2015 Conference Elimination Finals Preview
Australian Conference Elimination Final:
NSW Swifts v West Coast Fever
Friday 5 June, 7.18pm
Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre, Sydney
New Zealand Conference Elimination Final:
Kia Magic v Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel
Saturday 6 June, 3.10pm
Claudelands Arena, Hamilton
Finals Series:
Australian Conference Elimination Final:
(2) NSW Swifts v (3) West Coast Fever
New Zealand Conference Elimination Final:
(2) Kia Magic v (3) Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel
Australian Conference Final:
(1) Queensland Firebirds v (Winner of AUS Elimination Final)
Sunday 7 June 2015, 12.18pm
Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
New Zealand Conference Final:
(1) SKYCITY Mystics v (Winner of NZ Elimination Final)
Monday 8 June, 7.40pm
The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand
ANZ Championship Semi-Final:
(Winner of AUS Conference Final) v (Loser of NZ Conference Final)
ANZ Championship Semi-Final:
(Winner of NZ Conference Final) v (Loser of AUS Conference Final)
ANZ Championship Grand Final:
(Winner of Semi-Final) v (Winner of Semi-Final)
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Finals Series Statistics:
Home TeamAway TeamGames Played2828Win / Loss17 / 1111 / 17Highest Score65 (Swifts 2008)57 (Swifts 2008; Magic 2012)Lowest Score37 (Magic 2009)39 (Magic 2011;Vixens 2013)Greatest Winning Margin15 (Vixens 2009)14 (Thunderbirds 2009, 2010)
Finals Series Records:
PlayedWonLostWin %Thunderbirds107370%Firebirds85363%Vixens95455%Magic167944%Mystics52340%Swifts62433%Steel202-Fever----Pulse----Tactix----
Finals Series Records (Home):
PlayedWonLostWin %Thunderbirds550100%Firebirds330100%Vixens75271%Magic73443%Swifts51320%Mystics101-Fever----Pulse----Steel----Tactix----
Finals Series Records (Away): PlayedWonLostWin%Swifts110100%Mystics42250%Magic94544%Firebirds52340%Thunderbirds52340%Steel202-Vixens202-Fever----Pulse----Tactix----
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Game Talking Points:
AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCE ELIMINATION FINAL
NSW Swifts v West Coast Fever
Friday 5 June, 7.18pm
Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre, Sydney
Media Contacts:
Swifts - Rebecca Trbojevich
Swifts - Victoria Bain
Fever - Sasha Jones
Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 1 (AUS); ONE (AUS - DELAY); SKY SPORT 5 (NZ)
Umpires: Sharon Kelly & Rachael Ayre
Reserve: Helen George
Head to Head: SwiftsFeverGames Played1616Win / Loss / Draw12 / 3 / 13 / 12 / 1Highest Score7071Lowest Score5141Greatest Winning Margin2120
The Facts:
LAST MEETING: Rd 14, 2015: Swifts 63 def Fever 56, Perth
• This will be the first Australian Conference Elimination Final to be played under the ANZ Championship’s new
finals format. The winner will progress into Sunday’s Australian Conference Final in Brisbane where they will play the
Mission Queensland Firebirds.
• This will be the NSW Swifts’ seventh finals appearance and fifth in Sydney. They did host a final in 2010 in
Newcastle against the Kia Magic. Overall, they have a 33 per cent winning record in Finals and have not won a Finals
match since the 2008 Grand Final.
• The Swifts lost to the Kia Magic 50-49 in last year’s Minor Semi-Final at Allphones Arena.
• West Coast Fever is making their finals debut in the Australian Conference Elimination Final. Fever has enjoyed
their most successful season in the ANZ Championship with eight victories and a draw.
• This year will be the Swifts second consecutive Finals appearance, the first time they achieved that feat since
2011.
• The Swifts defeated the Fever 63-56 in the final round of the regular season last Saturday to secure hosting
rights for the Australian Conference Elimination Final.
• The Swifts and Fever played out a 59-all draw back in Round 4 at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre. The Swifts
have featured in three draws this season, the most of any team.
• Fever goal shooter Caitlin Bassett finished the regular season the competition’s leading goalscorer with 563
goals at an average of 43.3 goals a match and 87 per cent accuracy. Bassett also had the most shots of any shooter this
season with 647.
• Swifts goal shooter Caitlin Thwaites needs six more goals to reach 400 in a season for the fifth time in her
career. Thwaites achieved the feat twice at the Melbourne Vixens in 2008 (422) and 2009 (476) and twice at the Mojo
Pulse is 2011 (431) and 2012 (403).
Thwaites total of 394 goals has already eclipsed her overall total what she scored in her first season at the Swifts in
2014 (376 goals).
• The Swifts just shaded Fever as the highest-scoring team in the Australian Conference this season. The Swifts
scored 746 goals at an average of 57.4 goals a match with Fever shooting 744 goals at an average of 57.2 goals per game.
The Swifts also had two more shooting attempts than Fever.
• Defensively, the Swifts were the fifth best ranked side in the ANZ Championship this season, conceding an
average of 51.2 goals per game. The Fever were ranked eighth, conceding an average of 53.9 goals per game.
• Fever captain Ashleigh Brazill is scheduled to make her 50th ANZ Championship appearance on Friday night.
Brazill began her ANZ Championship career at the NSW Swifts in 2010 before crossing to Fever in 2012. She was appointed
Fever captain this season.
• Fever midcourter Shae Brown is scheduled to make her 100th national league appearance on Friday night. These are
made up of ANZ Championship and Commonwealth Bank Trophy matches.
• Aside from this year’s draw, Fever has only tasted victory once in six matches against the Swifts in Sydney –
Round 12, 2009 (63-60). The Swifts have won the other four occasions by an average margin of 8.3 goals.
• Three of the Swifts five highest scores in the ANZ Championship have all come against the Fever; 70 goals (Round
6, 2011), and 66 goals (Round 7, 2008 and Round 5, 2009).
• The Swifts 21-goal win victory the Fever in Round 6, 2011 (70-49) remains their greatest winning margin against
an Australian team and their second best overall behind their 29-goal victory against the Pulse in Round 4, 2008.
• The Swifts and Fever both have six players that have seen court time in every match this season – Swifts: Jade
Clarke, Julie Corletto, Paige Hadley, Sharni Layton, Susan Pettitt and Caitlin Thwaites; Fever: Bassett, Brazill, Brown,
April Letton, Natalie Medhurst and Khao Watts.
• Fever defenders Erena Mikaere and April Letton are ranked No.2 and No.3 respectively in the competition for
blocks. Mikaere has four, one behind Steel’s Phoenix Karaka, and Letton has three.
• Medhurst is the most used player in the competition from a centre pass, collecting 272 centre pass receives.
Medhurst is also ranked sixth in the competition for goal assists with 143.
• Layton is the No.1 ranked player in the competition for defensive rebounds (29), intercepts (40), gains (69) and
equal with Firebirds captain Laura Geitz for deflections (83).
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NEW ZEALAND CONFERENCE ELIMINATION FINAL
Kia Magic v Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel
Saturday 6 June, 3.10pm
Claudelands Arena, Hamilton
Media Contacts:
Magic - Greg Palmer
Steel - Kate Buchanan
Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 3 (AUS); ONE (AUS - DELAY); SKY SPORT 1 (NZ)
Umpires: Jono Breddin & Kristie Simpson
Reserve: Liz Boon
Head to Head: MagicSteelGames Played1717Win / Loss12 / 55 / 12Highest Score6665Lowest Score3833Greatest Winning Margin197
The Facts:
LAST MEETING: Rd 11, 2015: Magic 59 def Steel 53, Hamilton
• The Magic lead the Steel 12-5 in 17 previous meetings between the sides.
• The Magic won both matches against the Steel this season by margins of six goals.
• The Magic qualified for their eighth consecutive Finals and they’re the only side to have played in the finals
in all eight seasons of the competition.
• The Steel will play Finals netball for the third time. The Steel previously played in the finals in 2009 (v
Thunderbirds 51-45) and 2010 (v Magic 50-42) but they lost both Minor Semi-Finals to finish fourth.
• The Magic and Steel have previously met in one Finals match; 2010 Minor SF - Magic 50 defeated Steel 42 in
Auckland. The match was played at Vector Arena in Auckland, as none of the Magic’s venues were available.
• The Steel finished the regular rounds in third place on the New Zealand Conference ladder with three wins, two
draws and eight losses.
• The Magic finished in second place after the regular rounds with five wins, one draw and seven losses.
• Shannon Francois (Steel) played her 50th ANZ Championship match against the Firebirds in Round 14.
• The Steel has the best attacking record after the regular rounds with 58.38 goals per match while they have the
second worst defensive record with 59.62 goals per match scored against them.
• The Magic has the second worst attacking record after the regular rounds with 49.46 goals per match while they
have the fourth best defensive record with 51 goals per match against them.
• 2015 will be Magic coach Julie Fitzgerald’s fifth ANZ Championship Finals campaign in her six seasons as a coach
in the league. Fitzgerald led the NSW Swifts to the inaugural title in 2008 and led the Swifts to the Finals in 2010 and
2011 before guiding the Magic to the Finals last season.
• Janine Southby will lead the Steel to the Finals for the first time as their previous two appearances (2009 and
2010) were with Robyn Broughton in charge.
• Magic mid-courter Grace Rasmussen and Steel goal attack Te Paea Selby-Rickit lead the league in goal assists for
the season (179).
• Steel defender Phoenix Karaka leads the way in the league for blocks this season (five).
• Steel shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Reid is second in the league for the amount of goals scored (549 from 632 at 86.9
per cent). Fowler-Reid also has the second highest number of offensive rebounds (61). Magic shooter Jo Harten is sixth
in the league overall for the amount of goals scored in 2015 (396 from 460 at 86.1 per cent).
• All Finals in 2015 will go into extra-time if the matches are drawn after 60 minutes.
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Birthdays:
1 June 1987 - Caitlyn Nevins (Firebirds)
5 June 1995 - Samantha Sinclair (Magic)
7 June 1989 - Erin Hoare (Swifts)
18 June 1986 - Anna Thompson (Tactix)
Upcoming milestones:
100 Games (ANZ Championship):
Julie Corletto (Swifts) - 97
50 Games (ANZ Championship):
Ashleigh Brazill (Fever) - 49
4000 Goals (ANZ Championship):
Caitlin Bassett (Fever) - 3805
3000 Goals (ANZ Championship):
Cathrine Latu (Mystics) - 2841
2500 Goals (ANZ Championship):
Maria Tutaia (Mystics) - 2394
1500 Goals (ANZ Championship):
Paula Griffin (Mystics) - 1474
Kate Beveridge (Fever) - 1418
END