Bianca Chatfield: The one problem amid Jamie-Lee Price’s landmark Super Netball suspension
A reckless Sydney derby incident earned Jamie-Lee Price Super Netball’s first no-warning suspension, yet one change is clearly needed, writes BIANCA CHATFIELD in her Round 6 report card.
With one round left until the season’s halfway point, you get the feeling that Sunshine Coast Lightning have finally found their fire.
They were superb against the Vixens. Sitting courtside, it was really noticeable to me that the Lightning were galvanised by the adversity of the previous week’s controversial extra-time loss to the Giants.
Having come through in a pressure moment against a previously unbeaten Vixens side, and with the talent at their disposal, it’s hard to see why the Lightning can’t go on to make finals and be a serious contender. Leesa Mi Mi has found her fast feet alongside Liz Watson in midcourt and the defence end has clicked, with Courtney Bruce still to be added.
The Vixens were riddled with turnovers across their attack end, with 22 just from Hannah Mundy, Kiera Austin and Sophie Garbin. Austin and Garbin’s combined shooting percentage is just 82 per cent this season and having previously gotten away with that inaccuracy, it was exposed by the turnovers. It’s a concerning yet easily-fixable problem, which will no doubt be a focus this week.
Kate Eddy had joined SSN’s growing list and she was a huge loss for Vixens, which some people may not have anticipated. She’s been having perhaps her best-ever season, with how she can lock down a wing attack and create so much pressure on the transverse line, which helps the likes of Emily Mannix get ball. She’s a significant absentee, especially with the undefeated Fever looming this weekend.
The Swifts needed the kind of performance they delivered against the Giants, finding their trademark consistency again by winning all four quarters in a spicy NSW derby. We know the immense talent in that team but like Lightning, it’s just taken a while to surface. With the Fever, Vixens and Thunderbirds having started strongly, it seems pretty likely that we’ll see the Swifts and Lightning battling each other for a finals spot over the back half of the season.
And while the Mavericks copped another injury hit, with Tayla Fraser out, it was great to see them get a second win by beating the Firebirds. More on one Mavs player in particular in my Distinctions.
While the Firebirds offered a lot of promise early this season, teams seem to have figured out how to beat them. They look hesitant in attack and Donnell Wallam isn’t dominating as we know she can.
Many thought that Tippah Dwan would be the fix for their shooting woes but it hasn’t worked just yet; in some games it looks brilliant but in others, very disjointed. The Firebirds need Dwan to be far more of a threat to the post, so that defenders have to look after her rather than just containing Wallam. The best teams, barring Fever with Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, have two-pronged threats to the post.
Distinction
RECORD ATTENDANCE
With four massive crowds across the league, Super Netball just registered a record attendance of 27,514 in Round 6. Well done, everyone. John Cain Arena was sold out, RAC Arena was sold out, while Nissan Arena and Ken Rosewall Arena were both packed.
The Sydney derby at KRA looked absolutely terrific. I love games where the tribalism of netball fans kicks in and they really passionately get behind their side. Being a Swifts home game, the sea of sponsor-branded red scarves being waved by fans all over the arena reminded me of that iconic Kevin Sheedy moment in the AFL.
It was captivating viewing on TV and I can only imagine how brilliant the atmosphere was for the players on court. RAC Arena always does Fever home games really well, filling the stands with green shirts. Netball is generally known for its nice crowds and I reckon we could sometimes do with a bit more parochialism.
LIZ ELLIS
Netball is in good hands with its fans and now couldn’t be in better hands with the appointment of Liz as Netball Australia’s new chair. Getting her on the board was a great step forward in itself but having her as chair offers a huge opportunity to progress the sport. Usually someone will do a bit of time on the board before taking the top job - but we simply don’t have time.
Liz holding that position has always been such a no-brainer to many of us within netball, without knowing the hidden political intricacies that come into play at the top of NA. Having Liz’s leadership at the top will be such a refresher for NA, its staff and the game as a whole.
SHIMONA JOK
Shimona was phenomenal in the Mavs’ win over the Firebirds, shooting 50/55 (91 per cent), plus grabbing three rebounds. What an amazing career revival it has been.
Amid the devastating uncertainty of being without a Super Netball list spot after Collingwood’s exit, Shimona almost quit the game and returned to Jamaica. It just goes to show what a tough situation the Jamaican players, and other internationals, can find themselves in over here if things go wrong; and Shimona had already given up a basketball career to pursue netball.
Yet she humbly accepted a training partner spot at the Mavs, an unknown team with an unfamiliar coach, and has made the most of every little opportunity. Now, I honestly don’t think the Mavericks can win without her.
KADIE-ANN DEHANEY
Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard v Shamera Sterling-Humphrey seemed like the marquee battle of Fever v Thunderbirds. Kadie-Ann Dehaney had other ideas and delivered a riveting performance against Romelda Aiken-George.
Dehaney just continues to dominate in that GK role, maturing as an athlete with each passing year. The way she gets hand to ball and finds gains is excellent, yet it’s how she problem-solves during games that I find really impressive. She’s brought an increased aggression this season for her new team and shown every shooter she’s come up against that she means business.
Pass
SIN-BINNING STARTS
The sin-bin with another name was a huge weekend talking point, as Jamie-Lee Price became the first player given a no-warning suspension of two minutes. It was inevitable that the rule would be enforced at some point and I can agree that it was a reckless piece of play. The line needed to be drawn somewhere on reckless play not involving head-high contact (which automatically incurs the two-minute send-off).
No doubt, finding the line is tough. You can watch that incident over and over again and make different arguments. Did JLP remove Allie Smith’s landing space? Did Smith blur the lines by launching herself in the air? Ultimately, the key aim is reducing dangerous play and we now have a starting point.
Now that the first suspension has been called, I think we’ll see it more and more. It will become a factor in games. I just see one clear fault with the system, which seems to have an obvious solution (more on that in Fail).
TWO-POINT TACTICS
Do you take the two-point Super Shot to win a game, or take the one to send it into extra time? We have seen that scenario a few times this season and whatever the outcome, I love the tactics behind it. I also reckon teams would be training these scenarios to the nth degree, to have a certain strategy come game time.
We saw it play out in the Fever v Thunderbirds game with Lucy Austin. She comes on to the court generally in the Power5 because she can take the Super Shot, and she’d made one just moments before missing the match-deciding two-point attempt. Going for the win was a team strategy, you’d think, so it’s not on Lucy.
For mine? While it’s less exciting, I think I’d be erring on the side of a one-pointer and having the chance to win in extra-time, rather than opting for the all-or-nothing Super Shot; but I do enjoy seeing the different strategies play out.
Fail
VIDEO REVIEW NEEDED
Suspending a player is a big decision that could impact the result of a game and we’re asking our umpires to make that call by seeing the play just once, in real time and at full speed. That puts huge pressure on them and undue focus on them.
I’d love to see the umpires given 30 seconds to review the incident before making the decision. That’s what happens in other sports in order to get the decisions right and surely it’s the most professional approach.
More Coverage
I get the feeling that with JLP, the umpires would have reviewed a few incidents involving her over the past few weeks, in particular against Sterling-Humphrey in Adelaide. Hovering on the transverse line and trying to get in the way of the opposition’s leading player coming out of the defensive end is part of JLP’s game, as is a strong attack on the ball that brings contact.
When a player like JLP is on the umpires’ radar, a 50-50 call in real time may typically go against them due to reputation. Allowing a quick review could alleviate that issue, ensuring that suspensions are only given when genuinely warranted.
After those few close calls in recent weeks, a suspension for JLP in this instance seemed timely and fair. Like it or not, she’ll need to review that part of her game now that two minutes’ suspension is at stake.
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