheer will to succeed.

“It's a bit bittersweet and a bit emotional (being back) and the expectations in my head. Will I be good enough? Will I be the Samantha I used to be? So many fans and young kids are waiting for my return. I'm trying not to put all that expectation on myself,” Wallace said.

"[But] I'm finally back on court, I just want to take each day one step at a time and try not to think about the outcome, but the process," she added.

Reflecting on her journey back from the proverbial wilderness, Wallace pointed out that it was during the latter stages of recovery that she was hit hardest, both mentally and physically.

“I thought I would've been back last year. After my surgery, I was doing well, but then I was told I needed a clean out.  I didn't understand why because I thought I was doing really well in my recovery. The swelling was still there but I was able to squat, and I was walking okay, but after I did my clean out that October or November, I went backwards," Wallace shared.

Motivated by her faith, with support from her family, friends, teammates, and her own desire not to end her career in that manner, Wallace kept going.  

"I felt like giving up. I felt like I can't keep going through this, especially after my first year of rehab and the initial thought of coming back the next year and then having that taken away,” she said. 

“That was my breaking point, the first year of rehab was fine. I just had to deal with it, that happens, it's sport but the second year of rehab, I was like holy moly. I'm ready to quit. I wasn't seeing any progress in the gym, no matter how many leg extensions, presses and squats I did, there was no results until I got a cortisone injection. That's when my knee started settling, the swelling disappeared and I was starting to see muscle build in my leg,” Wallace recollected. 

The only silver lining to the injury was that it allowed Wallace time to reconsider goals and targets that she has outside of netball, one being to branch off into early childhood education.

"The injury was bad, but it actually made me sit for once, reflecting on my life as an individual and what I want to do after netball. I love kids, I'm always with someone's kid after games. I don't know whose kid it is; I just end up with some random baby girl,” she said.

Though she missed out on representing Trinidad and Tobago at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and the Netball World Cup, Wallace has no regrets about taking the time to ensure a proper recovery for a Suncorp Super Netball return.

In fact, she is now eager to get back in action and reunite with teammates on court, especially after watching her Briony Akle-coached Swifts fall just short of last year’s premiership.

“It's heartbreaking. Romelda [Aiken-George] came in and did an awesome job and she was shocked because when Briony gave her the call she wasn't expecting to be full-time.

“What I love and appreciate about her [Aiken-George] is she checked in to see if I was okay with her replacing me and I was like ‘Hell yes! You are a legend, you've been in this game for so long no one else can replace me,” she added.

"Playing with these girls means so much because these girls rally around me,” Wallace ended.

With the high of last year’s Fast5 Netball Series debut still fresh in her mind, Amanda Pinkney is cautiously optimistic about the prospects of not only improving her performances, but also the possibility of Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls challenging for a medal on this occasion.

Though the Sunshine Girls lost all five games played and ended at the foot of the six-team ladder without a point last year, Pinkney celebrated the minor victory of being named Player of the Game in the Jamaicans narrow 27-28 loss to South Africa.

Pinkney, who play both goal-shoot and goal-attack positions, also had the distinction of ending that tournament as the player to score the most three-point goals, a feat which she knows she is very much capable of repeating.

“Last year was really good year for me, it was my first time participating in the Fast5 competition and it was a really good eye-opening experience in terms of the level of competition and the pace of the tournament. Some high for me was the connection that the players had and also when I received the Player of the Game award, that really showed me that I am very much capable of doing great things if I remain focused,” Pinkney told SportsMax.TV from the team’s base in Christchurch, New Zealand.

“At that same tournament, there were some concerns about the team’s readiness, but we weathered the storm and gradually improved each game, and we gave it our best. So, it is just about focusing on our responsibilities, both individually and collectively as a team and once we do that, I know we will be much more competitive this year,” she added.

The Sunshine Girls will indeed require some degree of consistency to complement their speed and agility, as they are expected to again face some stern tests against Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Malawi and England in the fast-paced six-team tournament scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

With Jhaniele Fowler being absent, New South Wales Swifts star Romelda Aiken-George will lead from the front, with Gezelle Allison, Pinkney, and former England Under-21 Rhea Dixon, who recently became eligible to represent Jamaica, expected to complement her shooting prowess.

Adean Thomas, Theresa Beckford, Kimone Shaw, Crystal Plummer, Abigale Sutherland and Abbeygail Linton, complete the team coached by former captain Nicole Aiken-Pinnock and Shawn Murdock.

For Pinkney, 24, copping an historic gold at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in El Salvador earlier this year, provided the necessary impetus to fuel her ambitions for this tournament and beyond.

Simply put, Pinkney has a desire to become a staple in the Sunshine Girls team going forward and to do so, she is well aware that she will have to work diligently to improve her craft.

“My goal is to perform better than I did both at last year’s Fast5 and also at the CAC Games. I want to showcase strong teamwork, to improve my individual skills. So even after this tournament, I intend to take the lessons and experiences back to Jamaica and continue putting in the work because I am hoping that I can get a contract in one of the international netball leagues,” she shared.

But, for now, the immediate focus of the soft-spoken player is to exude the necessary confidence and willpower to assist the Sunshine Girls medal ambitions in Christchurch, as she knows that maintaining the enthusiasm is essential to trigger further development to bring about the much-needed excitement and fulfillment she desires.

“Things are going good so far, I honestly can’t complain, I think I’m more ready for Fast5 this season than before because I have so much confidence in myself and my teammates and I know that we will do much better than the last season,” Pinkney declared.

“I know the teams won’t come easy, but we definitely won’t back down. Like I said, I think this year I got more practice for the competition and not only that, but the combination that we practiced I think that will make the difference from last season. So, it might seem far-fetched but I’m also hopefully that we will win the tournament,” she ended.

Netballers from the Caribbean continue to face uncertainty over their immediate future, as the pay dispute in the Super Netball League shows no signs of a quick resolution.

Jamaica’s Jhaniele Fowler and Romelda Aiken-George, as well as Samantha Wallace of the Trinidad and Tobago, are among players in the League who have not been paid since their current collective bargaining agreement between Netball Australia and the Australian Netball Players' Association (ANPA) ran out on September 30. To make matters worse, they cannot be paid until a new deal is put in place.

According to reports, the dispute is headed to mediation with Netball Australia and ANPA unable to arrive at an amicable settlement over a revenue share model, and several players have had to turn to family and friends for financial support.

"I've heard of players who've had to move home because they can't sign rental agreements or are struggling to pay their mortgages because there is a big stand-off between what Netball Australia want to put forward and what the players and players' association want," former Australia netballer Bianca Chatfield said in a TV interview.

The feud erupted after the ANPA rejected the latest offer from Netball Australia and the eight SNL clubs, which put forward a "profit share partnership", while the players are demanding a "revenue share partnership model".

Netball Australia said it offered a base wage increase of nine per cent over three years and a maximum salary cap increase of three per cent over the same term, as well as a share in the profits generated by the League for the first time.

Officials from Netball Australia and the clubs expressed disappointment at the rejection of the offer, which they have described as "a ground-breaking collective player agreement".

Netball Australia said any further increases to player wages beyond the current offer would be irresponsible because they would negatively impact funding for community and grass roots netball.

ANPA said the players believe they have bent over backwards in a bid to reach an agreement, and they are now appealing for mediation to achieve "meaningful and fair progress".

Australia international defender Maddy Turner said it was a "super stressful" time for all players left in limbo ahead of next season, and she also showed some compassion for non-Australian players.

"When you are relying on that money to pay for rent, groceries, everything… imagine your next pay cheque doesn't come in. You're looking for other ways to earn money. I think it's really disappointing. There's no pay coming in," she said in a TV interview.

Turner said she had turned to the "bank of Mum and Dad" to pay her mortgage, while picking up extra work where she can — but not every player was that fortunate.

"There are a lot of internationals in our league and without that money coming in, it's hard for them to come over here where they can't work a second job," she said. "I think it's probably the most frustrating for them."

ANPA Chief Executive Officer Kathryn Harby-Williams argued the players were not making extraordinary demands.

"Players will never take what the game can't afford," she said in a radio interview. "It's new money we are asking for and simply 20 per cent of sponsorship, and that is all. It ensures players receive a fair share of sponsorship revenue — it's a real partnership model."

The netballers have found support from the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) after their recent fight with Cricket Australia — with the organisation creating a "fighting fund for netballers to draw on during their period of unemployment".

ACA Chief Executive Officer Todd Greenberg said the netballers' requests were "modest and affordable for the sport", and the players must be given the same partnership opportunities that has seen women's cricket in Australia thrive.

"The ACA stands with the netballers and will do so until this campaign is successful," he said.

Shamera Sterling, Latanya Wilson, Jodi-Ann Ward, Shimona Nelson, and Kadian Dehaney are the other Caribbean players that played in the SNL last season.

Jamaica's Sunshine Girls produced another strong showing to make it two-from-two at the Vitality Netball World Cup when they defeated Wales 75-40 in another lopsided affair in Cape Town, South Africa on Saturday.

While it was not the most convincing performance to follow up their record 105-25 opening win over Sri Lanka, the number four-ranked Jamaicans did enough to secure their sixth win over the ninth-ranked Wales in what was their seventh meeting.

Captain and ace shooter Jhaniele Fowler again led from the front scoring 39 goals from 41, with Romelda Aiken-George, who took over second half duties, sinking 19 goals from her 21 attempts. Goal attacks Shanice Beckford and Rebekah Robinson contributed five and 12 goals from six and 14 attempts respectively.

With the win, the Jamaicans, who are aiming to break a lengthy medal drought dating back to 2007 when the country last won one of its three World Cup bronze medals, moved up to four points and are assured of one of three spots to the next round.

Head coach Connie Francis opted for a completely different starting seven on this occasion with Shamera Sterling, Latanya Wilson and Jodi-Ann Ward in defence. Nicole Dixon-Rochester started centre court, as Khadijah Williams and Shanice Beckford occupied the wing attack and goal attack positions behind big shooter Fowler.

Jamaica forced three turnovers off Wales' centre pass and, as such, rushed into a five-goal lead before the opponents responded. Despite Wales finding an early rhythm of their own to gradually close the gap at 9-6, the Sunshine Girls accelerated late on to end the quarter with a 12-goal lead at 23-11.

The Sunshine Girls' tempo in the early exchanges of the second quarter was a stark contrast to what it was in the first, but when they eventually got going –particularly at the defensive end where Sterling and company had a number of deflections and interceptions –it brought Fowler's accuracy into play, as they went on to outscore Wales 21-12 for a 44-23 half-time lead.

However, Francis and her team were left with much to figure out, as they struggled to maintain that tempo with their usual speed and flair dropping significantly after combination changes in the second half of the encounter.

In fact, they only mustered 31 goals across the last two quarters which is fairly low by their standards, especially coming off a record high performance against Sri Lanka.

Though they scored high at 90 percent, the Sunshine Girls conceded 16 turnovers and that remains a cause for concern for Fowler, heading into a much tougher contest against the number five-ranked host South Africa at 11:00am Jamaica time, on Sunday.

“I think the entire team played well, the fact that we had changes going throughout the quarters and when everyone went in the just slot in and did their part which is really good. But yeah, we have to make sure that we limit our turnovers and also tighten up on some of our contacts,” Fowler said in a post-game interview.

Meanwhile, Sterling, who was named player of the game, said they always expected a tougher contest against Wales.

“Coming off the win against Sri Lanka and then coming to play Wales, which is a more structured and organised team, we know it was going to be more competitive and we were prepared for that. So, it was just a matter of trying to tweak and fix some of the little things that we need to do,” Sterling noted.

Having had much success as a player and now as a coach, former Sunshine Girls captain Nicole Aiken-Pinnock knows all too well about the significance of continuity which is why she is heartened by the presence and, by extension, the exposure of a number of young prospects to senior level competition.

Aiken-Pinnock, who during her time as a defender won a Netball World Cup bronze in 2007, among many other accolades, recently served as Head coach to Jamaica's team which won an historic gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in El Salvador.

It is no secret that the involvement of youth in sports has the potential to generate positive effects on the fundamental skills for development and having watched the manner in which the young players, in particular, conducted themselves on and off the court in El Salvador, Aiken-Pinnock has no doubt that Jamaica's netball is in a good place.

"The young ladies were very responsive and positive from before they went into the tournament and it was amazing to see how well they conducted themselves professionally and supported each other which is what I think got us over the line, especially in the final against Trinidad and Tobago," Aiken-Pinnock told SportsMax.tv.

"This is a big year for netball in Jamaica and we can only get better from here. These young players are hungry to improve their skills and so we just have to keep working on them from early so we can improve on the quality of netball and that we can also build on the next cycle of players for next World Championship," she added.

 That next cycle Aiken-Pinnock referenced is due to the fact that a number of the country's stalwarts, Shanice Beckford, Jhaniele Fowler, Romelda Aiken-George and others, could possibly bow out of the sport after the upcoming Netball World Cup in South Africa.

It is for that reason why Aiken-Pinnock is even more pleased at the inclusion of rising stars Crystal Plummer, Abigale Sutherland and Kimone Shaw in the 15-member squad to the July 28 to August 6 showpiece.

"I think it is very important that we have these young players in the squad, and I am pleased to see them there. Not only will they have a whole lot of experienced players around them that they can learn from, but being at the World Cup, which is the pinnacle of any player’s netball career, will give them great insight in what it takes to compete at the highest level, and what they need to instill into their own development to get there again," Aiken-Pinnock reasoned.

While the hope is that the Sunshine Girls will break a lengthy World Cup medal drought on this occasion, Aiken-Pinnock pointed out that even if it doesn't happen now, the fact that there is a good platform in place for continuity, means a podium finish could come at the next World Cup.

Along with that 2007 bronze medal, Jamaica also won bronze in 1991 and 2003, and have failed to get on the podium since then, placing fourth, fourth and fifth at the last three tournaments. 

"I am expecting the ladies to do their best, concentrate throughout the tournament, and just execute the quality netball that we know that they are able to showcase. Once they do that then I know they will be on the podium much like they did at the Commonwealth Games last year," she said.

"But for me the key is education and experience like I said, for the next cycle of players. The more we expose our young players to the highest levels of netball, both regionally and internationally, the closer we will get to achieving our objective.

"Once we have continuity within our system, then we will achieve consistent success and the historic CAC Games win which we are beyond grateful for was testament to that and also God's timing. Despite all our challenges, the ladies understood what our goals and objectives were, and they ensured they connected with and supported each other right through out that tournament," Aiken-Pinnock ended.

The Sunshine Girls squad is scheduled to depart for Cape Town on Friday and will open their campaign against Sri Lanka on Friday, July 28. They will then face Wales on Saturday, July 29, before a clash against South Africa on Sunday, July 30.

Jamaica's Netball World Cup squad: Romelda Aiken-George, Shanice Beckford, Jhaniele Fowler, Shimona Nelson, Rebecca Robinson, Nicole Dixon-Rochester, Crystal Plummer, Abigale Sutherland, Adean Thomas, Khadijah Williams, Kadie-Ann Dehaney, Kimone Shaw, Shamera Sterling, Jodi-Ann Ward, Latanya Wilson

Romelda Aiken-George’s New South Wales Swifts stunned Jhaniele Fowler’s defending champions West Coast Fever 65-64 to advance to the grand final of the Suncorp Super Netball League.

The Fever got out to a 19-15 lead at the end of the first quarter at the Qudos Bank Arena in New South Wales on Saturday.

An 18-16 second quarter win for the Swifts meant the deficit between the teams at half-time was just two, with the defending champions ahead 35-33.

After the third quarter, the Fever enjoyed a 51-46 lead and looked set to get a chance to defend their title.

The Swifts had other ideas, however, and produced a stunning fourth quarter comeback, outscoring the Fever 19-13 to secure the one-point win and a trip to the title decider.

Aiken-George led the way with 25 goals from 26 attempts for the Swifts while Fowler scored 55 goals from 56 attempts for the Fever.

Their opponents in the Grand Final will be the Adelaide Thunderbirds, home of Sunshine Girls Shamera Sterling and Latanya Wilson.

The Swifts will be looking for revenge after the Thunderbirds beat them 64-62 in the preliminary finals.

On the back of 46 goals out of 52 attempts from Jamaican shooter Romelda Aiken-George, the New South Wales Swifts completed a remarkable fourth quarter comeback to beat the Melbourne Vixens in their Suncorp Super netball League game at the Ken Rosewall Arena in New South Wales on Saturday.

The Vixens won the first quarter 16-15 before a 15-15 tie in the second meant they entered halftime with a 31-30 lead.

The Melbourne-based outfit then produced some excellent Netball in the third quarter, winning 22-16, to enter the fourth and final stanza with a daunting 53-46 lead.

The Swifts had other plans, however, winning the final quarter 21-14 to complete a narrow 67-66 win.

British goal attack Helen Housby provided good support for Aiken-George with 12 goals from as many attempts.

Malawi’s Mwai Kumwenda tried her best for the Vixens with 47 goals from 50 attempts.

Jamaican superstar Jhaniele Fowler was at her dominant best to help the West Coast Fever win a dramatic rematch of the 2022 Suncorp Super Netball League grand finale over the Melbourne Vixens at the RAC Arena in Perth on Saturday.

The end of the first quarter saw the Fever enjoy a 17-12 lead before the Vixens won the second by one to reduce the halftime deficit to four, with the Fever leading 32-28.

The third quarter saw the Vixens chip into the lead a little more to set up a tense fourth quarter with the score now being 48-46 in favour of the Fever.

The teams fought to the end in the final stanza, with the Fever eventually coming out 62-61 winners.

Fowler, who has won the league’s player of the year award for the past five seasons, shot a perfect 55/55 to lead the Fever to a win to kick off the defence of their 2022 title.

Elsewhere, Shimona Nelson scored 53 goals from as many attempts to lead the Collingwood Magpies to a 71-63 win over the New South Wales Swifts, for whom Romelda Aiken-George scored 30 goals from 35 attempts.

Jhaniele Fowler’s West Coast Fever are Suncorp Team Girls Cup champions after defeating the Adelaide Thunderbirds 49-41 in the final at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The two teams couldn’t be separated in the first half and entered the bread tied at 22. The Fever then won the third period 13-12 before pulling away in the final quarter 14-7 for an overall 49-41 win.

Sasha Glasgow was player of the match, shooting 21/24 while Fowler shot 12/13.

Courtney Bruce and Kim Jenner were both stand outs in defence. Bruce had four gains while Jenner had two to her name.

Jamaicans Shamera Sterling and Latanya Wilson had two gains, each, for the Thunderbirds.

Elsewhere, Romelda Aiken-George shot 15/16 to help NSW Swifts defeat Giants Netball 44-38 to finish fifth.

The Team Girls Cup acts as a pre-season tournament ahead of the Suncorp Super Netball League in which the Fever are the defending Champions. In last year's final, Fowler scored 58 goals as the Fever beat the Melbourne Vixens 70-59. She was also named player of the year for the fifth year in a row.