2018 Suncorp Super Netball season

The 2018 Suncorp Super Netball season was the second season of the premier netball league in Australia. The season began on 28 April and concluded with the Grand Final on 26 August 2018. The start of the season was delayed to late April due to the 2018 Commonwealth Games, which was held earlier that month on the Gold Coast.[1] The fixtures for the season were released on 11 October 2017.[2]

2018 Suncorp Super Netball season
LeagueSuncorp Super Netball
SportNetball
Duration28 April – 26 August 2018
Number of teams8
TV partner(s)Nine Network
Regular season
Minor premiersGiants Netball
Season MVPJhaniele Fowler
Top scorerJhaniele Fowler (WCF: 783 goals)
Finals
ChampionsSunshine Coast Lightning
  Runners-upWest Coast Fever

Sunshine Coast Lightning were the defending premiers and successfully defended their title, defeating West Coast Fever in the Grand Final at Perth Arena.[3]

Overview

Teams
Team Captain Coach Home Courts Ref.
Adelaide Thunderbirds Leana De Bruin Dan Ryan Priceline Stadium
Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Collingwood Magpies Madison Robinson Kristy-Keppich Birrell Hisense Arena
Margaret Court Arena
Silverdome
Giants Netball Kimberlee Green Julie Fitzgerald State Sports Centre
Qudos Bank Arena
AIS Arena
International Convention Centre
Melbourne Vixens Kate Moloney Simone McKinnis Hisense Arena
Margaret Court Arena
New South Wales Swifts Abbey McCulloch Briony Akle State Sports Centre
Qudos Bank Arena
Queensland Firebirds Gabi Simpson Roselee Jencke Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Coomera Sport and Leisure Centre
Sunshine Coast Lightning Geva Mentor Noeline Taurua University of Sunshine Coast Stadium
West Coast Fever Courtney Bruce Stacey Marinkovich Perth Arena
HBF Stadium

Format

The season is played over fourteen rounds, allowing every team to play each other twice, once at home and once away. The top four teams on the ladder at the conclusion of the regular season qualify for the finals series. In the first week of the finals series, the 1st ranked team hosts the 2nd ranked team in the major semi-final (with the winner of that match to qualify for the Grand Final) and the 3rd ranked team hosts the 4th ranked team in the minor semi-final (with the loser of that match eliminated). The loser of the major semi-final then hosts the winner of the minor semi-final in the preliminary final. The winner of the major semi-final then hosts the winner of the preliminary final in the Grand Final.[4]

Rule changes

Netball Australia announced a change to the points system for the regular season, with bonus points being introduced. Under the new system, teams earn 4 points for a win and 1 point for every quarter won in a match. A drawn match earns a team 2 points and drawing a quarter earns no points. The winning team can earn a maximum of 8 points per match.[5]

Additionally, teams can request up to two time-outs per half and at any point in time while play is in progress, any one member of the team bench (players and team officials) listed on the official score sheet shall be permitted to move up and down their team bench within the bench zone to communicate with their on-court or off-court players. Finally, umpires can now award a penalty pass for delaying play or intimidation and quarter time and half time breaks will be increased by one and three minutes respectively.[5]

Broadcast

The Nine Network televised two matches each round during the regular season and also televised all finals matches. Telstra televised the other two matches each round. Every match of the season was available to be streamed live via the Netball Australia App. Unlike 2017, Nine telecast their two matches on the main channel, rather than secondary channel 9Gem. The two matches broadcast on Nine were on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.[6]

Regular season

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Ladder
2018 Suncorp Super Netball ladder
Pos Team P W D L GF GA % BP PTS
1 Giants Netball141013841776108.43476
2 West Coast Fever141004912851107.23171
3 Queensland Firebirds14905858751114.23369
4 Sunshine Coast Lightning14815809752107.63569
5 Melbourne Vixens14806855814105.02759
6 New South Wales Swifts1461781481699.82248
7 Collingwood Magpies14311080185893.42539
8 Adelaide Thunderbirds14001467394571.244
Last updated: 10 August 2018 — Source[8]

Finals series

Major semi-final
Sat 11 Aug
3.00pm		 Report
Stats		 Giants Netball57–63West Coast Fever    State Sports Centre Nine
Scoring by quarter: 10–18, 17–12, 17–15, 13–18
Harten  33/38 (87%)
Pettitt  24/30 (80%)		 Fowler  48/48 (100%)
Medhurst  9/9 (100%)
Stanton  6/7 (86%)

Minor semi-final
Sun 12 Aug
1.00pm		 Report
Stats		 Queensland Firebirds56–57Sunshine Coast Lightning    Brisbane Entertainment Centre Nine
Scoring by quarter: 15–16, 12–15, 15–17, 14–9
Aiken  37/42 (88%)
Tippett  19/19 (100%)		 Bassett  37/39 (95%)
Wood  20/26 (77%)

Preliminary final
Sun 19 Aug
1.00pm		 Report
Stats		 Giants Netball50–59Sunshine Coast Lightning    Qudos Bank Arena Nine
Scoring by quarter: 15–15, 11–12, 11–16, 13–16
Harten  28/32 (88%)
Austin  12/16 (75%)
Pettitt  9/15 (60%)
Brice  1/1 (100%)		 Bassett  40/43 (93%)
Wood  19/23 (83%)

Grand Final
Sun 26 Aug
1.00pm AEST		 Report
Stats		 West Coast Fever59–62Sunshine Coast Lightning    Perth Arena
Attendance: 13,722		 Nine
Scoring by quarter: 14–14, 15–12, 16–22, 14–14
Fowler  53/55 (96%)
Medhurst  6/10 (60%)		 Bassett  45/50 (90%)
Wood  17/20 (85%)
  • Grand Final MVP Winner: Caitlin Bassett
  • Note: The crowd of 13,722 was an Australian national league record attendance.[9]

Awards
Award Winner Position Team Ref.
Player of the Year Award Jhaniele Fowler GS West Coast Fever Ref.
Grand Final Most Valuable Player Award Caitlin Bassett GS Sunshine Coast Lightning Ref.
Young Star Award Jess Anstiss WD West Coast Fever Ref.
Coach of the Year Award Stacey Marinkovich Coach West Coast Fever Ref.
Leading Goalscorer Jhaniele Fowler GS West Coast Fever Ref.
Team of the Year Jhaniele Fowler GS West Coast Fever Ref.
Gretel Tippett GA Queensland Firebirds Ref.
Liz Watson WA Melbourne Vixens Ref.
Serena Guthrie C Giants Netball Ref.
Jess Anstiss WD West Coast Fever Ref.
Karla Pretorius GD Sunshine Coast Lightning Ref.
Geva Mentor GK Sunshine Coast Lightning Ref.
Jo Harten
Kimberlee Green
Laura Geitz		 Attack Reserve
Mid Court Reserve
Defence Reserve		 Giants Netball
Giants Netball
Queensland Firebirds		 Ref.

References
  1. "Super Netball start pushed back two months to accommodate Commonwealth Games". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 June 2017. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018.
  2. "Season 2018 revealed". Suncorp Super Netball. 11 October 2017. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018.
  3. "Lightning strikes twice as Sunshine Coast retain Super Netball title". ABC News. 26 August 2018.
  4. "Suncorp Super Netball 2018 Season Fixture" (PDF). Suncorp Super Netball. 11 October 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2018.
  5. "New Rule Changes To Be Implemented In Season 2". Suncorp Super Netball. 19 April 2018. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  6. "Netball moving to Nine could do wonders for the game". The Women's Game. 26 April 2018.
  7. "Vixens win a one-point thriller over Firebirds". www.smh.com.au. 8 July 2018.
  8. "2018 Suncorp Super Netball Ladder". scoreboard.com.
  9. "Lightning Strikes Twice". Suncorp Super Netball. 26 August 2018. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
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